Read the February 21 meeting.

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Transcription by CastingWords

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Recording in progress.

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Valerie Amezcua

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 a roll call.

Council Member Becerra.

Council Member Hernandez.

Council Member Peñalosa.

David Penaloza

Present.

Council Member Phan. Here. Council Member Vasquez.

Benjamin Vazquez

Present.

Mayor Pro Tem Lopez? Mayor M. Here. Mayor M. Present.

Valerie Amezcua

Any member of the Council would like to take this time to announce their abstentions at this time?

Valerie Amezcua

Madam Clerk, do we have any speakers for closed session items?

We have one on Zoom. Let me check if it's for closed session.

Valerie Amezcua

Mayor M. I'm sorry. Can you repeat yourself?

We have one on Zoom. Let me check if it's for closed session. The public was able to begin joining the speaker queue at 4.30 to speak on closed session items. To provide comment at this time for closed session items only, please dial star 9 from your phone or select the icon, select raise hand from Zoom now. No, we do not have any speakers.

Valerie Amezcua

Great. Thank you. We will be recessing this portion of the meeting to consider the items listed in the closed session agenda, and we will be back. Thank you.

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Transcription by CastingWords

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Transcription by CastingWords

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Valerie Amezcua

Madam, quickly start the meeting. Thank you all for being here with us this evening. I hereby call the regular open 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 Becerra?

Here.

Council Member Hernandez?

Present.

Council Member Peñalosa?

Here.

Council Member Fan? Here. Council Member Vasquez?

Valerie Amezcua

Present.

Mayor Potem-Lopez? Here. Mayor Emescua?

Valerie Amezcua

Present. At this time I'd like to proceed Madam Clerk to the Pledge of Allegiance. I'd like to call up Ernesto Medrano from the building trains to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

You bid after me, put your right hand over your heart.

Thank you Madam Mayor. Place your right hand over your heart and begin. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you.

Valerie Amezcua

Thank you, Ernesto. What are we standing in the middle of the park?

Valerie Amezcua

We have words of inspiration, please. I think it's Pastor Tommy Coda.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. and all the city council. Thank you so much, clerk and city manager. You know, every time I come in here, I just think of this pluribious unum, and the inspiration out of many are one. And I just thank all of the city council and everyone for all the efforts of just bringing unity for our city. And I'm reminded of a passage in 1 Kings where Solomon prays for understanding, and that has been my prayer for all the city council and all the leadership here in the city

of Santa Ana and God we thank you we thank you that we can come to you Lord just as we are and we do pray we pray for unity more unity in our city Lord we we thank you so much for this great opportunity that you've given to us to live in this city and we pray that we would make much of every opportunity. And God, we think of our law enforcement. We pray for your wisdom that you'd give to them. Lord, our school district and all of its children. Lord, we thank you for just what you are doing. And we ask God now, Lord, that you would fill this place, fill this room,

Lord, with all of your wisdom that is needed for all the decisions that have to be made. And so, God, we thank you, and we love you, and we praise you in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.

Valerie Amezcua

Thank you, Pastor Cota.

Valerie Amezcua

At this time, we're going to be doing some ceremonial presentations. Mayor Pro Temp-Lippa, do you want to go first? Thank you.

Valerie Amezcua

Councilman Hernandez, you want to join her please?

Johnathan Ryan Hernandez

Hello everybody, first and foremost thank you all for being here. You're here in the beautiful city of Santa Ana, this is your house. If we can kindly ask Alexis, Lex Rocha, Coach John, Coach Hector Lopez and John Rai to make their way up to the front, please. Thank you.

Johnathan Ryan Hernandez

Well, let's make some noise for Santa Anna. We got Santa Anna in the house today.

Johnathan Ryan Hernandez

And if I can have my colleague join me on this side.

Johnathan Ryan Hernandez

Today February 21st, 2023, we are going to be recognizing some very important individuals to the city of Santa Ana. We are recognizing for the outstanding contributions to the community today. We are presenting this to Alexis Lex Rocha, John Raya, and coach Hector Lopez. Here before us Alexis Lex Rocha was born and raised in the beautiful city of Santa Ana. He graduated from Seegersprung High School and he joined the TKO Youth Boxing Club at the age of 12. As an amateur boxer he was the youngest ever to win the National Junior Olympics at the age of 14. He won many national and

Johnathan Ryan Hernandez

international championships including the Golden Gloves winning the silver medal in Ukraine at the age of 18 Alexis signed a contract with Golden Boy promotions as a professional boxer he has competed at the Honda Center at the Staples Center at the T-Mobile arena in Las Vegas and recently headlined the YouTube theater let's make some noise for that

Johnathan Ryan Hernandez

Now he's one of the baddest men in all of Southern California. We get to call him our own here, our neighbor, because his record as a professional is 22 wins, one loss with 14 knockouts. He currently holds a North American boxing organization championship belt, and he is currently ranked in his weight class number three in the world. One of the best fighters in the world calls Santa Ana his own backyard and he calls it home and that is to be celebrated. After his big win last month at the YouTube theater in Inglewood, he was featured in numerous media sources including Orange County's very own Orange County Register.

Johnathan Ryan Hernandez

Alexis' nickname is Lex, the pride of Santa Ana. Let's please welcome him as we present him with a certificate of recognition and we welcome him here to the front.

thank you thank you everyone so much it means the world to me well jonathan pretty much gave my whole backstory but i'm very grateful to be setting this award right here today um i'm very grateful that i have a community that that i have a community that supports me no matter what that's always been behind me since day one to be honest i joined this board just for the passion of it since a little kid winning national tournaments just to be just to be the best ranked fighter out there and that now i'm in my shoes to to inspire the youth to to give back

to my community to give speeches to high schools to give speeches to middle schools elementary schools that i've been through and i just want to be a good example and be a great role model to everyone coming up and to the youth to to chase your dreams it's going to be hard but as long as you take your mind to it and you focus determined you're gonna get where you want and to correct you Jonathan I'm ranked number one now in the WBO I'm next in line to fight for the world championship and I promise you guys I will be Santa Ana's first world champion I will bring back that world

championship here back to my own city Santa Ana so again thank you with this with this award for this recognition i appreciate so much and i hope to to shine light to our city much more thank you

Jessie Lopez

thank you alexis you make our entire city proud but we also know that there have been many people in your life that help you get to this point and i'm going to be talking about coach hector lopez we're not related for the record and he has been a volunteer with TKO training for the past 27 years and has trained thousands of youth in the city of Santana and coach Lopez is responsible for TKO boxers winning over 40 national and international championships and coach Lopez works in the medical field and that is why he consistently is promoting the importance of living a

Jessie Lopez

healthy lifestyle and exercising regularly and his continued support of TKO is very important to him personally and he guides and shapes the lives of so many folks as they ventured into adulthood and this is a volunteer base so please remember that he does this out of his personal time he does not get paid to do this and so it is not just an honor for me and County Member Hernandez to recognize Alexis one of our own superstars here in the city of Santana but also TKO in the past and coach Lopez and John Rhea so thank you

everyone thank you thank you guys I'll keep it short obviously I love what I do I love giving back to the community didn't know what I was really doing 20 some years ago when I decided to volunteer and here I volunteer religiously every day for about four to five hours after my regular job at at Edinger urgent care and I love what I do like I said this wouldn't be possible without the support of my wife and my two girls which you know they

tend to share me with the club but I really really believe in giving back like I said I'm there 45 hours every night that's where you'll find me and I've always been like I said a firm believer in really helping the youth of today with everything that's going on in today's world. I'm honored, grateful, thank you for having me and like I said I'm gonna keep it short. Lex said it best we got a big fight for those of you that follow boxing we're currently in negotiation to fight Terrence Crawford for the world title which would be a huge mega fight. We're hoping we can bring it home.

Santa Ana's never had a world champion and trust me when I say that I'm very competitive but we're gonna do our best to bring that home and make our city

Johnathan Ryan Hernandez

proud thank you guys again for having us and last but not least we have a special speaker who will be concluding today's presentation and i just want to tell you each a little bit about him the individual that will be speaking now is the reason why coach hector and alexis are standing up here today the individual we're talking about now is john raya he is born and raised in the city of Santa Ana and in August of 1992, a time where our city needed a most, he attended regular meetings that were happening all across Orange County.

Johnathan Ryan Hernandez

And in our very own backyard of El Salvador Park, John Raya attended the gang truce meetings that were taking place in the early 90s. He listened to the ideas to the most impacted people. He listened to them and he heard what their families needed. He presented his TKO plan to the city and he worked with the city manager at that time Dave Ream to find a suitable location. John worked with his friends in the construction industry in the city of Santa Ana and he began to repurpose the old church at the corner of South Hesperia behind El Gallo Jiro across from modern day and in June of 1994 he established the TKO Youth Boxing Club a

Johnathan Ryan Hernandez

nonprofit gang prevention program. This year TKO celebrates 29 years of serving Santa Ana youth with that sir we want to say thank you none of this would be possible without your leadership mr. Raya if you can please bless us with some words sir thank you very much

Wow I'm not usually at a loss for words but that one kind of got me I I do have to tell you it's it's great to be back and thank you for the recognition the City Council and Maramesqua. God, that feels good to say that. And I'll tell you, it was one of those things for me and looking at that and listening to those, you know, the gang members, the gang bangers and what they were, you know, concerned about and what would be a viable alternative. I just wanted to see kids have an alternative choice. And, you know, we were blessed with,

you know folks like Mary and coach Hector and all of the others my friends in the in the industry who stepped up and and helped you know nothing happens alone and you know I stood here as I said 30 years ago in this council chamber asking for their help the city stepped up community members stepped up volunteers stepped up and today we're here to honor you know our rising star you know so much about Alexis his his reach his impact goes beyond his jab and I got to tell you it's a hell of a jab but he reaches beyond that he's great with the

kids he's humble he's smart he's a credit to our city and to his family coach Hector is more than a coach he's a mentor he's a drill sergeant he's their counselor he's their friend so I'm humbled to be in the in the presence of these men and thank you for the recognition and thank you all for listening thank you

Valerie Amezcua

at this time the council we come down and join for a picture

Johnathan Ryan Hernandez

And we'll say on the record when this man wins his world championship we will have a parade for this man in the city. I will tell you that right here. We'll make sure to get that done. Yo champ, when you win your belt we're gonna have a parade here in the city of Santa Ana. I'm giving you the palabra right here. Thank you.

Johnathan Ryan Hernandez

Round of applause for TKO Boxing Club John Raya and Coach Hector and Alexis Rocha.

TKO!

Valerie Amezcua

All righty, I'm up next. I want to thank the ladies for the big font.

You know, I'm not their age anymore, so I need to have the big font.

Valerie Amezcua

May I have Olive Crest up with me, please? Mr. Stephan Christensen, Chief Advancement Officer on behalf of Don and Luis. Please join me.

Valerie Amezcua

I'm going to present to Olive Crest today. They're a very special place and many of you are very familiar with Olive Crest. And thank you for being here with us today. So you can come stand close. I don't bite. In 1973, Dr. Dawn and Louise Verler took in four teenage girls and opened their first home for children. They founded Olive Crest, formerly Olive Crest Foster Homes and Services for Abused Children in Santa Ana. Over the last five decades, Olive Crest has transformed the lives of 200,000 children and families

Valerie Amezcua

by preventing child abuse, equipping and educating children in crisis, and preserving the family one life at a time. Let me say that again. 200,000 children and families. Thank you so very much. Yes, please, a round of applause. Please.

Valerie Amezcua

Olive Crest is leading the charge in redefining the way they care for and equip children in crisis. and in doing so positioning themselves to exponentially increase their impact. A strong family for every child is Olive Crest's vision. They are now serving 4,000 children and families per day. Louise is now 87 years old, still working at Olive Crest, and has dedicated her entire life to helping keep kids safe and create strong families. her husband is 65 years old dr. Verler age 89 is still helping as well her

Valerie Amezcua

husband of 65 years I'm sorry I don't want to say he was 69 years old tonight we the mayor and the council of the city of Santa Ana do hereby extend our congratulations to all of Crest as they have celebrate their 50th anniversary and we want to thank them for their outstanding contribution to the city of Santa Ana into our community and it's really important that you know when I read a minute ago one life at a time that is truly how you do the work we do it one life at a time as we always as we said the school district one child at a

Valerie Amezcua

time and so thank you so very much for the work that you do of all across I'm very familiar from working with you from the probation department and many of my partners and I look forward to working with you as the mayor and the City Council as well and so you guys have done such a good job here for our children our families and we appreciate you very much and so I want to give you this proclamation on behalf of the City Council and the mayor and thank you for everything that you do for us and for our community so please say a few words

thank you thank you mrs. mayor and thank you council members 50 years well Dr. V, Dr. Velour and his wife founded the school, the Olive Crest, but they also, Dr. V has a history in education, was the founder of Nova Academy. I drove past it on the way here. Fantastic school. And we're looking forward to our next 50 years in the city of Santa Ana, investing now almost another $10 million in our Children and Family Resource Center, expanding it and renovating it, as well as plans in the works for 16 two-bedroom transitional

housing affordable housing units for foster teens aged 16 to 25. So that project is making its way through the system as well. So there's so much more to do. Honestly, I wish we didn't have to do the work. But there's problems abound and people make mistakes and we're here to fix one life at time and have strong families and safe children so thank you so much it's an honor

Phil Bacerra

you want to come down

Thank you.

Valerie Amezcua

All right, before we go into staff presentations, we're going to switch things up if you guys allow me to here I promise it's for the good here. Madam City Attorney do you have anything to report on a closed session?

Sonia R. Carvalho

I'd just like to report Mayor to the council members and members of the public especially that we did have closed session discussion this evening we did not complete our discussions with respect to labor negotiations and the council does intend to go back into closed session following the open

Valerie Amezcua

portion of tonight's meeting. Perfect thank you yes once we're done here we will be returning back into closed session. So we're going to switch things up. We are going to address item 6, appoint Amalia Mejia. Item 7, Darlene Perez.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 7

Item 9, Danny Vega. And then I also have Isabella Guerra Lopez to also be appointed to the youth commission.

David PenalozaItem 7

Mayor Emesco?

Valerie AmezcuaItem 7

Yes.

David PenalozaItem 7

I'll make a motion to approve the items you just called out.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 7

Thank you. Is there a second? Second. Thank you. All those in favor, let's vote. Madam Mayor.

Phil BacerraItem 7

Items 6 through 9. Actually, I'd like to go ahead and pull item 8 from consideration for today.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

That's why I didn't call his, I didn't call Councilman Becerra's. 6, 7 and 9. 6, 7, 9. Thank you.

Madam Mayor, can I please ask the Zoom callers to see if they would like to speak on any of those items?

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

Yes, you sure can.

To request to speak on agenda items 6, 7, or 9 only, please dial star 9 or select raise hand from Zoom now.

I do not have any speakers.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

If the council would like, you can do your own, Commissioner, if you'd like.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

What would you like? Do you want to swear in your own by themselves or do you mind as a group?

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

All right, let's do the group. If the group can come up, please. Can we take a vote? All right, we're going to take a vote. I make a motion that we do it as a group. Second. All those in favor?

The vote on the items 6, 7, and 9.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

That's correct.

Can I get who motioned and who seconded?

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

I motioned. Council Member Vasco second. We're going to do a little dance tonight, Norma.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

Yes, I am.

Madam Mayor, can we please do a roll call vote?

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

You sure can. Go ahead.

Council Member Becerra?

Phil BacerraItem 8

Yes.

Council Member Hernandez?

Phil BacerraItem 8

Yes.

Council Member Peñalosa?

Phil BacerraItem 8

Yes.

Council Member Fan? Yes. Councilmember Vasquez?

Benjamin VazquezItem 8

Yes.

Mayor Potem Lopez? Yes. Mayor Mezqua? Yes. If present, can I please have Isabella Guerra, Danny Vega, Elin Jaimes, Emilia Mejia, and Darlene Perez, please come up.

Thank you.

I will only swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of the State of California, cancel enemies foreign and domestic that

That I will bear true faith and allegiance.

I take this obligation freely.

Without any mental reservation.

Phil BacerraItem 8

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Thank you.

Thank you.

Thai Viet PhanItem 8

I JUST WANT TO SAY I'M VERY EXCITED TO HAVE NOMINATED AND FOR THIS COUNCIL TO APPOINT AS MANY LOS AMIGOS ALUMNI AS POSSIBLE. AND OUR MEASURE X COMMITTEE MEMBER IS ALOBO. I'M JUST VERY PROUD OF THAT. THANK YOU.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

THANK YOU, MAN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCILMAN SHAN. ALL RIGHT. HERE WE GO. THIS IS THE TIME OF THE MEETING FOR THE CITY COUNCIL. Well, actually we're going to switch it up again, huh? Yes.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

So if you'll allow me, I'm going to switch it up only because people have to leave and so I want to be considerate of some people that are here. And I know everybody's important. I think it'll be a pretty quick item, I'm hoping. So if we can bring forward, Madam Clerk, item 25.

I believe it's item 26, Madam Mayor.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

Item 26.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

Let's bring up item 26, please.

Please.

Speakers in the queue who would like to provide comments on item 26 only, please dial star 9 from your phone or select raise hand from Zoom now.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

And I have two speakers for item 26 here.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

I'm sure it's doing it.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

You good, Norma?

Yes, I don't have anybody on Zoom.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

Okay, let's bring up the speakers that are present. John Hanna, item 26, please.

Madam Mayor, council members, city manager and staff. John Hanna representing the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters. And I'm here just to kind of join the amen chorus to, you know, supporting Ernesto Madrano and the building trades coming to you and working with you to help Santa Ana residents in particular. We have a great funnel of young people who now are attending Santa Ana Unified pre-apprentice programs, are attending Rancho Santiago Community College District apprenticeship programs with the carpenters,

the electrical workers, and the operating engineers. And the whole point is to how can we promote creation of wealth so that we don't have what we have in many places today, kind of anti-family housing policies. Santa Ana is better than most every city I know. But most of these cities,

they don't have housing that's affordable for people who grew up there. So they have to move 40, 50 miles away. And the creation of wealth with apprenticeship training and with people who are with a trade union in the construction area will allow those people who were born and raised in Santa Ana to be able to afford to live here. It's not the only thing that has to happen. We have to build affordable housing. But we have to give people the skill sets.

That starts with the city setting a message, which is we are going to, in public works, we are going to create a standard that people are paid a prevailing wage and that people will have opportunities to grow and get a college education as well as working out in the fields. So I would urge you to approve this. I thank Councilmember Penaloza for asking that this be agendized.

And I look forward to be supportive of this and the work with the city manager and the mayor and the council and Mr. Medrano. Thank you.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

Thank you very much.

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Louise Allerman.

Good afternoon, council members. Madam Mayor, feels good to say that. I'm Alouz Alman. I'm a resident of Santa Ana, but I'm also here speaking on behalf of the Orange County Labor Federation. We represent over 250,000 members in Orange County and over 95 affiliated unions urging you to vote yes on item 26 and instruct renegotiations of the community workforce agreement in the City of Santa Ana. Ten years ago, Santa Ana made progress by becoming the first city in the county to do that. We did a lot of great work in Santa Ana. We feel that by renewing this agreement with the old language, we'll continue to do that

great work and set the standard for the City of Santa Ana. And on behalf of our membership, we are standing here with support of the building and construction trades and making sure that this gets approved and let's keep the jobs moving forward. Thank you.

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Ernesto Medrano.

Good evening, Madam Mayor, members of the council, executive staff. My name is Ernesto Medrano with the Los Angeles and Orange County's Building and Construction Trades Council, representing 140,000 hardworking men and women in the construction sector. And tonight, I'm here to urge you to support item 26, which is to renegotiate and work off of the expired community workforce agreement that we have. Your predecessors made history in the county of Orange by negotiating the first a community workforce agreement in the municipality in this county since then we have another at least

another handful of cities that have done this since then we have built a private project such as the west and anaheim resort and finish it during the pandemic since then we negotiated with the oc vibe which is that honda center project which will bring 10 years worth of work and we'll be proud to say that this summer we will start to build the infrastructure there we put when men and women on a pathway to the middle class through collective bargaining agreements. We take young men and women from your community and we give them access to an apprenticeship program, another type of four-year degree, no tuition, no fee, and guess what?

No debt at the other end with a job, a career, benefits, health insurance, a defined benefit pension plan plus annuity plans and 401k savings plans. We do the whole package and we're proud to represent our members. But we also do something else is we earn everything that we do. Every day, every hour, it's earned. Our members know they've got to go make their contractors competitive. They have the best skilled and trained partnership training program. We have approximately 26 training programs in the jurisdiction of all the 14 trades, actually the 15 trades that we represent under these agreements.

And you have the best skilled workforce in the world, and I can proudly say that. you have the best skilled workforce of the world to come in and deliver. You pay prevailing wage so you get your better bang for your buck with that workforce. They work efficient. They work safe. They provide for no liability in terms of any safety issues. And again, we also provide the local veteran preference. We dispatch your local residents and veterans first before we dispatch anybody else. We may jump the list, 100 people, to send you your Santana residents, veterans, and then as a tier two we also have Orange County residents because we know

that these are the people that spend their money locally they invest in their community and they don't have to drive 100 miles or out to whether it's LAX or the Antelope Valley or out the Riverside to work so with that said we look forward to having some collaborative collegial negotiation with staff and hopefully we'll be back with a tentative agreement thank you

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

Thank you. Thank you. At this time, Councilman Panaloza, this is your item.

David PenalozaItem 8

Thank you, Madam Mayor. And for the public watching at home, item 26 that I agendized tonight is to discuss and consider directing the city manager to direct staff to enter into negotiations with the Los Angeles and Orange County Building and Construction Trades Council to work off and build on the city's expired community workforce agreement, more commonly known as the CWA, which establishes labor relations policies and procedures for the city. I want to say that I agendized this. We were, I am proud to say that the city of Santa Ana was the first in the county

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to have a CWA in place and a little disappointed that it expired this past fall and we have yet to see a tentative agreement come back before us. I want to, this item shouldn't be a long discussion. I just simply wanted to agendize it to have staff enter into good faith negotiations and work off the expired agreement that the city had in place. Work off of that one and build on it if we can. I think it's important to have in the city. It's going to do a couple of positive of things for our community. It's going to, you know, ensure that we're using skilled and trained workforce and that that skilled

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and trained workforce that's earning prevailing wage is coming from local hire and people that live in our city. And there's also a veteran preference component, which is, I think, is also critical and important and to know that there's the number of veterans that live in our city and are out there looking for work. And I think this is going to be very critical that we bring this back quickly. And I want to ask my colleagues for your support in directing staff to negotiate with the building trades,

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but to bring back a tentative agreement to us within 30 days. I know that if we don't add a timeline, we're going to be here three, four, five months down the line without an agreement in place. So that is it. I will leave it now for my colleagues to chime in and hopefully hear your support. But that is what I have to say. Thank you. And thank you to the speakers that came out tonight. I really appreciate it.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

Thank you, Councilman Hernandez, for your leadership on this item. Let me start on this. And Councilman Hernandez.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 8

Yes. Thank you, Councilmember Peñalosa, for bringing this item forward. Fully supportive of us at the city of Santa Ana, working off the building trades agreement that we had last. It's very important that we continue to support this community workforce agreement. I'm excited to lend my voice to that. That concludes my comments, Madam Mayor.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

Thank you. Councilmember Peñalosa, Becerra, please.

Phil BacerraItem 8

Thank you, Madam Mayor. And I want to thank the folks from the trades and the carpenters for showing up tonight and making your comments. Thank you, Councilmember Peñalosa, for bringing this item forward. I support it and I'm looking forward to staff bringing us back something in 30 days. Thank you. Council Member Fan.

Thai Viet PhanItem 8

Thank you, Mayor. And thank you to everyone who spoke, Council Member Benyelosa, and to staff too, because I have talked to you about this. I am supportive of the item. I'd like to see us, you know, come back to the table, because I know this has been pending since last summer, if I recall correctly. So I'd like to see it come back and, you know, let's get it done. We've done it before. I think we can get it. Is the 30-day timeline pretty reasonable? Can we get a meeting on the books? We will do our absolute best. Thank you.

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Councilman Vasquez.

Benjamin VazquezItem 8

I'm in complete support of this item to work off the expired community workforce agreement. I've seen how it's done very well when the mayor passed it as president at St. Unified School District. before we have the agreement we have to just complain about leaks and mold in classrooms and afterward we had no such complaints. Of skill so I just want to make sure that the work that they do it does they do amazing work and it's skilled work and it's reliable work. Also on a personal note shout out to your laborers local 652 my my dad was a union member and we were raised a family of six kids

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for SAUSD educators, for grandchildren that are now educators in special ed, and we give it all to the 652 for what we have today. Thank you.

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Thank you. Mayor Pro Temp-Lopez.

Jessie LopezItem 8

Thank you, Mayor. I'm very happy to support Councilmember Penelosa and his request to bring this back within 30 days. Thank you.

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Thank you all for your comments. I'll be very brief. I do support this and thank you, Councilman Penelissa, for your leadership in bringing this forward. I was not here when it expired, so 30-day window, Madam City Manager, that takes us to about the second meeting in March. So that is the date that we are looking forward to this being back on the agenda for a vote is the second meeting in March. And so I'm sure we can get that done. So thank you all very much and to the speakers that came tonight. We appreciate you coming out here and speaking and we appreciate the fact

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that you give veterans and you put them in front of the line, you give them jobs, you treat them well, you offer them services, you have a program for women, women in boots, boots and women.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

Ernesto is going to give me a pair of boots. So I just want to thank you for coming out to speak on this item. So thank you all very much. I think, my city manager, you have direction. Thank you. Great. Thank you for this item. We'll move to the next item now.

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NEW SPEAKERS, CITY, MADAM CLERK, WE'RE GOING TO GO TO PUBLIC COMMENTS NOW.

MADAM MAYOR, WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO STAFF PRESENTATIONS?

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I'M GOING TO WAIT UNTIL AFTER WE DO PUBLIC COMMENTS, PLEASE.

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I'd like to call up Coach McManus from Modern Day High School, please.

Good evening, guys. My name is Frank McManus. Good evening, esteemed members of the Santa Ana City Council, fellow citizens of Santa Ana and guests. My name is Coach Frank McManus, Jr., and it's with great humility and honor that I address you tonight as a new head coach of modern day high school football with the football program. It's kind of a coming home of sorts. I'm a St. Anna. I attended a St. Barbara's Catholic school in St. Anna. I attended modern day high school in St. Anna. I lived on Bristol and 6th Street for about seven to eight years,

if you guys can believe that, for a number of years, like seven or eight years. So like I said, it is exciting to come back and speak in front of you guys. Mater Dei High School has a long and storied history for the City of Santa Ana, and we're grateful for the City's partnership and support over the last 73 years. Every week in fall, our Mater Dei family gathers at the Bowl to cheer on our beloved monarchs. We're proud to call Santa Ana our home right down at the corner of Bristol and Etinger. As a proud member of the Santa Ana community, Mater Dei High School is deeply committed to

continuing our relationship with the city on behalf of our student athletes, our students, athletes, coaches, and entire school administration, faculty, staff, and student body. I want to express our sincere gratitude for allowing us to be a part of your story, the story of Santa Ana. We look forward to the future and the opportunities that lie ahead for our program. I am personally thrilled about the upcoming season we look forward to seeing you on friday nights this fall i hope to see every single one of you um you're always welcome down on the field obviously as well too so you can come

get first-hand view thank you for allowing me to attend this evening and share our gratitude and i i look forward to your guys's continued support thank you guys so much again for all the support you guys have given. Go monarchs and thank you Santa Ana.

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Rosario Galeas.

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Followed by Carl Benninger, please.

Good evening, Mayor, Council members and staff. My name is Rosario Chariz-Galdeas. Today I'm here again as a Sanana resident, voter and patient, and community board member of the Share Ourselves organization. To ask you to please make an amendment to the zoning ordinance, especially section 41313.5, and remove the recent requirement to obtain a conditional use permit for medical offices operated by government, government subsidized, non-for-profit or philanthropic entities prior to operating a business in the

professional zone. The wording in that section of the zoning ordinance limits the creation of new medical clinics and the expansion of services for federal qualified health centers, including clinics operated by CalOptima simply because they receive funding, federal funding. At the last meeting, I was here, and Council Member Penalosa mentioned, like, oh, make sure that this is not about share ourselves or just one organization. I want to assure you that this is about the community of Santa Ana. I assure all of you that I'm here because I really believe

that the wording in that ordinance will affect or limit the opportunity for federal qualified health centers to expand clinics and services in Santa Ana. So I know that all of you have the power to do that amendment. Please, please consider that. We're here to support in that process. If you have any questions, please work with your staff, with the city attorney as well to inform you. And thank you for your time, and I appreciate that. Thank you.

Carl Bettinger.

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Followed by Christy Ward, please.

Good evening, Mayor and Council. First of all, thanks for inviting Coach McManus. If you come to the game, come up and see me. I'm in the press box running the scoreboard and time clock. I'll give you one heck of a view from up there, believe me. What I'm really here for is just to say thank you. The CommLink Committee, or CommLink, worked for over a year with the help of the city manager her staff number of council people and we're now able to meet again inside the school district so that means 30 of our neighborhoods can meet again and so this took a lot of effort

and time on everyone's part we appreciate the help we've had along the way so i'm really saying here thank you you've now made work for me because now i got to get those neighborhoods back going again on it to live live up to our standards at improving a neighborhood block by block so thank you thank

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

Thank you. Christy Ward.

Good evening, Ms. Mayor, City Council members and staff. My name is Christy Ward and I'm the Chief Executive Officer, get my title right, of Share Ourselves, a community health center that has been operating in Orange County for the past 53 years. I was here before you at the last City Council meeting that was held on February 7th, and And during that time, we had asked to have the language on the proposed zoning ordinance amendment number 2022-03 be revised to reconsider the definition of a medical office as it relates to zoning. During the last meeting, the city attorney provided information that the urgency ordinance

that had been passed on December 20th was still in place regardless of any action that the city council would make that evening. inferring that the urgency ordinance would continue indefinitely according to the city's designation as a charter city. Our research has shown that point to be untrue. And according to California Government Code section 65858, that includes charter cities such as Santa Ana, are subject to the expiration of any urgency zoning ordinance to expire after 45 days unless there's a specific action by the City Council to extend that to a later date.

At this time, we strongly believe that the urgency ordinance has expired, effective February 3rd. And based on the actions of the City Council at the February 7th meeting, we're currently in a window until March 7th where no zoning ordinance is in place. Share Ourselves submitted a major remodel application on February 6th for a building at 2670 North Main Street that we had planned to invest $34 million in the update and build out of a state-of-the-art medical facility. We have been operating a mile from this location in Santa Ana for the last 14 years, and we

are very excited to provide expanded care to our Santa Ana neighbors.

At this time, our application should be processed immediately given that no CUP requirement goes into effect until March 7th. I ask that you research and investigate the advice that was given by the city attorney at the last city council meeting according to this California government code, section 65858, and accordingly process our application. Additionally, I ask the city council members to make a revision to the pending zoning ordinance number 2022-03 at your next city council meeting before it goes into effect on March 7th,

removing the line P that specifically talks about medical offices and how they're funded, either government, government subsidized, et cetera. We believe this to be flawed, and we really would love to have you reconsider that. We would love to be your partner in any way that we can, and I thank you for your time. Thank you. Speak for your time.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

Thank you. Thank you. Delilah Snow.

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Followed by Will Klatt.

Good evening. Madam Mayor, City Council and Management. My name is Delilah Snow. I'm speaking on Item 19. I live here in Santana, but I also have a business in downtown. I sent an email, an e-comment earlier today, but I came here tonight because this is important. As a customer, business owner, resident, and someone who cares deeply about this city, I think a lot of you have seen me over the past year come here because I just care about this city.

I'm here on behalf of approval for the current downtown clean and safety program that's been here for a number of years.

It's an integral part of this downtown. How often do you say that a team like this says that they know me, they know my employees, they know my neighbors? It's really hard to say for a team that does this kind of work.

They know the personalities of this complex downtown, which you all know this is a very complicated downtown and it takes a very experienced team to understand that and how this downtown works and you cannot buy that you cannot propose that this is something that takes history it takes work dedication building relationships time and giving a damn about this downtown and it's more than just doing your job. These people care more than just their job. And they show it. And I think you

saw that in my email today. Having a new team, especially after the past three years that we've gone through, you can't expect us to get that kind of care, especially the past three years. Really, really go out of their way to show us respect and the care. And having merchants doing the work is preposterous. You can't expect them to do a job like cleaning the streets and do their own work, especially after the past three years we've gone through.

I just want you to do the right thing. We need care. We need to be out of distress. And I just appreciate your time. Thank you so much.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

Thank you. Will Clack?

Good evening, Will Claddy. I too am here on behalf of Sure Ourselves. We've been here 53 years. Last year we provided medical care to over 13,000 people in the County of Orange.

I'm here to respectfully ask the council to direct the planning staff to process the major model remodel applications submitted on February 6th relating to 2670 North Main Street in accordance with state law and with the city's own zoning ordinances. At the last council meeting, the city attorney told the council and the public that the urgency ordinance adopted by the council on December 20th remained in effect and that there was therefore no point in amending the non-urgency ordinance to correct its many legal deficiencies.

But the city attorney badly misinformed the council because the urgency ordinance expired on February 3rd, the Friday before the city council meeting. California Government Code Section 65858, which specifically applies to charter cities like Santa Ana, says that the urgency ordinance expired after 45 days. BUT THE CITY ATTORNEY TOLD THE COUNCIL THE URGENCY ORDINANCE NEVER EXPIRED. THIS MATTERS BECAUSE OUR DEVELOPMENT PARTNER, TURNER, SUBMITTED ITS REMODEL APPLICATION TO THE CITY AFTER THE URGENCY ORDINANCE EXPIRED AND BEFORE THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE NEW ORDINANCE.

BUT BECAUSE OF THIS MISINFORMATION, TURNER WAS TOLD BY CITY PLANNERS THAT ITS APPLICATION WOULD NOT BE PROCESSED BECAUSE THE URGENCY ORDINANCE REMAINED IN EFFECT. We both, Turner and SOS, face substantial financial losses because of the city's refusal to timely review and approve Turner's application. We ask the city immediately to comply with state law and its own zoning ordinances and that the council direct staff to diligently process the application for approval without reference to either the urgency or non-urgency ordinance.

In addition, we ask the Council to take steps to amend the non-urgency ordinance at its next meeting to remove the discriminatory and unconstitutional requirement that non-profit, as opposed to for-profit medical offices, have to obtain a conditional use permit to operate in the professional district. Thank you very much for your time and attention.

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CECILIA INGLESIUS.

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FOLLOWED BY LEONO PAULDO. I APOLOGIZE. LEOPALDO.

GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL MEMBERS. Yes, Mayor, City Manager, Mr. Mike Garcia, the one that got me involved in politics here in Santa Ana.

I just, I'm here to just to provide support to our community. I know you guys are talking negotiations with labor agreements regarding, you know, how to invest our money the city of Santa Ana our residents I just want to ask that you think about all of the residents and why measure x money was passed when it was passed make sure that you take the community's interest when you are deciding on how to vote for those labor agreements don't

allow any, I would say, special interest dominate in a way your decision-making in this process. Just know that our residents are counting on you, that that money should be going for our parks, for our youth programs. It's supposed to be going for our neighborhood improvements. We've seen a few, but I don't think it's at the point where it needs to be. So for those of you who are standing strong, fighting for our residents, I really commend you. Jonathan, Ty, Jesse, and Ben, thank you for standing up for our community.

And know that we are there supporting you because we know that you're doing the right thing. That's one thing that really says a lot about, you know, who you are and your leadership when it comes to the financial stability of our residents. Santa Ana, we are a city that needs a lot, but with the right leadership and the individuals that are going to make those decisions, I know that Santa Ana can move forward. And I know that even though sometimes we don't agree on philosophical things, but when it comes to the financial well-being of the city, we are all on the same page.

So know that I'm here to support you. Anything you guys need, let me know. And you know, we need to have those conversations with our community. So before you guys vote on those labor negotiations, if you can have meetings with us, with our community, and let us know this is, how do you want us to vote for it? Because then you guys will get that support from the community. So thank you again for allowing me this opportunity. And I look forward to being more involved, if you guys allow me to. Thank you.

Dear Council members, as residents of Santa Ana, we are very concerned with the deterioration of our city parks and streets like Memorial Park Santiago that have been neglected for years. Also police don't respond to calls from residents when they report loud disturbing noises in vehicles whose speed is in our neighborhoods. The decay in the streets are in need of repairs.

These conditions are getting worse. The city has made no effort to improve our neighborhoods in our parks. The city sales tax was sold to the public as a way to improve the street and parks but most of this has gone to the city employees salaries and benefits. Costs for utilities including trash services can also skyrocket. The city council must make a street neighborhood improvements

a top priority over the months the police and to say something else is Serrano wants to recall again to city councils because they opposed to give another 20 millions to him I will say if the city councils have some pride the recalls will be to recall Serrano not the city consuls and I have more issues

but the city of Santa Ana they call now the Santa Ana trash city and nobody wants to leave it there. Just look at Bristol, Wagner, Main Street, DeFour, Sergistrom, all over.

This time you got elected by the people of Santa Ana, we're paying the higher tax in Orange County more than Newport Beach or San Clemente and do nothing it's time to act we're making a root movement that it is gonna be called independent

neighborhoods from Santa Ana you don't do nothing you're gonna hear us again but A MASSIVE WAY. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU.

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EDDIE QUIARES, FOLLOWED BY REUBEN SALAZAR.

HEY, GOOD EVENING. AFTER COMING WITH THAT, IT'S A GOOD THING I HAVE MY LUCKY SUCKS ON TODAY. I THINK EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE OKAY. HEY, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, MADAM MAYOR OF LABESQUA and all Santa Ana City Council members. My name is Eric Illares, Jr., and I'm a State Farm agent located in downtown Santa Ana. My agency recently celebrated 12 years in business, and I employ over eight employees, and I insure several businesses in downtown Santa Ana. Additionally, I'm the founder and president of DTSA Feel Good Events, which brings you Pozole and Tamal Festival. I am here today because I want to be the voice

and share the importance of approving the agreement with DTSA services for the DTSA Clean and Safe Program. As a State Farm agent, I am proud that my business is located in downtown Sanano. My team and I venture out to downtown Sanano after hours without reservations. I never hesitate to invite friends and out-of-city acquaintances because I know the streets of DTSA are clean and safe. Personally I actively see the DTSA service cleaning crew constantly picking up trash,

trash ensuring that our streets and sidewalks are free from debris and no overflow trash bins. On Friday and Saturday night, security can be seen on DTSA streets who work closely with the SAPD to build a great sense of community while keeping us safe. As a founder of DTSA Fill Good Events, DTSA Services has been an integral part of our success. This past December, we had over 15,000 people in attendance at our event. Infusing our DTSA West End economy with over $180,000 with zero incidents. Coincidentally, I have spoken with several other organizations and there were zero incidents reported at their events as well.

So benefits to continuing in contact with DTSA services. Continue the personal relationship with Jose Romo and his team. That man has been incredible during the tenure that I've been there for two reasons. One, I've never ever seen him take advantage of our community and number two, the reason why, it's because he wants the city to prosper and grow as much as all of you do as well. Number two, as an event coordinator with his comprehensive work that DTA services events, we no longer have to fence the federal building for our events. That's like a two to three thousand dollar savings per event. Number three, Maria, the security guard

you guys all see with the yellow shirt in downtown Santa Ana, the little blinking lights that alone is phenomenal watching that reoccurrence is great for our downtown community jose romer i spoke to him about i already spoke about him already and dtsa services has worked with events closely and has worked for free literally he wants the city to prosper these downtown events to prosper prosper and continue and he's willing to work for free in several of those events so i will end with this although our city is 27 square miles our downtown san anna is unlike any other in the country. We have over 600 businesses in eight blocks

and 3,000 residents, I'm sorry, over 1,000 residents and over 3,000 visitors weekly.

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Again, time is up.

Thank you very much. Thank you.

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Ruben Salazar, please.

Hello, I am Ruben Salazar. I am the property manager and curator at the Blue Lot, and I'm here to speak on the clean and safety program, which since I've been down here, they do an amazing job. I see them day in and day out working in the morning, keeping our downtown clean. When other cities and people come to enjoy our downtown, they're there in the morning cleaning up so people can enjoy our beautiful city and our beautiful downtown. So I am here to show my support for the Clean and Safety Program, and I think that we should keep it in intact.

And they do an amazing job. They're very humble and hardworking individuals. I know some of them personally, and like I said, I think it's an amazing program. We should keep it in place. Thank you for your time. I appreciate it. Thank you.

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Do we have any comments on Zoom?

Speaker on the queue may provide their comments on agenda and non-agenda items within the city's jurisdiction. When unmuted, please announce your name, ward or neighborhood you reside in within the city of Santa Ana for the record. To request to speak, dial star 9 from your phone or select raise hand from Zoom now. Before unmuting callers, I would like to begin reporting the following summary of emails provided as of today at 3 p.m. On item number four, the homeless update, somebody, a Santa Ana resident provided comments on the homelessness issue. Item 19, the Downtown Services Clean

and Safe Program, 18 Santa Ana residents slash organizations in support of the item. Non-agenda items, we received a comment regarding a police officer complaint, and a Santa Ana resident provided a comment to many 5G towers in their neighborhood.

Callers whose phone number ends with the last three numbers, 8477, please dial star 6 from your phone and proceed with your comment. You have three minutes to speak.

»» Caller with phone number who ends in 8477, would you like to speak?

Zoom ID Denise please select the microphone icon from to unmute from your device you have three

minutes to speak hello my name is Denise Reynoso I'm a downtown Santa Ana resident and I'm the president of the downtown neighborhood association I'm speaking on behalf of item 19 as a resident I support this agreement with the DTSA clean and safety program. They have been doing a wonderful job the last few years. I have met the team. I have seen them walking around during events or on the weekends and during the week, picking up, making sure that the residents feel safe.

It is very important for residents to feel safe when there are so many issues with the homeless. and I know that a lot of people are attracted to the downtown area and it promotes business for Santa Ana. So to us, the residents, it's very important for us to feel that we can walk through the streets and we enjoy seeing that it's clean. So we really support this item and the team has been really great at making everyone feel welcome and safe. And so I would just ask that the council considers approving this agreement.

Even when we've had events, they've always come, just like Eddie had mentioned, they do come for free. They've helped me in my events, whether it's setting up or just checking that we have everything we need. So they've been very accommodating to our neighborhood. Thank you.

Caller whose phone number ends in 4010. Please dial star six from your phone and proceed with your comment. You have three minutes to speak.

Hi, this is Victor Mendez. Yeah, I wanna speak on the presentation of the annual Congress of Financial Report. First and foremost, just from my perspective, I don't think it's necessarily a receive and file item. It's really received and accept type items. This is too important of a presentation to just simply file it away. That said, I looked through the report briefly and found two items that I hope the council will take it upon themselves to follow up at another point in time. Page 79 shows, outlines about $64 million in deficits.

and I really comprehend or fully understand or appreciate what's driving those deficits or why they're occurring or more importantly, how it will be mitigated in the future. But that is a lot of money. On page 111 regarding the work of compensation liability, this has been an issue that I've talked about for three years running and it's really going nowhere. The problem is only getting worse. uh from what i can see it looks like whenever a claim uh comes in or gets recorded it basically

goes into a morass and gets stuck in the system and that claim only grows in cost uh something really needs to be unplugged or uncorked there because the matter simply will not go away uh In terms of the midterm budget request, you know, the whole thing seems to be like kind of a negative impact on what I call. You're behind in revenue and you want to spend more money. I want the council to really think about in light of what that prior speaker said and money. You are behind in revenue and you're going to spend more money. Something that doesn't really make sense.

and maybe this whole package can be deferred at a later time when the revenue numbers are stronger and a little bit more clear but going in and spending money when your estimates are when your revenue estimates are behind doesn't seem to be the best course of action lastly in terms of economic impact i put my money where my mouth is and i bought a new car here in san anna will probably be my last car i encourage any resident to go out to subaru orange coast great I also placed my insurance here locally with Eddie T. Heron in downtown Santa Ana. I'll even get my gas in Santa Ana. I believe in Santa Ana.

I'm sorry to say, I don't see the city itself believing in the business here, but maybe that can be turned around. Thank you so much. You guys have a great evening and a good meeting. Thank you.

Madam Mayor, that was the last speaker.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

Great, thank you. At this time, council members, please announce any items that you will be abstaining from due to conflict, or if there are any requests to pull an item from the consent calendar, please state your name to motion and to second to approve the remainder of the consent calendar, those that we do not pull. Council members, please cast your vote and the city clerk will announce and display the roll call. So let's start with items pulled. Councilman?

Madam Mayor, will we be hearing the staff presentations?

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

Well, I'm gonna wait until we're done with this, because they may be a little lengthy. I'm not trying to put you off, I just want to get through this and then we can do that. I apologize. I'm dancing tonight a little bit, so we're not here until 3 o'clock in the morning. Unless you want to be here, Mike. Because I hear you get people involved in politics. I'm good with that.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

It's his fault. All right. Items to be pulled. Councilmember Becerra.

Phil BacerraItem 8

Thank you, Madam Mayor. I'll be pulling item 19.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

Is that the only one? All right. I could if you want more. Councilman Vasquez. Yes. Thank you. Councilman Hernandez?

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 8

No items on the consent calendar.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

Councilmember Becerra? I'm sorry, Penelosa? I don't know why I do that.

David PenalozaItem 8

No items.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

Mayor Pro Tem?

Jessie LopezItem 8

Yeah, 22, please. Thank you.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

And I have 15. I'm going to make a comment on 19 and 20. Council Member Ty was going to abstain from 17 and a portion of 23.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

Madam City Attorney, can you expand maybe a little bit on that while she's gone?

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 8

My understanding is that with respect, you're on the consent calendar now, but my understanding is that on 17, she has a conflict of interest, public economic base based on employment as she usually states on the record and with respect to 23 it's a little unusual because there is one item within the staff discussion in which she's discussed with me that is the third and Broadway item she does have a conflict of interest on that again based on the employment and I think the request is that the council take that item alone and address that item and then go back to

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 8

the rest of the request that's up to the City Council if you do that she can come back and participate on the balance if you don't do that she won't be able to

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

participate. Okay. I don't have a problem of taking that item separately. Does anybody oppose that? I don't oppose it. Perfect. Thank you. We took your abstentions for you.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

17 and portion of 23. I'll go ahead and just state it anyway. She stated for you. Okay. Thank you. Okay. All right. So can we make a motion for the remainder? I'll make a motion to approve. Second. Made by Councilman PENALOSA SECOND BY COUNCILMAN HERNANDEZ. LET'S PREPARE TO VOTE. THEN I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH EACH ITEM.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

DO YOU NEED A ROLL CALL, MADAM KERR.

I just want to know if there's an issue. It seems just that area there.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 8

Now it just came up.

Thai Viet PhanItem 8

Councilmember Phan. Yes, but I do want to make a comment that I just really want to appreciate staff for awarding contracts or recommending contracts to San Ana-based businesses, Service First as well as C3 Technology Services. Thank you.

And Councilmember Becerra, can you please voice your vote? Yes.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

MS.

MS.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

Madam Clerk, why don't we do a roll call since we're having some challenges.

MS.

The motion passes by unanimous consent.

MS.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

You have everything. Okay. We don't need a roll call then.

All right.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

First item. Item 15, please.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

So this was my poll.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

Is that for you, Mr. Garcia?

Yes, that was yours.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

Item 15. Okay, thank you. I just have a comment actually. So Centennial Park Lake, that's not this item? It shows it. Am I missing it? It says for Lake Management.

Your item 15 for Lake Management Services?

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

That's a Public Works Agency. I'm sorry, is that in the bill?

It is.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

You're more than welcome. He waved at me. I thought you're going to get in trouble tonight, Mike.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

Bill, I just want to make a comment. You can just stay where you are. It doesn't matter. For the lake management at Centennial Park, when I was walking that area, and I walked it several times, the community had complaints, and I'm sure it's not the first time, about the lake itself, the smell, being clean, the trees around full of mosquitoes. They just had a lot of complaints. And so I've been by there numerous times.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

Yeah, it's not very clean at all. It smells bad. And so if we can just ask them to really make an effort to clean up the lakes, all of them, so that they look good, again, about quality of life for our community, right? But that park in particular, I had a lot of community members complain about that because it attracts the mosquitoes during that season. And so it's very unhealthy for our community. So other than that, I'm going to support the item. Are there any other council members that have comments? If not, I'll make a motion.

David PenalozaItem 8

I'll second.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

Prepare to vote.

Madam Mayor, can we do a roll call vote? We're having a second. You sure can. Go ahead. Councilmember Becerra? Yes. Councilmember Hernandez?

Phil BacerraItem 8

Yes.

Councilmember Peñalosa? Yes. Councilmember Fan? Yes. Councilmember Vasquez? Yes. Mayor Potem Lopez? Yes. Mayor Emesqua? Yes. Motion passes by unanimous consent.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 8

We'll go to item 19, Councilmember Becerra.

Phil BacerraItem 8

Thank you, Madam Mayor. So this is the item in regards to the DTSA services for downtown clean and safe program. First thing I want to do is thank everybody who came out tonight and everybody who emailed the council. It was wonderful to see how many people care about downtown and want to see downtown be clean and safe. It's just, it's amazing to see all that passion. So I appreciate that. I want to ask some questions of staff regarding this item. So the staff report indicates that this contract would fund litter maintenance, special events cleanup, power washing, daily cleaning of city infrastructure, cleaning and maintenance

Phil BacerraItem 8

of parklets, alley cleaning, bus stop cleaning, street closure, equipment setup and breakdown, and security guard procurement and oversight. So I'm going to ask a more very basic question. So if we didn't have this contract, would none of those things happen?

We would fund that through staff, through public works.

Phil BacerraItem 8

So in other words, staff would perform those tasks? Yes. Okay. So this might be a question, Madam City Manager, that might involve your public works director. Under the Clean City initiative that we have through Republic, now my understanding with that, the excitement behind that was that they were going to go out to these high traffic areas. areas and power wash and do all the cleanings, right? Is there a red line around downtown? Do they not come into downtown? Or how does that work?

I'll ask Executive Director Nabil Saba to answer that question for you, sir.

Good evening, Mayor, Mayor Pratant, Member of the City Council, Nabil Saba. That program has started and we have hot spots for the Republic to clean the sidewalks right now and at the same time we have a program where pressure washing the sidewalks as we speak right now. So those programs have started. Fantastic. Are they inclusive of downtown? I'll have to check if downtown was selected as a hot spot.

Phil BacerraItem 8

If it didn't, we'll include it. I think the merchants and the businesses hope it's a hot spot because that means a lot of activities going on, right? Yeah. Okay. So I just want to make sure. Thank you, Nabeel. So the other couple more questions for you. So with the special events that we have downtown, as they're pulling the permits and they're going through all the evaluations, don't we usually task the folks putting on the permits, I can't talk, putting on the events to actually put up and take down the street closure equipment? That's correct. So we do, okay.

Phil BacerraItem 8

And then right now, don't we have Santa Ana police directly assigned to downtown?

We do.

Phil BacerraItem 8

We do. So no other part of the city we have that, but we do have actual officers. In fact, most of our merchants know the officer's name. They can say, hey, Officer Solso's going to be there. In other words, it's not a guest. They have somebody that has been directly assigned to them, correct? That's correct. Okay. So I guess part of the reason why I'm asking that is so a lot of times with the security, we see that they end up ultimately calling Santa Ana PD. So while the security services definitely serve a function downtown for a lot of the smaller stuff,

Phil BacerraItem 8

ultimately if a situation arises to a certain level, it does involve Santa Ana PD, correct? That's correct. Okay. And so in looking at the staff report in regards to funding, it looks like, and correct me if I'm wrong, 9% of the funding is coming through ARPA, And then we have 91% coming through a fund that you have described as the downtown enhancement. Can you elaborate on what comprises that funding?

Yes, the downtown enhancement fund 027. That fund 27 comprises parking revenue, which is parking garage fee revenue, parking meter revenue, and parking meter citation revenue. It's been depressed for the last three years because we've been reducing the two-hour and funding a two-hour grace period for free parking in the parking garages.

Phil BacerraItem 8

Okay. Thank you. And so with that fund, we hope to see it bounce back fairly soon. Okay. So for me, the reason why I'm asking all these questions, it's not that I don't support the program, but what it is, I want to highlight the fact that it just feels like, and staff you can correct me if I'm wrong here, but it just feels like that over time, and this is long before I think the tenure of many of the EMT here, that it just almost seems as if the city has taken advantage of downtown and has really kind of assumed that they would at one point self-fund

Phil BacerraItem 8

some of the what I would consider basic municipal services, but now we have this augmented service for them. And granted downtown deserves it because we want to put our best foot forward with downtown and make sure that it is clean and safe. But I do, you know, I do wrestle with the fact that we are bringing a third party to do this. Because again, as I ask these questions, Director Garcia, you answered pretty consistently that staff would be performing those functions. And I guess what that also tells me in talking to some of the folks in downtown, I won't say who, but have shared with me

Phil BacerraItem 5

that part of the reason for this clean and safe programs, you know, being appreciative of it, is because of the fact that they don't see the response from certain city services. And so this is kind of that, you know, I guess comfort, you know, if the city doesn't come through, then this entity will be able to service them. And by the way, I've known Jose Romo for many years so I know that Jose and his team are very very capable of doing this work and it doesn't shock me one bit that Jose and his team was ranked first you know because they obviously have a proven track record and they've done an

Phil BacerraItem 5

amazing job downtown so for me tonight one thing I would like to see us do as a city is start to look at and I'm gonna base this off of a real life example so So when the parking structures were an absolute nightmare, now we could say we had a third-party entity managing it, but what happened was the upper floors were just riddled with graffiti. I mean, it looked like a third-world nightmare up there. And we were able to pivot as a city, and we had our graffiti removal contractor, who's an amazing contractor, who does great work. Everything that you report through the MySanAna app, that contractor's addressing.

Phil BacerraItem 5

And we asked to have that contract amended to include the parking structures. One, it's a city. Those are city infrastructures. But two, because we knew that the folks that were managing the parking structures were not equipped to deal with graffiti removal. Just they're there to make sure that you get in and out of the structure. They're not there to go up to the fourth and fifth floor and try to paint out graffiti. And so that was something where we were able to pivot and have that assistance from someone that provides a service citywide. So my concern tonight, again, it's not about the contract. I think we should approve it.

Phil BacerraItem 5

What I would ask my colleagues to entertain is that rather than the length that staff is proposing, I would like to approve the contract tonight for the initial three years. And what I would like to have is staff come back to us to talk about ways that the city can improve services to downtown. Not necessarily to take away what Jose Romo and his team are going to do, but again, the fact of the matter that there's so much passion for this contract because of the fact that there isn't the confidence in some of the basic municipal services. whether you're in downtown or whether you're in an area like South Bristol, there should be that

Phil BacerraItem 5

confidence that, you know, in fact, tonight the speaker should have said, I don't know if we really need this, but they didn't. They were very passionate about having it, and sadly, that speaks to the fact that our basic municipal services for downtown are not what they could and should be, and so what I would hope is that we tonight, in fact, I'll go ahead and make it as a MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THIS CONTRACT FOR THE INITIAL THREE-YEAR TERM GOING THROUGH FEBRUARY 2026 AND THAT STAFF WILL COME BACK TO US WITHIN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS AND REPORT BACK ON WHERE

Phil BacerraItem 5

WE CAN IMPROVE WHEN IT COMES TO THE BASIC MUNICIPAL SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE TO DOWNTOWN.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

THAT'S MY MOTION, MADAM MAYOR. COMMENTS FROM COUNCILMAN VASQUEZ? ANY COMMENTS?

David PenalozaItem 5

COUNCILMAN PANELOSA? THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. I'LL SECOND THE MOTION. Councilmember Becerra's motion with comments and just the funding sources is what I had questions about. We're, over the next, you know, three, four years, or three years, we're using about half a million dollars of ARPA dollars to fund this, which I assume that is the reason why as we get into 26, 27, 27, 28 fiscal years, that amount from downtown enhancement significantly INCREASES. IS THAT WHY, BECAUSE THOSE ARPA DOLLARS WON'T BE THERE ANYMORE? THAT'S CORRECT.

CORRECT. THE REVIVE DOLLARS MUST BE SPENT BY THE END OF DECEMBER 2026.

David PenalozaItem 5

OKAY. AND THE DOWNTOWN ENHANCEMENT FEE, IS THAT 100% FUNDED FROM THE VARIOUS PARKING REVENUE SOURCES?

IT IS NOT. IT WILL BE BACKFILLED WITH GENERAL FUND DOLLARS.

David PenalozaItem 5

APPROXIMATELY HOW MUCH?

It varies depending on parking revenue and expenditures. In the past, we included Santa Ana Police Department expenditures and staffing were included in the expenditures for the downtown, and that was moved out of the list of expenditures. So it's going to vary based on how much parking revenue comes in.

David PenalozaItem 5

Okay. And I want to make sure that we highlight that because over the last couple of years that I've been on this council, all I've heard from many merchants in downtown is the desire to have parking free, to have parking free across the board for the people that visit and shop in downtown. So as we continue to have that conversation of whether we want to make parking free like they do in Orange and the Orange Circle and Tustin, downtown Tustin, you know, it's important to start thinking about these things is if that's possible. If we're entering into these contracts that are going to be three, four years long that

David PenalozaItem 5

are dependent on these funds, is there a way to continue keeping that parking free or reducing the time? Because I've heard as early as last month I got a request to look into expanding that free parking time. And I know that that's going to deplete the parking revenue. So that's important to just think about as we move forward with this. But I will, aside from that, I'm supportive of this. So I'll second Council Member Becerra's motion. Thank you.

Thai Viet PhanItem 5

Council Member Fenn. Thank you, Mayor. And I just had a question for the maker of the motion, just as a clarification. So the motion is to adopt the three years, but not with the option for a two-year extension, correct?

Phil BacerraItem 5

Correct.

Thai Viet PhanItem 5

Okay, thank you. That's fine by me. I appreciate all the comments that were made up here and I do agree with them.

Thai Viet PhanItem 5

I personally would love to see that these, what I consider public services, be provided by the city rather than a contractor. I understand why and that's okay. But for me personally, I don't know if that's what Councilman Bacero was pointing at, but I do believe that we should have the team to provide these services. That's just my personal philosophy on that. And I think Council Member Penalosa read my mind because I've had a lot of folks ask for free parking. And I think in speaking to Julie and Assistant City Manager Mendoza and whatnot, you know, the numbers don't line up.

Thai Viet PhanItem 5

And we're back filling with general fund dollars, and if we keep making it free, eventually the downtown enhancements will just be another million-dollar line item every year on the budget and so I do appreciate the thought into that because we do have to balance these different interests and I would love to see what recommendations you have coming back to us in the next six months thank you

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 5

Councilman Hernandez any comments yes thank you mayor mesqua supportive of the proposal that was brought forth I am looking forward to voting in favor of I have had the pleasure of working with many of the businesses in downtown as the elected official who represents part of downtown San An. I've worked with many of you as you were impacted by the streetcar. And I can tell you from firsthand experience, Jose Romo did not miss a single meeting. He attended every single meeting that we held. As we were working towards solutions, he was side by side with each business.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 5

So because of his demonstration, professionalism, and commitment to downtown and our residents, I am very proud to support this. That concludes my comments.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

Mayor Pro Temp-Lopez.

Jessie LopezItem 5

Thank you, Mayor. I don't have any concerns with those.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

Thank you. I will also be supporting this item. Let's prepare to vote.

Council Member Becerra, can you voice your vote?

Phil BacerraItem 5

My screen still shows the yes from the last one, but I guess it will be consistent and say yes again.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

We can do a roll call. It's better than just taking our time.

Council Member Becerra? Yes. Council Member Hernandez? Yes. Council Member Peñalosa? Yes. Council Member Fan? Yes. Council Member Vasquez? Yes. Council Member Lopez? Yes. I'm Mayor Pro Temp-Lopez. Mayor Emesqua? Yes. Motion passes by unanimous consent.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

Great. Thank you.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

On to item 20. I pulled that item.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

I'm sorry. Item 20, I pulled that item. I'd actually like to call the chief up, please.

Thank you.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

Good evening, Chief. How are you?

Good. How are you?

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

Thank you. So I see we're getting a grant. So I always ask those famous questions, right? And it's so that the community can understand. So we're getting a little bit of change, which is good. And it says for police officers, professional staff, overtime to augment gang prevention and enforcement, ensure successful prosecutions, officer overtime to enhance educational opportunities through schools, community association, neighborhood watch, community policing, yada yada. Oh and it does say additional youth programming through the Santa Ana Police Department's athletic through the PAL to enhance

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

youth violence. Can you talk about this please? Yes so this grant is a grant that

we receive annually and it supports various proactive efforts with this monies which is 102,000. About 87 of it will be used for gang overtime, gang education programs. So who actually does the work is gang detectives and also patrol officers. It's not exclusive to one particular work unit. It's available to anyone. And then we also line item about about 15,000 for programming for our PAL.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

So you have 87,000 that's going to go into the gang unit for overtime education. And then you have 15,000 that'll be for miscellaneous. So from an educational standpoint, what does the gang unit use that for? Do they go into schools, meet with parents? What do they use that for?

All of the above. So a variety of presentations. We also partner with the county in GRIP, but also individual presentations in various neighborhoods. We have either council folks that request community members, different groups that we work with. So this augments our efforts. We're not just talking about enforcement. We're talking about proactive efforts, mitigation, and then also community meetings. We have officers that are assigned on a seven-day work week spread across the week. and then when we have additional requests, these type of grants help support those efforts.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

Perfect. Thank you. Those are all the questions I have. Does anybody else have any other questions before you leave?

Benjamin VazquezItem 5

I have a question.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

Chief, if you can come back up. Go ahead, Councilor Vasquez.

Benjamin VazquezItem 5

I just wanted to ask about the PAL program you have down there on McFadden and Fairview. How many youth do you service a year in that PAL program?

You know, I have one of my coaches here. I don't know if he has that. I want to, I think it's more than that. I can certainly get you a hard number. It fluctuates, but we service kids, obviously, in the immediate neighborhood. We now have a smaller site on the east side that we opened last year.

We focus Jackson and the schools in the neighborhood. I can get you an exact number. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

It would be great if we can have PALS in other areas of the city. So looking forward to that. Any other council comments?

David PenalozaItem 5

Just wanted to say very popular and happy with the PALS program, Chief. There is conversation with Davis Elementary to expand that program, as you've seen in some of the email correspondence we've had. So looking forward into seeing how we could expand that during this budget year. Thank you. Thank you.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

I'm sorry. Don't move to it. Go ahead.

Thai Viet PhanItem 5

Oh, just a quick plug. If you can bring the PAL program to the west side, I'm just throwing it out there. Thank you.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

So we had a meeting today. It was very interesting. You all are asking. And so I was saying, let's find some money for every area of the city to have PAL from the South and the East area down to Davis Elementary, because I know Principal Richardson's been asking. We have the one at McFadden. We have the one at Romero Walker, I believe. And so if we could get one more, or the McFadden Library. Do you have the numbers? Do you have the numbers?

105. I knew it was more than 60. 105, the last count for 2022, but it's probably higher than that. And then we also, again, fluctuate based on program-specific offerings throughout the year.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

So it'll be great to be talking about the PAL program as we move into the budget. So thank you. Any other questions?

Phil BacerraItem 5

Yeah, Mayor, just so that we're all clear, yes, there is majority support up here for PAL program and seeing it expand throughout the city. So thank you all for making those comments

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

and I just wanted to echo those as well. Thank you. Thank you. Yes, you have another comment? Okay, I thought you reached. We're good. Thank you very much.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

I'm sorry, you were leaning forward. Okay, let's prepare to vote please. I'll make a motion.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

I'll second. Thank you. Want to do a roll call, Madam Clerk?

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

Madam Clerk, can we just do a roll call?

Councilmember Becerra?

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

Yes.

Councilmember Hernandez?

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 15

Yes.

Councilmember Peñalosa?

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 15

Yes.

Councilmember Phan? Yes. Councilmember Vasquez? Yes. Mayor Pro Tem Lopez? Yes. Mayor Emesqua? Yes. Motion passes by unanimous consent.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

Perfect. Thank you. Item 22, Mayor Pro Tem Lopez?

Jessie LopezItem 15

I did pull this item, but staff got back to me on my concerns, so I don't have any questions for the council.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

You want to make a motion? Sure.

Jessie LopezItem 15

I'm happy to move the item.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

Is there a second?

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 15

I'll second.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

Let's prepare to vote.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 15

I have a question. I'm sorry.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

Go ahead. Councilman, I'm sorry.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 15

So I am supportive of this item. I think it's important especially that given the context we're talking about protecting our public servants so the reason why this item is before us is the council here we are having to address creating additional resolutions so that we can have adequate protections that the city does not have as part of their protections or as part of how they can aid elected officials as we navigate

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 15

sometimes very nuanced and tumultuous policy dialogue and so I am supportive of this I guess my question is for our city manager can you give me an idea madam city manager as to what the scope of this reimbursement fund covers so

So first of all, sir, we actually don't have funds set aside for this. What it really is is it's creating and implementing a part of the charter because we do have policies, and I know you're very familiar with them. You do have money for your sponsorships for qualified nonprofits, and you do have like a supplies budget, which is subject to all of the purchasing requirements that city must follow. So what this does enable, it enables a resolution to allow for other reimbursement of things that don't fit within one of those buckets. What I hope to do is with the resolution is update our actual purchasing policy so you

have it all in one place so it will be easier for you to see, okay, this is, you've got nailed down the sponsorship one and we have the form, but this will then add and supplement the other existing reimbursements that you have.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 15

Okay. Sounds good.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

So I'm going to piggyback on you, Councilman Hernandez, if you all mind.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 15

And if I may, Madam Mayor, so are we adding an additional $1,500 to this account? Is that the request? If that is the request, I'm supportive of saying an additional $1,500 to that amount?

This item before you does not appropriate or add any additional amounts. If you approve the item, it enables us to establish that as a purchasing policy, and And it also enables the mayor to get reimbursement for the expenditures that she's paid out of pocket. I'll certainly find the location to get that $1,500 out of.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 15

Okay, perfect. So if there was direction from the council today to add in addition to what we already have in our supplies budget, an additional $1,500 to that, is that something that the council can provide direction to you today?

That would be, not today, but certainly we're getting ready to develop the budget. So that would be the perfect opportunity.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 15

Okay. So in the spirit of understanding that context, I am very supportive of this item. Thank you.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

Thank you, Councilman Hernandez. And actually, Madam City Manager, I wasn't even going to share anything. But now that you mentioned my name, I want the community to understand I'm not, this came about because I received a death threat. And so I used my own money to pay for security. AND SO WITH ANY COUNCIL MEMBER UP HERE, I WOULD SUPPORT IT 100 PERCENT IF THEY HAD TO PAY OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKET TO REIMBURSE THEM. I WOULD LIKE US TO AGENDA SOMETHING AS COUNCILMAN HIRANAS IS TALKING ABOUT ON THE BUDGET, MADAMP, CITY MANAGER, AND WE'VE HAD DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS FOR THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

THE COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR AND STAFF, I MEAN, IF IT'S A CREDIBLE THREAT, RIGHT? And so there are things happening across the country that we just can't take these things lightly anymore. When a judge's husband opens the door, he gets shot, her son gets killed. You know, I have family that live with me, and God forbid that, you know, my husband opens the door and something happens. So, and I wouldn't wish that on any of my peers sitting up here, and I wouldn't wish that on anybody. So it's being in office nowadays is not for a faint of the heart.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

You know, you have to understand that it comes with the good and the bad. And the bad is that sometimes people come out of the woodwork and say things, do things, make threats, approach you, want to harm you, come to your home, make your life uncomfortable, and make very credible threats. And so I appreciate that all of you approve this. I want to be safe. I want to go home and be safe. I want my family to be safe. And I want all of you to be safe.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

And this is a very small amount compared to what it could cost. And I would hope that if any council member has to pay for their own private security because it's not offered to us, then that we reimburse them and that we're not, we get a receipt and we reimburse them for their services. And I'm looking forward to a plan that will be presented to us by the police department and so, and for the city manager, how we're going to move forward to protect the council and the mayor. So again, thank you all for supporting this item. Thank you. Let's prepare a vote. Madam Mayor.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

Yes, go ahead, councilor.

David PenalozaItem 15

I just want to make a quick comment in the spirit of protecting ourselves and also the Santa Ana taxpayer. I want to make sure that we could potentially clearly define what this scope is and narrow it as much as possible to what could be reimbursed. I just could see all kinds of things, you know, and episodes happening and receipts being turned in for things that probably aren't because of potentially wide scope. So I would hope that this scope is really narrowed down. Something like protection for our mayor is, to me, that's fine.

David PenalozaItem 15

I do want to ask for clarification and confirmation that if and when one of us up here churns in a receipt for something to be reimbursed, I would hope, it would be my hope and desire that that comes before us as the City Council as an item for approval on the City Council

agenda. Is that my understanding? So you have an existing policy already adopted by the City Council on certain items, say for instance travel expenses. As always you do report out in a public setting whenever you have traveled on behalf of the city as to you know what was the attendance, where were you going, what benefit did you glean from that, but the actual travel reimbursements they don't come to the City Council for approval because if they're in compliance with the already adopted

David PenalozaItem 15

Right, but like this one tonight, for example, it's an item for council approval. Yes. Would we see them, if it's out of that travel scope, would we see them come before us like it is tonight?

Well, by adopting this resolution, you're opening it up for it. But if that is something you desire in the purchasing policy, I mean, we could add that in, but it wouldn't be automatic with what you're taking tonight.

David PenalozaItem 15

Okay, well I would like to amend the motion and the resolution on here.

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 15

Since I drafted this, maybe I could help clarify this. Currently you have rules and policies that allow you to be reimbursed for certain expenses. City manager addressed them, like for reimbursement for travel and certain expenses.

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 15

When you have other items that you want to be reimbursed for currently, you can purchase those things and I'm going to tell you at your own risk. And why I say that is because your city charter says that unless the city council, the entire city council approves a resolution to approve these things that are not otherwise in a policy, then you can't be reimbursed. So what you have before you today is very, very narrow. It's a two-part issue. One, it's a policy that says, it puts all of you on notice, if you purchase things outside of the existing authority and the travel and reimbursement policy that we have, you do it at

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 15

your own risk. There's no guarantee you're going to get reimbursed. That's the first part. And that's what this policy reiterates. It reiterates the charter. And then the second part of the request tonight is to say, you do have a council elected person who did bring a request forward, who's saying, I did it at my own risk. I'm asking the rest of my council, do you, the council, view my request as a legitimate expenditure? She explained the reasons why. And if you do, you, then you're going to adopt this resolution that approves it. By taking the action tonight, that's going to be the status quo.

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 15

Until or unless staff comes back and brings you the policy that the City Manager was describing.

David PenalozaItem 15

Oh, perfect. Okay. So that was just, I wanted to make sure this wasn't approving something that could now, you know, under the City Manager's authority or sign off on any reimbursement.

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 15

As of right now, the status quo remains in effect that any request that's outside of the policies has to come back to the full council.

David PenalozaItem 15

Okay. I'M FINE WITH THAT. THAT IS MY COMMENT, MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

COUNCILMAN BASSERI?

Phil BacerraItem 15

JUST A POINT OF CLARIFICATION. IS THIS A, BECAUSE WE'RE MOVING MONEY AROUND, ARE WE TALKING ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE VOTE MINIMUM THRESHOLD HERE?

YOU'RE NOT MOVING MONEY AROUND. THIS IS NOT AN APPROPRIATION REQUEST.

Phil BacerraItem 15

I THOUGHT FROM THE WAY I UNDERSTAND.

ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION.

Phil BacerraItem 15

AS FAR AS THE, SO HER REQUEST, RIGHT? So is this coming out of the existing fund for the council?

No. I would charge it to an existing account within the city manager's office. And given the level of amount, I can absorb that. Okay.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

Perfect. Thank you. Are there any other comments? There was a motion and a second. Can we do a roll call now?

The vote is open on your device. Did you want to try that?

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

Let's try to vote. Here we go. Everybody try.

Councilmember.

Motion passes by unanimous consent.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

Great. Thank you. Let's go to presentations at this time, please.

So honorable mayor and city council members, we have two staff presentations for you tonight. The first one is on homelessness. Addressing that I know is a priority of this council. And the mayor had specifically requested that we return to doing routine presentations on the homeless efforts. We did have some directions on the specific topics that she wanted to see handled in the presentation. And tonight we are having our executive director of community development provide the presentation. And for ongoing ones, if we do this once a month, we will certainly welcome your input

on other specific areas that you would like to hear about relative to homelessness. So with that, I will turn it over to Executive Director Garcia.

Mayor, City Council, as mentioned, we are going to go through a presentation about our homeless services here within the city of Santa Ana.

See if this will work.

ONE SECOND.

GOOD.

I APOLOGIZE FOR THOSE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. WE'RE GOING TO BE DISCUSSING THE QUALITY OF LIFE TEAM, THE SANTA ANA MULTIDISCIPLINARY HOMELESS RESPONSE TEAM. WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT OUR HOMELESS SERVICES BUDGET WITH FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDS. We're going to go down a quick rundown of some recent events that have been undertaken by staff at the Navigation Center. We're going to conclude with the Navigation Center, which is on Carnegie, east of the 55, run by Illumination Foundation, and then present a little video that the Illumination Foundation staff prepared.

so the colt team works throughout the city and has in calendar year 2022 quite a number of contacts one of the ones that i'm most uh proud of is the 583 referrals to shelter that occurred in the calendar year 2022 i wanted to show you as well even though colt the quality of life team works throughout the city this is a cleanup that occurred underneath the five freeway it's one of our most recent coordination events with Caltrans and city staff and other members of the cult team to work on cleaning up that area

along the Santiago Creek underneath the five freeway and we work throughout the city not only with our public right-of-way areas but also within right of way from the Union Pacific, Caltrans, and other public right of way like flood control areas. As I mentioned, we're also going to run down a little bit on the SMART team, the Santa Ana multi-interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary homeless response team, which is a coordination between city staff and CityNet.

So CityNet was brought under contract to help lessen the call of requests for calls that come in and go directly most of the time to Santa Ana PD. They're bringing in qualified staff who are working on their masters or maybe they're working directly on doing outreach with individuals who are unhoused. then this shows this graphic right now shows that almost the 1127 street exits that occurred not only from city outreach efforts but also the city net team and street exits can be

broken down into multiple areas and 984 of those that we're proud of ended up working in and moving into emergency shelter not every contact that is made we had 9600 contacts in calendar year 2022 not every one of those results in in one of the contacts wanting to go to shelter or some sort of housing situation but 984 is quite a quite an accomplishment we also worked with lion security recently to bring them under contract to work cooperatively with

CityNet in ten of our parks. Since they've been brought on we've had 88 contacts within ten different parks and it's been very helpful. I think some of you may have seen the impact it's had on Birch Park. It comes and goes some of the activity there as well as Angels Community Park. I wanted to quickly run down some of the budget and thank you mayor for asking that this be put on our city website my homeless staff have put together some nice graphics that should be up soon and i wanted to run down

and point a few different uh state funding sources the hap we've gone after three rounds of hap funding which is the homeless housing assistance and prevention funding round three the most recent in round, accounted for about $10.3 million coming in from state sources. And about $4.8 million in round three from PLHA funding. This comes from real estate transactions that have recording fees. So that fluctuates from time to time. But in the most recent round of funding, we received $4.8 million.

So whenever you sell or do undertake other recordation actions, that $75 helps go towards the PLHA funds. I also wanted to point out a few federal funding sources, $3.13 million in ARPA funds that help go towards outreach and coordination. And then our ESG funding, which is winding down. The expenditure deadline is coming up in September of 2023.

A lot of that funding, 40% of it is going towards temporary emergency shelter, and then another 21 towards our navigation center at Carnegie. Our staff, not only our city staff, but working with some of our partners have been very good at working with those individuals at Carnegie Shelter and then out in the street as well to provide a Valentine's Day event and a Christmas event.

And what you see on the picture on the left was last week, Officer Deputy, I'm sorry, Sergeant Montiel, Sergeant Montiel was very good at coordinating with Salas Foundation. And they wanted to make sure that they distributed naloxone kits to those individuals in the field to try to cut down on opioid overdoses. So they were able to get 27 different kits to individuals that were on inactive Union Pacific Railroad lines, as well as 25 kits to different businesses on First Street so

so that if there is an individual that is nearby on First Street that may be under the influence of opioids and needs that naloxone, I don't know if I'm pronouncing that correctly, they would have it available. They're also providing these to our officers and our smart team as well.

The Navigation Center, since it opened in June of 2022, has been quite successful. This is a one-day picture of the population from February 26th at the Navigation Center. Again, this is on Carnegie, east of the 55. And one of the ones I wanted to point out that we'd love to see how we could get more families served there. We've got 15 of about 40 different families that we could serve. And this was just that snapshot from a few weeks ago, just February last week, February 16th.

And we were able to, working with our outreach group, to get 579 individuals referred to the Carnegie Navigation Center. And what the Carnegie Navigation Center provides is on-site services that include medical appointments, parenting classes, mental health service referrals, alcoholics anonymous meetings, substance abuse sessions, COVID testing, job connections and credit recovery, stress management. So a lot of good on-site services including Medi-Cal, CalFresh and General Relief to the individuals that are going

to seek shelter there. Something else I wanted to point out at the Navigation center, we were able to get 27 individuals placed in the permanent housing. So that includes not only housing choice vouchers, but reuniting individuals with their family. And so an additional 15% of those 27 individuals were able to get permanent supportive housing. So let me show you a video now.

Welcome to the City of Santa Ana Emergency and Family Shelter operated by Illumination Foundation. We have a 200 bed capacity at our facility and accept women, men, and families. Clients are referred to our site by Santa Ana PD and our outreach team CityNet. We are not a walk-up shelter and all clients are required to arrive and depart by their personal vehicles or our transport vans. All clients are searched upon arrival and an extensive intake process is done. After intakes are completed, clients are given a tour of the facility in their designated dorm area.

We provide several services on site including case management, substance use and behavioral health counseling, and housing navigation. We also have a medical clinic on site several days a week as well as access to routine dental services. The City of Santa Ana Emergency and Family Shelter also serves families including children of all ages. We offer after-school activities, guidance, and family support. We have teamed up with Project Hope Alliance to create wraparound services to our families. We also accept pets at this shelter which is an exciting service that we offer to our clients.

We are happy to keep pet owners and their beloved animals together in a safe environment. At our Santa Ana site, we provide recreational activities including basketball, art, and gardening, as well as educational options including life skills and employment training. The purpose of this shelter is to help our most vulnerable Santa Ana community members access housing, health care, and supportive services.

NEW SPEAKERS.

THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. I HAVE TERRY AGRESS WHO IS OUR EXPERT IN HOMELESS SERVICES THAT WORKS IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WITH MYSELF AND THE REST OF THE STAFF WHO ARE BOTH AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

LET ME START. ANY OTHER COUNCILMAN WANT TO START? Yes, Ty, go ahead. I'm sorry, Councilwoman.

Thai Viet PhanItem 15

Just a short comment. First, thank you so much for the presentation. I was actually able to take a tour of the Carnegie Shelter with Terry, and it was very educational for me, and I love seeing the work that we're doing there and actually being able to speak to the staff, the counselors, the cooks, and the medical personnel who are providing the services, and they care so much about the mission and the work that they do. and I really appreciate that. Just as a quick comment to the presentation, you have some of the information about state and federal grant funding with percentages. I'd love to

Thai Viet PhanItem 15

see the total amount to include that so that way, you know, our residents comment on, you know, what are we doing about homelessness? What are we doing about the quality of life? And I know on this dais we've increased funding for, you know, whether it's park maintenance, sidewalks, possible, all of those things, as well as homeless services. So I think it's really important so that our residents, our taxpayers know that these dollars are going to good work, even though there's a long way to go. Thank you.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

Thank you. Any other councilors? Councilman Becerra.

Phil BacerraItem 15

Thank you, Mayor. So my question is going to be not more so much about funding shelters and whatnot. It's going to be more about another shelter that's not operated by the city, and that is the Yale shelter by the county. So I think most of us up here on the diocese have received numerous complaints about how that shelter is being run. Not so much on the inside, but the fact that what's happening inside is spilling to the outside. We were promised time and time and time again that we would not see those impacts on our community and yet here we are.

Phil BacerraItem 15

So my question is, what is being done when it comes to working with the county to get them to address their shelter in our city?

So as staff, we try to stay vigilant to make sure that the other industrial businesses in that area understand that they need to work with the county and make calls for service when individuals come and go. Yale is a little different than the Carnegie Center, and that's why you have a lot more coming and going. The average stay at our shelter is 67 days. What is occurring at Yale is individuals can actually come and go during the day,

and they can leave for days at a time and sometimes be able to come back and get shelter there. So it's a little different than how the city operates its own shelter.

Phil BacerraItem 15

Well, I have faith and confidence in how the city operates our shelter. My concern is what's happening with the county and how they're impacting that neighborhood over there. You just said something that I think is something that I didn't previously understand as the case, and that is, so folks that are staying at the Yale shelter can come and go as they please? My thought was that they were transported there, and then if they wanted to leave, they were transported away. So now you're telling me they can just come and go like, say, what we had in downtown?

THEY DO HAVE A MORE TRANSITORY SHELTER EXPERIENCE THERE.

Phil BacerraItem 15

I THOUGHT IT WAS AT LEAST A LOW BARRIER SHELTER. YOU'RE TELLING ME IT'S A NO BARRIER SHELTER NOW.

THAT'S HOW THAT COULD BE CHARACTERIZED. ABSOLUTELY.

FOR EXAMPLE, SIR, WE'VE ENCOUNTERED HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS IN OUR PARKS THAT HAVE A BED RESERVED AT YAL.

Phil BacerraItem 15

SO, I MEAN, HELP ME UNDERSTAND THIS. So was I wrong in understanding that the county and everybody involved with that shelter had said it was going to be a low barrier shelter, not a no barrier shelter? Because the nightmare that we had in downtown was a no barrier shelter. And so the idea was Yale will be much different because they'll at least be a low barrier, a.k.a. they had to be referred into the shelter. But what you're telling me now, which unfortunately is news to me, is that it is actually a no barrier shelter.

I wouldn't want to speak on behalf of the county's operating procedures, but we can share with you that we have seen individuals exit the facility. We have seen individuals in our parks that have a bed at the Yale shelter. But I can't tell you the difference between the courtyard and the Yale in terms of what they consider low or no barrier.

Phil BacerraItem 15

I wish there was a difference between the courtyard and Yale because that would mean we would have an improvement over at Yale. But apparently that's not the case, unfortunately. I would ask that in your next homeless update to the council that you are able to speak with the county and find out, frankly, what is going on with that shelter. My other item, which is very impactful down on the south end of town, and that is panhandling. And since we are talking about the homeless update, I'd like to bring up panhandling because I don't see folks out there that are not probably houseless or homeless that are panhandling.

Phil BacerraItem 15

So what I'd like to know is, are we, we have signs up, we cite code that says you can't stand in the medians. It is a dangerous situation for these folks to be out there. And because a lot of them, unfortunately, are probably using some sort of substance that are, you know, mind-altering, if you will, to be polite, they don't seem to have their balance. And I'm just really worried that there's going to be fatalities. I call in every time I see one of these folks on the medians. But my, I guess, I don't know if it's really a question, but just more of a comment to say,

Phil BacerraItem 15

we really need enforcement of the panhandling in the medians because it is dangerous. This is not, I mean, I don't want to read about a fatality of any person, regardless of their status of housing, that ends up being a traffic fatality because they're aggressively panhandling in our medians. So we have the signs up. I mean, just to have the law stated and not enforce it does us no good. So I would just ask that we make that a priority as those calls come in because I'm receiving a lot of calls from folks that say, I've called PD and nobody responds to the panhandlers.

Phil BacerraItem 15

And again, I'm afraid that if we don't have PD respond, it's going to be a paramedic that responds. So thank you.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

Thank you. Councilman Becerra? I'm sorry, Councilman Peneloso? I apologize.

David PenalozaItem 15

Thank you, Madam Mayor. I just want to double down on what Councilmember Becerra mentioned in regards to Yale being a low barrier versus a no barrier shelter I know that a couple years ago in 2019 when this shelter was crammed down our throats by the County of Orange It was told by by supervisor Doe by CEO Frank Kim but and I believe even in Judge Carter's courtroom and in many community meetings with the school district that I know the mayor was at and and a lot of us were present at that this was going to be a shelter where people were going to be transferred in and out, and nobody was going to be allowed to walk out.

David PenalozaItem 15

So I want to make sure that if that is indeed happening, that we are protecting that surrounding area by going after the county. And I'm hoping our new county supervisor, former mayor Sarmiento, could help in regards to that AND MAKING SURE THAT THAT SHELTER IS BEING RAN PROPERLY AND NOT IMPACTING THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD AND SCHOOLS AND INDUSTRIAL AREA AND ALL OF THE ABOVE. SO I JUST HOPE THAT WE COULD PUT SOME PRESSURE OR COMMUNICATE WITH THE COUNTY, MAYBE REACH OUT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE

David PenalozaItem 15

OPERATING THE WAY THEY WERE IT WAS INTENDED TO AND THEY TOLD US THEY WOULD. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THANK YOU STAFF, ALL OF THE ABOVE, PUBLIC WORK, speedy code enforcement, I know it's a lot of work, day-to-day work that you guys are out there doing. And our residents and neighborhoods, I know we might feel like we're not doing much often, but we are. And it's an interdepartmental effort. And we're trying our best. And I just hope that we continue on that speed. Thank you.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

Mayor Pro Tem Lopez.

Jessie LopezItem 15

Thank you, Mayor Mesquah. Well, first I just wanted to thank staff for all the work that you've been doing. I know a lot of the work that we've been doing in War III, we initiated that in 2021 when I brought the different departments together. And recently I emailed staff again about the work under the 2022 underpass because that just seems to be an area that is you know I think we've been taking the lead on right and trying to work with CHP with Caltrans but if we could reach out to the City of Orange you know formally to ask them for their cooperation I

Jessie LopezItem 15

think that would go a long way so that you know they're not pushing issues here and we're not doing the same and so I think if they're able to work with us we'll see a lot of improvement as opposed to just relying on our team because I know we're exhausted of doing the work on a weekly basis right because we started the weekly park Creek cleanup in the park with Lion Security is going out there every week and so we've seen a difference and the residents really appreciate it but we really want to see other jurisdictions also step up and you know I will be submitting another letter to the County

Jessie LopezItem 15

of Orange requesting five mental health clinicians but I think specifically you know clinicians that are available 24-7 because I think that's one of the issues with with our current contract with City Nez it's very much like corporate hours and what do we do after hours when folks also need support and we need to be able to call somebody. Additionally, I wanted to know if we can have somebody from the quality of life team at these meetings when we're having these presentations because when I hear you say that somebody has a bed reserve

Jessie LopezItem 15

but they're out at a park, I want to know how the team is pivoting. How are they learning, right, like what is working, what is not working, so that we're not just in this cycle of trying to force people into shelters folks not wanting to go and go into the beds and I do want to know what what folks are saying or you know how how best we can pivot but again thank you to staff thank you for always you know being alert with my emails and my calls and my text messages I appreciate your support thank you

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

Councilman Hernandez? No? No? All right. I have a couple of questions here. Thank you very much to the staff and for bringing back the presentation to the council. I think it's very helpful if the council wants to run a monthly or quarterly. But it's very important. And the reason I ask for this is because the community is always asking questions. And I know we all get emails all day long about encampments and homeless people. And today I forward one to you. Mr. Garcia, I'll add you, you know, from moms, you know, the organization where they look out their window

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

and people are doing their business right out their window as they're sitting in their office, whether they're smoking what they think is methamphetamine or doing their personal business. having an encampment, and so it's dangerous for the families and the clients that they're serving at the mom's organization. And I did send it to the chief and to Christine, to you, and a couple other people. So I'm sure the council, I know the council members all respond, send it to you guys to react and take care of these things. And so I do appreciate that. So I have a couple of questions, if you don't mind.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

I've been meeting with every department head, being that I'm new, so this one was my first meeting because that's how important it is. So the quality of life team response, and I want to go really quick before I ask my questions. Mayor Pro Temp said something very important about the time of CityNet. I'm told that the hours of CityNet are 8 to 5, 7.30 to 3.00. What are the hours? They're daytime hours. She called them bankers hours, I believe.

Mary, can you approach and answer that question? Because I believe we recently expanded them.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

That's not what I was just told recently, so I'd like to know.

Good evening, Mayor and Councilmembers. The hours of CityNet are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on weekends, Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

and Sunday 7 a.m. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Really? When did that start?

That started with their contract in December of, this past December. The one we just approved? Yes.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

Because prior to that they were working?

Prior to that they were working weekends were until I think about 6 o'clock and on weekdays also until about 8 o'clock. So they were extended slightly.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

Okay. So they're out until 9 p.m.? Yes, they are. And they have a van? Yes, they do. I've never seen their van. I'm waiting to see their van. But I think I'm going to go hunt it down and look for it.

It has a magnetic sticker on it that says sitting it.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

Yeah, I'm going to look for it. So I don't know if you want to sit closely. You don't have to walk all the way back there if they have questions. So Mr. Garcia, what you're telling us here is that 14,591 encampment cleanups were conducted in the year of 2022. And was that including railroad? Are we working with the railroad police? And is that including railroad? Or is that because they count that as a cleanup, we count that as a cleanup, so we're like double dipping. SO IS THAT INCLUDING RAILROAD CLEANUP?

IT INCLUDES THOSE, YES.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

OKAY. AND SO FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THEY ONLY HAVE ONE OFFICER THAT WORKS THIS AREA NOW FROM THE RAILROAD?

THEY'LL PUT ADDITIONAL STAFF WHEN NEEDED, BUT WE HAVE ONE DEDICATED.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

WE AS IN SAN ANA QUALITY OF LIFE TEAM.

THAT'S CORRECT.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

WHAT DOES THE RAILROAD OFFER?

They have funds for maintenance that we get through. I'm trying to think of his name. There's a gentleman who works our area who handles maintenance, Mr. Paz, P-A-Z. And they can come forward with some of those maintenance funds to help with cleanups in those areas.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

Where are those funds coming from? From the railroad?

From railroad funding. It used to be traditionally used for clearance of illegal dumping and weed control, but they've been, over the last few years and throughout Southern California, shifting to include for encampment cleanup.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

Out of the 4,923 individuals that were contacted in the city of Santa Ana, 1290 were arrested or cited. So we don't know if they were arrested. They could have just been cited and released. Basically, cited, told to leave the area.

That's correct.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

Okay. And then 583 referrals to the shelter. Now, do we do a warm handoff to the shelter? Do we drive them there? Because when you say referrals, it's like a really big word, right? It's very gray. So to me, a referral is in my line here, or it's get in the van and let me drive you and drop you off and turn you over to the homeless shelter.

If they accept the shelter option, They are taking there personally, yes.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

And all of their personal belongings.

That's correct.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

Including their pet, which I really like.

If they have their own car, sometimes they have their own car, and they have other belongings with them. They can even park their car in the parking lot at the Carnegie Shelton. Okay.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

So under the permanent local housing allocation, you indicated there's $4.8 million. That's correct. Is that still what we have?

We've gone through a lot of that. We spent a lot of the PLHA funds on the Navigation Center as well as some of the tenant improvement at the Navigation Center, the Carnegie Shelter.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

So how much of it did we spend on permanent housing for those that we took into the shelter?

We put most of that from HAP as well as from ESG and then ARPA. ARPA is also mainly outreach and coordination. So we use not only HUD funds that we get in our housing division for emergency and shelter and rapid rehousing, but the PLHA, the bulk of that, 95% of it goes towards tenant improvements and operations of the Carnegie Shelter.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

Tenant improvements of the Carnegie and operation of the Carnegie. So then it's not being used for permanent housing.

Yeah.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

Yeah, no?

Yeah, that's where that operations goes towards the contract with Illumination Foundation, and they're providing all those services, the job seeking, credit recovery, AA and substance abuse services on site.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

Okay. So the Navigation Center currently as of February 16th, there were 136 people in there.

Yes. Correct?

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

And there's beds for how many?

Beds for 40 families and for, and this is where Terri. What is the total number? Terri knows better than I.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

I'm going to ask all these questions when we do this presentation. I know.

There are 200 beds, and it's expandable to 300 if, in fact, we were to build out the second floor.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

If we build out the second floor, we can go up to 300. Correct. And correct me, Terry, if I'm wrong, we do not take sex offenders. The county does. We do not. The county does not take sex offenders either. Neither do we. Okay.

The only shelter at this point in time that is taking sex offenders is the Salvation Army up in Anaheim.

And in regards to the PLHA, when we did the initial five-year annual plan, you go on five-year increments. So for the first five years, we allocated 95% of that to the Navigation Center, 5% to admin. So we're utilizing those funds initially for the tenant improvements and then for the operation. after that five-year period we can switch it over to permanent housing if it's needed to purchase the shelter whatever we want to do after that five-year period so that's my um you know i

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

would hope that the council would also be looking at permanent housing right long-term permanent housing wraparound services because we can have a navigation center and house 200 or 300 people all day long, but once they leave us for the 67, you said the average stay is 67 days, and then what happens, they're back out on the street or wherever they may go, right? Some get hospitalized. Some may go to jail for a parole or probation violation. Some may get arrested on a new law violation. We don't know. And so I know my concern, and I'm sure that the council is concerned as well,

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

is that long-term housing. And I know, Mr. Garcia, when we met, we talked about that because there's so much paperwork to do to get, whether it's Section 8 housing or permanent housing, there's a list for the affordable housing programs we have. And so I know the governor had wanted a very specific plan before he released additional funding. And so I've been meeting with a lot of people, a lot of different electives talking about the homeless problem in Santa Ana, because it is a problem.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

And so I guess, Christine, I would ask you about, I'm city managers, what is the plan long term for housing? I mean, we have organizations, and I shared with Mr. Garcia one that I met at a meeting where they have the funding, they just needed the location and a nonprofit to work with that addresses mental health issues or housing, and they're out there. I just don't know exactly, because I haven't been here long enough to know what you're doing and how we're doing it. And I've read a lot of the things, but we have 15 families in this navigation center, and that alone is very disturbing.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

What type of education are we giving them? Is there daycare for them? Are they kept away from the adults? Are they safe? There's so many questions. And we have some people in there that are unstable in the center. So I do have one question before you answer, Madam City Manager, is what are the hours for our quality of life team officers? Not our CityNet team, but our officers.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

Somebody, I see there's an officer, are there a command, you want to come up?

So I believe, Maren, we can confirm it, but with the Quality of Life team, they have similar hours but not quite as long as CityNet. But in regards to that, there are other officers available in the department that can handle some of those types of calls. They don't necessarily have to be a Colt assigned officer.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

So then let me see if I understand.

And you have police operations 24-7.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

So are all officers trained and working?

All officers.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

I think Councilman Becerra always has this is a great question. We always talk about this, right? Are all of our officers trained in this area?

Not to the extent of the experience of those that are assigned to the COLT team, but all officers do take homeless calls. It's not just exclusive to the COLT team. So it's not as if the officers assigned to COLT aren't available, that you don't have any resources within the police department. You do.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

I'd like to know what hours the COLT team officers work. And that's why I saw, I think the chief deputy, I apologize if I gave you the wrong title, was walking up and maybe he can answer that question. Assistant chief. Assistant chief, thank you. I'm learning all the titles.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

I think we're going to be able to do that. Thank you for coming up.

Good evening, Council, Madam City, I mean Madam Mayor. The coal team works, they vary their hours, they work, they're on a 410 work schedule. Usually they start any time around 6 a.m., 7 a.m. and go 10 hours from that, but they flex their schedule a lot based on the needs of their workload.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

So 410, so they're on four days for 10 hours, and then they're off three?

Yes.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

Okay. And so, but you don't know, like, 7, 8, 9, just depends in the morning what time they come in?

It just depends on the necessity, and they're usually there whenever we call out and reach out to them.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

So necessity is a great word, and I'll stop with my questions because I could be here for a long time. because the necessity is there in this city every day, all day long. And I'm not asking them to work all day long. But that was the reason why I asked about training, right? Because are we training our other officers that are on patrol or training officers that are working, you know, whatever special team they're on, are they also trained so when they get that call that they know what to do and how to do it correctly and legally, right? And I want to say thank you. Saturday night I was out driving and there was an encampment

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

on Harbor McFadden and I called and it was taken care of. There was quite a few people there in the corner literally with their tents and blocking the sidewalks. So I thank you. I don't know if any of them went to a shelter. It would be good to know that for me only because this is what I'm talking about right when we call. What happens to them? And then on Valentine's Day my poor husband, I drove him up and down First Street four or five times. I wanted to make sure, and I saw officers clearing that area out. And so thank you for doing that as well. And I hope that we continue to do that.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

So the complaints and people, one, people will get help, and two, people will feel safe in our community, because it is about the quality of life. But I thank you for the presentation, because I want to know, and I think the council, we want to know the numbers. And they're always fluid. We know that. they are always very very fluid but what is the housing issue and i'm not asking you to go build some big apartment some big affordable housing apartment i'm not asking for that what i'm asking is we both we all know up here what does that mean when i place you somewhere so i place you in a

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

room i hope we're using funding for housing you know are we still working with the motels even though covet is over we place you somewhere and we don't just leave you there because if i have an episode or I don't take my medication correctly you know my neighbors gonna be calling 9-1-1 or I'm gonna be back on the street so are we doing that and if so maybe we could talk about that at the next presentation what type of services are we truly offering because we need those wraparound services and we need them to fit for that one person because every person has a different story and

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

has a different need and so that was part of the reason why I asked for this presentation for the community to understand and I do thank the staff and I think you guys were what you're doing and we have a long ways to go and I'm hoping we can continue to reach out to federal and state for assistance so I

know city manager you want to say well in response to your your questions and you're absolutely right I mean housing is the solution and Santa has done tremendous work in that area we we have a ways to go as you mentioned but as far is regional housing needs we are one of only 16 jurisdictions out of over 500 in the state that meet our regional housing needs we have built over 400 permanent supportive housing units I think we're closely approaching 500 so we we do have an array and it it comes about in very different ways our developers out there that take those projects on and don't seek funding from the city the majority

of them do seek funding and that is what Mike Garcia's shop does is they'll do RFPs when they have available funding we will help them with conduit financing we will help them secure their tax credits to get all of those in the pipeline but the navigation center itself the navigation center is to find housing for the individuals that is why we have a navigation center operating at

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

our Carnegie shelter. And that's what I want to see, the housing, right? And I'm not asking to build more, you know, we have gone above and beyond. I think when Councilman Becerra talked about the county, and we do need to meet with them now, we have a new supervisor, you know, we have Katrina Foley there as well, Doug Chafee, you know, there's other people we could be meeting with and we need to ask them for help to control this as well it cannot just fall on us and you've all been saying that up here for a long time so now that i sit up here i'm going to continue to

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

say that and i did meet with the supervisor you know he offered assistance i'm meeting with katrina supervisor foley next week i'm meeting with supervisor wagner so making my rounds there as well to see how can we do this we need to have we need to push back that we can't just sit back and take it we have to be able to push back when they get released from the county jail i know that's a big deal where do they go they sit right here with us so that should be a conversation that we have you know what are we going to do about that let's push back so i'll leave it at that there are no

Thai Viet PhanItem 15

other comments we'll go on yes go ahead I just want to thank councilman Becerra for bringing up Yale as it's in Ward 1 and because it's in Ward 1 I've attended a number of meetings I get a lot of emails and I used to sit on the board of the Heritage Museum of Orange County and so the museum is one of the locations most affected by Yale because we have a lot of I say we like I'm not on the board anymore um the kind of the green area right the wildlife habitat that um that especially during lockdown we had a lot of folks uh jumping over the fence cutting to the fence

Thai Viet PhanItem 15

defecating um breaking things and i just want to share and i will forward this to staff that in a meeting with path and the county regarding the yale navigation center in December 2022, their presentation specifically states that they have a good neighbor policy, which does not allow for walk-ons and walk-offs. But our residents, all of us have seen that there are people walking on and off all the time, and that they have an intake process where it's based only on referrals. So what we do know is that they are not holding up their end of the bargain. they are not acting as good neighbors and I also implore all of our residents

Thai Viet PhanItem 15

and I know many are emailing the county but also to go to the county supervisors meetings and demand that they also respond to us because we do have a Santa Ana representative our former mayor there now and I look forward to working with him and making sure that he advocates for that because it's related to the the channel it's related to Yale and it's related to all of the activity here in the city so i will forward that to staff and then you can point to the parts where they're not actually following their own policy thank you yeah i get those emails every day good neighbor

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

policy i'm very familiar with we all get them right and so but i don't but we don't push back on the county i haven't seen it in the two months and five six days that i've been here but who's counting right but um we got to start pushing back we have to have a discussion as a council on where are we going and how do we want to handle this because our constituents here in Santa Ana, our quality of life is an issue that we need to address and make sure everybody has a good quality of life and that they're safe. So I'll leave you with this. And Councilman Becerra's word,

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

there's a family that every single night behind their house, there's two homeless people. and every night it starts about 2.30, 3 in the morning, this person screams all night long. And they're not doing anything breaking the law, but they're back there behind the wall yelling and screaming because they have some medical issues, mental health issues. And when they call the police, whether they come or not is not the issue. The issue is, again, quality of life. If somebody was behind your house screaming all night long, Mr. Garcia, you would find a way to move them out.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

So would I. So that's what I'm talking about. It's those kind of things, getting them off the street, getting them into a program. What are we using the funding for? It's very important that we're really transparent about what are we using the funding for. And these type of episodes where you have families that don't feel safe in their home, or they can't walk outside their home or go in their backyard without hearing or seeing all of these things are very concerning. So I look forward to all of us addressing this. Thank you. Next presentation, unless there's no other.

So we do have another, it's a briefer presentation, and it's on the Deemer Treatment Plant Tour Opportunity. And I'm going to ask Cesar Barrera to come up, our water resource manager. He will be providing the presentation for you.

Thank you.

good evening mayor mayor putem council like to like to get in here and talk about a deemer plant tour opportunity that we have coming up name is cessa barrera deputy public works director water resources manager

a little bit about our water resources

We currently here in the city of Santa Ana, we rely on two sources of water supply. Roughly 75% is groundwater and 25% is imported water purchased from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, known as MWD.

MWD brings Colorado River water from Lake Havasu through the 242-mile Colorado River Aqueduct. It also transports water from Northern California via the State Water Project's 444-mile California Aqueduct.

Our water system, the water system serving our city and our residents. It involves a complicated system starting with our 20 groundwater wells, 10 reservoirs, 478 miles of water mains, 45,000 service connections, two pressure zones, 16 interconnections, so neighboring water utilities, and critical, the seven water connections with the Metropolitan Water District, where we get our imported water from.

The city of Santa Ana is known around the world for its award-winning water. But have you ever wondered where that great tasting water comes from? The majority of Santa Ana's supply is groundwater and comes from directly beneath us. Roughly 75% of the city's water is stored underground and pumped to the surface by 20 wells spread throughout Santa Ana. The remaining 25% of water consumed in the city is imported from outside the area. This water comes from Northern California via the State Water Project and from the Colorado River via the Colorado River Aqueduct.

For more information about your award-winning water supply, visit us online at www.santa-ana.org.

Each year, Metropolitan Water District sponsors three tours for member agencies. to participate on inspection trips to key water facilities throughout the state of California. One of them is the state water project of which we did tour in late 2022. The other one is Colorado River Aqueduct, upcoming tour opportunities. And then also the local water project, upcoming Deemer Plant Tour.

late 2022 we did did take out an inspection trip and one of the main objections for this inspecting tour is one of the goals is to educate our residents and encourage critical dialogue about the future of our water state of our state's water supply and what we want to do is highlight one of the individuals, Adrian Goudino, who I consider a trifecta, recent Cal State University Fullerton graduate, called Titans, a Santa Ana resident, and currently works for a full-time

public works street maintenance as a senior office assistant. And we got a quote from him, and he said something like this, the trip helped me learn about the Delta and how important water conservation is to the state of California.

It amazes me how the recent rain events affect the Delta. It is very important that we have a reserve of water, especially during the drought. We should not take our natural resources for granted.

A couple pictures from the tour.

The Deamer Plant Tour. The Deamer Plant started operations in 1964 and it treats as much as 520 million gallons per day of Colorado River water. It is named for Robert B. Deamer who built Metropolitan's initial distribution system started in 1934 and who became general manager there later the Deermer plant serves areas of Orange County and coastal LA counties a Deermer plant water treatment plant tour hosted by our own councilmember director Ty Phan and it's

on it's on for March 24th 2023 and we are submitting the following please If you're interested in attending, please submit the following to the water tour at santa-ana.org, email, a resume, a paragraph about yourself, a brief statement on why you should be selected, due February 26, 2023.

It's in a couple of days and we understand that and we also have a trying to get an opportunity to stretch that out a little bit longer. and also there will be multiple multiple applicants accepted the applicants must be 18 years old being enrolled in any major or vocational program and be a san anna residence transportations and meals will be provided with that like to thank you for your time and please submit your applications for the 2023 Deemer Tour opportunity to water tour at santa-hana.org. Thank you for the presentation.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

It's nice to meet you in person. We've chatted through phone and email. So, counseling fan.

Thai Viet PhanItem 15

Thank you so much, Mayor. Thank you, Cesar. He's so straight-laced today, but he's super excited about the tour. He's always the biggest hype man for water, maybe because our director, Nabil, Beal is a hype man for water. I just want to share this information with our council, the public, staff. Please let our residents, your neighbors, your friends and family know about this opportunity. The Deemer Treatment Plant is the southernmost closest treatment plant for the Colorado River. It's here in our backyard in Yorba Linda.

Thai Viet PhanItem 15

and really the goal is to ensure the public residents know about water and how important it is and it's even more important for young people to know that this is seriously it is job security there's going to be jobs and water there are jobs in water today and if folks don't know about it don't know how important it is how interesting it is they're not going to go into this profession so it's the goal is to make sure folks are able to learn about where our water comes from and it's you know transportation is provided we're gonna feed you multiple times a day and make sure you learn and see really cool

Thai Viet PhanItem 15

infrastructure so please submit this information last time we went there was a group of about 40 45 people and I can tell you the Santa Ana delegation was by far the youngest probably in the history of their tours we were the most diverse and it was very important that young Latinos Asian Americans from Santa Ana learn about how we can succeed in water because our residents have to fight for it and I do want to make another plug because right now we're hearing conversations about the drought and what communities get water which

Thai Viet PhanItem 15

communities have access to water and good water drinking water and our water team is fighting for that helping to negotiate and keeping our rates down and so if we don't have folks from our community at the table when these conversations are being had we're not going to be able to advocate for ourselves and so please tell all your friends and neighbors and it's gonna be

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

a fun time. All right, thank you. No other speakers. So I sit on the water board as you know, Cesar with you. So it is a great experience and I actually went on a tour many years ago with Michelle Martinez. We went to the one in Hoover Dam for three, four days and it was a great experience and I learned quite a bit. And I enjoy being on the water board and I've learned a lot in a short time. And so there are, there is, that is employment for the future. I agree with you. And so thank you for sharing that with us today. So we'll go on to the next presentation.

So I believe now we are back to the business calendar, item 23.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

And the city manager, we have this, is this just for the work study? This is the environment.

Your last item on the agenda is the work study. Okay, got it. Yes.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 15

All right. Let's go to, we're going to go to the business calendar at this point.

Are you ready? So, honorable mayor and council, for this item, we do have a presentation. And the first part of the presentation is going to be given by your executive director of finance, Catherine Downs. And then the second part of the presentation, we wanted to give you a summary update of all of the revived programs. I know that there are several council members on the dais that have seen the revived programs and the objectives that we set out. But there are some other new members that maybe have not seen that.

So I thought it would be also a good time to reintroduce the revived program and those federal dollars and what they are doing for our city. But we're going to start with the finance director and the budget numbers. So I will turn it over to Executive Director Downs.

Thai Viet PhanItem 15

Before you start, can Council Member Stone? Thank you, Mayor. My apologies because I know Madam City Attorney had mentioned my recuse from Item 17, but this is a really big item, but there is one item relating to Third and Broadway involving Caribou Industries, which is a client of my employer. Therefore for discussions relating to Third and Broadway, I will have to recuse myself and exit the room. Otherwise, I am able to participate in the rest of the discussion.

So we'll exclude discussing that one item and get through the whole presentation so that you can be present? Is that what you would like?

Thai Viet PhanItem 17

Yeah, or you can start with that and I'll come back.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

We can start with that and then she can come back in.

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 17

So I think in order to do this, it's called segmenting. And so we would have to pull just that item out. You would give the council a brief, I guess, staff report information on that one item while council member is off the dais. Once the Council takes action on that, then we can go back and address the Council at its normal way.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

I'll make a motion to segment that item.

David PenalozaItem 17

I'll second.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

All those in favor, let's take a vote.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

Then you can step up.

Can we get clarification on what item it is? I'm sorry.

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 17

They're just segmenting the discussion of 3rd and Broadway, which is a component of the entire project or staff report. So they just voted to segment it out. Councilmember will now leave the dais and they can discuss that item. When that item is concluded, then the Councilmember can return and they can go and act on the item as they intend. Thank you.

Can we do a roll call vote?

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

Go ahead.

Councilmember Becerra? Yes. Councilmember Hernandez?

Phil BacerraItem 17

Yes.

Councilmember Binalosa? Yes. Councilmember Fan? Yes. Councilmember Vasquez? Yes. Mayor Potem Lopez? I'm so sorry, I just sat on my seat with the motion. To segment the discussion for the 3rd and Broadway regarding the mid-year budget update? To continue it? No, we're separating it because Councilmember Fan

Jessie LopezItem 17

wants to recuse herself. Oh, that's correct, yes. I'm fine with that. Mayor Mesquah? Yes. Let's move on now.

Motion passes by unanimous consent.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

Thank you.

Okay, so the one item that is before you is actually an appropriation adjustment, which is necessary to comply with the Third and Broadway Property Development Agreement that the city has in place with Caribou Industry. It's a private-public partnership, and it obligates our partner Caribou Industry to do a lot of public improvements surrounding his project on 3rd and Broadway and he's entitled to receive reimbursement up to 13 million dollars we've discussed this item before and this was we presented our recommendation also before the council that we believe we should do general fund dollars to meet that

obligation and he has now started the process and he recently is working on the the contractual requirements to start receiving reimbursement of that 13 million so staff is recommending that we take the one-time monies that's available from the general fund and we appropriate that to fulfill this obligation of up to 13 million dollars thank you any comments or questions from

David PenalozaItem 17

my council madam mayor I have a comment thank you for that brief summary madam city manager I think just for for transparency purposes I think it's important that we kind of add a little bit more to the conversation just for background information given the fact that we have a couple new members on here as best as we can I know I know it's not ideal but it would be great if we did because the staff report also that I read and along with this presentation doesn't really talk about the the fact that we're not giving somebody money where it's more of a loan that will be repaid back from my

David PenalozaItem 17

understanding so I think if we could talk about that and just really explain it so that the public understands as well okay it's just kind of a history so

the the corner of third and Broadway is a public parking structure it's a rather aged structure that if you've driven through it you know that it's a little bit dippy and you're driving on the wrong side of the road when you wind through it and it is a ideal opportunity for development so years ago the city We did an RFP process to see if a developer would be interested in transforming that piece of property. It took several years to actually get a development agreement in place, but one was reached with Caribou Industries to take that property, to tear down the public parking structure,

and to construct a brand new development, replacing 211 public parking spaces, and then building on top of it, residential as well as a hotel component with some street retail. The one thing that it does do is it opens back up the downtown area. If you've driven down there, you know that it's a roadblock and the current parking structure blocks off one of the main roads that goes through there. Sycamore, thank you. And so it opens that back up. So as part of the development, the developer is doing multiple public improvements to the property, such as opening up the street, such as doing the sidewalks, such as doing the

demo of the actual existing parking structure, and then replacing the 211 public parking spots for us, along with accommodating all of the parking needs of the development on the property. For part of that, he's to do all of the work, and on the public portions of it, he submits for reimbursement, and our contract requires us to reimburse him for that work up to $13 million and then once the parking structure is operational and I think because I might have more information on it but he is obligated to make

repayment to the city for the amount that we reimburse him with interest okay

David PenalozaItem 17

so so the caribou industries would repay to the city of Santa Ana the 13 million dollars from the once that parking is built back up.

David PenalozaItem 17

And so from my understanding, it's not only an apartment building with retail towards along the street, but also a hotel, correct, that will bring in potential obvious TOT tax. Is that?

I'm asking the executive director of community development to confirm the proposed development. Mr. Garcia.

There are timelines within the agreement that must be met, in particular a 90-day timeline. That being said, the parking garage is going to stay there for quite some time until they are ready to begin. There's a lot of utility coordination in the alleyway between the 3rd and Broadway parking garage and then the old historic buildings like the spurgeon building the front on fourth street so there's there could be an extended time frame but within another 60 days they're going to come in and work with jason kwatt from

building to begin pulling permits for some of the excavation work that they need to do and begin working with the utilities the utilities are going to take a while Southern California Edison probably will not be able to get to this work until October of this year in a best case scenario is what they've told Caribou so

Mike do you have any more details on the actual development the number of units

and well it we really will depend on what type of hotel operator would want TO COME IN, I CAN GET YOU SOME MORE DETAILS ON WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED AND WHAT WE'RE HEARING RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE CONTINUE TO MARKET THE SITE TO HOTEL DEVELOPERS LIKE AIRS HOTEL AND THERE'S OTHERS THAT ARE INTERESTED. SO IT IS KIND OF A FLUCTUATING DEVELOPMENT ENVELOPE that might end up coming through the project. The details will really depend on the partners they work with for housing as well as for the hotel.

David PenalozaItem 17

Okay, thank you, Mr. Garcia. I guess my question, when it was proposed to the city council a couple years ago, one of the big selling points was the eventual construction of a hotel that will bring in, that would have hundreds of rooms that would bring in TLT revenue, which we don't have much of in Santa Ana, to our city coffers, which is a huge plus, as well as a reimbursement of the parking, the $13 million loan that we're essentially giving. I think when you're asking for an appropriation of $13 million, it's important that we have this information readily available.

David PenalozaItem 17

So if we could find it in the next 15 minutes, I would appreciate it. But those are my questions, Madam City Manager. It was more for my colleagues that are nearer so that they could understand the history and why we're here and how we got here and how it's not. Because the way, just reading the staff report from somebody that isn't aware of the history I would say oh well we are just giving 13 million dollars general fund dollars but we are expecting that money to be repaid with interest so I want to make sure that that's cleared of the

public understand sir and we do have the development agreement pulled up so if there is specifics that you would like we can certainly share that it has been an item that has been discussed with this council a couple of different different times it is a contractual obligation of the city that was entered into I know by kept the previous council not all of you were on it when they did make that commitment so I'll turn it over to Downs to read to you the what was the original

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

proposed development before you answer those questions I have two council members that want to speak so maybe they have similar questions or questions yeah

Benjamin VazquezItem 17

Councilmember Penelosa for that and I'm really worried about I would be discussing it but now we're voting on 13 million dollars and I really want to bring it all together in one time and have it in front of me to really understand what we're doing I appreciate the dialogue that we've been having you guys are amazing and presenting but I would prefer that we can revisit and table this for the next meeting so we could get a better grasp of the history and understanding of it is there is there a timeline we have to meet or can we is Is that actually okay?

Well, he hasn't submitted anything for reimbursement yet, so we don't have anything pending. You do have a contractual obligation, though, for this. And what we had discussed with this council before was, and we had, when we proposed our one-time monies that we had, we had recommended utilizing those for this contractual obligation, because the other option would be for us to go out and do financing. And right now the environment is not good to do financing. So you will eventually move into a time crutch where you're going to have to make a decision.

And if you choose not to appropriate these dollars and instead want us to seek the financing, it's going to be pretty hard on the finance department to make that happen in a relatively short period of time.

Benjamin VazquezItem 17

What I'm asking is the next meeting, would that be a crunch?

No, we could certainly do that since there isn't anything. So you're asking for a way to get you to get more information?

Benjamin VazquezItem 17

For one more week, yeah.

Okay. So let me go.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

Councilman Hernandez.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 17

Thank you, Mayor Mesquim. This was an item that I received upon my election to this council as well. A decision that was made by my predecessors. But this is a conversation that I know two of my colleagues are new to. With respect to the transparency and the conversation that we're having here today, I am in favor of us tabling this conversation, Director Downs, and coming back at a meeting in the month of March to give my newer colleagues ample time to meet with city staff and also to ask all of those detailed questions like the hotel provider.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 17

All of that stuff is very important. I'm sure we have new colleagues here who want to learn about the deadlines. I know for me as an elected official where this project has taken place, it's part of my district, I know something that I'm going to look to advocate for is very hard deadlines.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 17

Pending, this is something that we get approved. I still would like to meet with our staff before I come to a vote tonight. That concludes my comments. Thank you.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

Councilman Vassos, are you making a motion?

Benjamin VazquezItem 17

I'm making a motion through tableau for the next meeting.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 17

I'll second the motion.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

Second the motion.

Phil BacerraItem 17

Mayor, I have a question on that. So I appreciate my colleagues willingness to dive into this item and really get a handle on it. But unless I miss something, it's a singular item. It's a contractual obligation. So unless we're just going to somehow unravel the whole thing, I don't know the necessity to table it. This is something that I feel we're obligated to do. But correct me if I'm wrong, is there something, is there another path that we could take on this other than to meet our contractual obligation?

No, sir, you're correct. It would be just to provide additional information, but it's not reopening up a development agreement or changing any of the agreed upon provisions in it. It is a contractual, a legal contractual obligation of the city.

Phil BacerraItem 17

So I would like to offer up a sub motion. Why don't we just go ahead and move the item, and then we can have staff come back to us and provide us a receiving file item so that all of us have the same background information and next steps on this particular project. So that's my sub-motion.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

Well, I think that's what Councilman Vasquez was asking for. He wants additional information.

Phil BacerraItem 17

No, but he wants to table this portion of it, the 13-minute. Is that correct? So he does not want to fulfill our contractual obligation for at least another meeting. I'm saying since it is a contractual obligation and we're most likely going to arrive at the same place anyways, but the only thing that's being asked of in addition to the contractual obligation is just to simply have background information provided to the Council.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

That's your sub motion? Correct.

David PenalozaItem 17

I'll second the sub motion.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

Second the sub motion. Can you pull up the contract, please?

Yes, I have it up right now.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

You do have it?

Oh, yes.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

Could you pull it up so if Councilman Vasquez has a question regarding the contract, you can ask if there's something. So there's a first and a second. We're going to vote right now if we vote on it. So she has a contract if you have questions tonight. So why don't we vote and then we'll see where we go from there.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

So vote on the sub-motion? Yeah, we're going to vote on your sub-motion. Okay, prepare to vote please.

Councilmember Becerra?

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

Yes.

Councilmember Hernandez?

Phil BacerraItem 17

No.

Councilmember Banyalosa?

Benjamin VazquezItem 17

Yes.

Councilmember Baskus?

Benjamin VazquezItem 17

No.

Mayor Potem Lopes? No. Mayor Mesquah?

Benjamin VazquezItem 17

Yes.

Motion fails. 3-3 with Council Member Phan recused.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

Let's go to the next slide.

Okay. So we can call Council Member Phan back in and... I'm sorry.

David PenalozaItem 17

I have comments. There was another motion on the floor? Yeah. That's what I thought.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

So then let's take this go for the motion that well can I share my comments

Jessie LopezItem 17

Sure go ahead. Thank you Mayor. So I do think it's a little unfair to frame this conversation as council members not wanting to meet a contractual obligation that only two members of this council with Councilmember Becerra and Pinalosa voted on originally this is 13 million dollars you know from I did it Mayor Pulton I think you ought to know. Yeah. Yes. Yes. So, it's, you know, $13 million. This is not a small project. And I think it's more than fair to give the mayor and Council Member Vasquez a briefing.

Jessie LopezItem 17

And I don't know if staff met with both of those council members on this massive contract. I don't know. Did the staff meet with you? Mayor Himesco? I'm sorry.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

I met with the city manager.

Jessie LopezItem 17

Okay. So I think the what is simply being asked is that the council members be briefed on this, which I think is more than fair. And again, you know, I'm not I didn't support the sub. I'll be supporting the motion on the floor. Thank you.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

Are there any other comments? All right. Let's vote again. So you made a motion. Is there a second to Ms. Councilman Vass's motion? I'll second.

I have Council Member Hernandez a second.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

Oh, sorry. I'm sorry, you seconded it? Okay, perfect. All right, let's vote again.

Council Member Becerra?

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

Nope.

Council Member Hernandez?

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 17

Yes.

Council Member Beñalosa?

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 17

No.

Council Member Vasquez?

Yes.

Mayor Pro Tem Lopez? Yes. Mayor Mesqua?

No.

Motion fails 3-3 with Councilmembers Becerra, Penielosa, and Miramesco dissenting and Councilmember Fan recused.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

I didn't dissent. I said no.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

I was a no. I'm sorry. Because Penielosa and Becerra were all no's. And 3S is 3 no's. Got it. Okay. That's correct.

All right. Next item, please. So there's no action. Can you let her back in? No action being taken on that one. So we'll go back to the entirety of the rest of the staff report. And we do have a brief presentation. And we're going to start with the budget dollar amounts. And then I will cover. I'm sitting manager.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

I want to just clarify something. I don't want the council to think that, you know, I just am voting because I'm voting. I want to be really clear because I like to be very honest about my vote here. I had asked for the same thing previously at a meeting for additional information before we voted on it. And I was told no. So then I met with you and you gave me all the necessary information. So that is why I voted on this item is because I did meet with you for quite some time and we talked about this at length. So I just want to be clear on that. Thank you.

And for clarification as well, we will make ourselves available. We don't always know what item you want to have a lot more detailed information on. But part of the transparency with the publication of the agendas, seven days in advance of the meeting, that's a perfect opportunity if there's an item you want to delve deeper into. We're doing your agenda reviews. We do one-on-one agenda reviews with each of you. And if there's an item on the agenda that you want to get more information about, that's the opportune time to ask us. And we will make ourselves available.

And if I can't answer the questions in the agenda review, we will pull in the appropriate staff to do so.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

And I appreciate that because I know during this week, this holiday weekend, I was told to speak to, I don't want to say Kat, I think you call her Kat. And, you know, to give me more information, you know, Assistant City Manager Steven Mendoza said we'll meet you at a restaurant, we'll meet you anywhere. So Councilman Vassos, they'll go to your school and meet with you for a gender review. So, I mean, you guys are very flexible, so I do appreciate it. So thank you.

David PenalozaItem 17

Madam Mayor. I just want to really quickly make a comment. Kudos to our executive director of finance, Katherine. A lot of times she provides unsolicited information, but I appreciate it.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

You can send it to me, please.

David PenalozaItem 17

You don't hear from me. Maybe I didn't reply as a thank you, but I went through it. I know during my agenda review, I know that Steven Mendoza saw my little antennas, you know, kind of my eyes perk up a little bit, with one of the items in question pertaining to our revenue sources. And he asked, do you want more information? I was like, no, no, no, it's fine, I get it. And then Catherine, you know, a couple, a day later, I had all the report from her and email explaining what I was questioning.

David PenalozaItem 17

So I appreciate it, Catherine, for being on top of it and being always on your A game. Thank you.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

All right. Let's go on. We'll let Councilman Kahn back in, please.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

So we do have a brief.

We will start the brief presentation, and I'll turn it over to Executive Director of Finance.

All right. Good evening, Mayor and Council members. Thank you for receiving our report tonight. We do provide quarterly budget updates to the City Council. So this is one of them. We call it the mid-year. But you could also think of it as your second quarter update.

There we go. So tonight we have three recommendations for your consideration. First is to receive and file the updates for both the budget and the revived spending plan. And two is to approve appropriation adjustments for additional spending authority. And then third is to adopt two resolutions to update the employee classifications and budgeted staffing level.

This is a general fund summary that shows your beginning position and your revenue estimates, the appropriated spending, your estimated ending fund balance shows the calculation of the reserve at 18%. That would be your policy reserve. And then your remaining estimated spendable balance. So if we look at the left-hand side of this chart, you'll notice that we start with where we left off at your last quarterly budget update on November 15th. So at that point in time, we estimated that you may have just under $20 million of estimated spendable fund balance. And I would define that as, you know, available for one-time spending.

And that your 18% reserve is in place at more than $70 million. We do have some proposed mid-year adjustments which I'll cover the highlights of. And then we have the last column and this is the updated budget estimate at mid-year which shows that we still preserve that 18% reserve level at nearly $72 million. And you would have an estimated spendable fund balance of approximately $8.6 million. Now of course this won't be the case because you did not take action on the last item that you discussed that was separated out.

So that estimated spendable fund balance would increase to approximately $21.5 million.

So our revenue highlights, for the most part we have three major revenue updates for the general fund. We're expecting utility users tax to be approximately $3 million more than the budget. And this is due to both natural gas prices, which we're all aware of if you've received a natural gas bill, I know mine doubled, and higher electricity usage. The next is we have building plan check revenue that's increased dramatically due to some large developments as well as an increase in the number of permits being processed. So we do have a corresponding request to add counter staff and improve service for the

increased demand. And then the last of these three major revenue adjustments is interest rates are rising and we've earned a significant amount of interest on our federal ARPA funding and that interest qualifies as general fund money. So between the rising interest rates on our existing investments plus the interest earned on that ARPA money, we have a $2.2 million change in our estimate for interest earnings. With the third quarter report in May, we expect to have enough data to report how recent tax rate changes may have affected

our cannabis tax and business tax revenues. But at this time, because this is a report as of December 31st, we do not have the applicable data yet to be able to figure out how our revenues were affected there. Our expenditure highlights for the general fund, we did recommend $17.4 million of budget increases primarily for three items. You did not take action on the first item. And so we continue to recommend $2.5 million of street maintenance moving to the general fund. This is due to the decrease of gas tax revenue.

Gas tax revenue is a cents per gallon tax. So when usage goes down, so does our revenue. It doesn't matter what happens to the price of a gallon of gas, our revenue will go down. So we're recommending that the general fund pick up $2.5 million of street maintenance so that we can maintain current service levels, even though we've seen that decrease in revenue in the gas tax fund. And then we're requesting $1.3 million to take advantage of on-site contractors for the zoo improvements. This would address lighting deficiencies and make additional progress on the master plan.

We do have some full-time staffing requests. For the most part, there's no current year fiscal impact. Of course, the exception is the permit counter staff, but that's in correlation to the increased activity and revenue that we're seeing. So the police department has an authorized position that we recommend removing from the hiring freeze to address the backlog of investigations. Both the library and the parks and recreation departments have made requests at midyear staffing requests so that they can gear up for summer programs in advance of your upcoming

budget discussion for next fiscal year's budget. Okay. And then we talked about the permit counteractivity. And then finally Public Works would like to make some staffing shifts that have no impact on the general fund. There is a future annual fiscal impact which I have listed both here and in the staff report.

And then this is the last slide of the budget update. This is our vacancy report, full-time staffing. So we have 1,360 funded positions. As of December 31st, we had 200 staff vacancies with 121 of those in the general fund. This is an overall vacancy rate of approximately 15%. So at this time, City Manager Ridge will continue the presentation with the revived spending plan update.

Okay, so thank you, Director Downs. So we wanted to talk about a presentation on the Revive Santa Ana efforts. I know you are familiar with a lot of the efforts that we're doing because they come back to you for individual improvement, approval, whether it's a contract that we're doing as part of the program. So this is an overall summary of all of the different things we have programmed with those dollars. And so it was early 2021 that we found out we were awarded $128 million under the American Rescue Plan Acts, or ARPA, and that's the coronavirus state and local fiscal recovery.

The funds have very strict guidelines that are administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury. At the time that they first gave us the funds, they didn't have the guidelines done yet, so that made it a little bit hard for us to immediately deploy those funds. Since that time, they have tweaked them and refined them and we work very hard at ensuring compliance with them the timeline for the spending of this fund requires them to be obligated by December 2024 and completely spent by December 2026 the City Council early on did approve a spending plan and that plan was based on

five broad categories each of those categories are eligible under the spending guidelines the five categories along with the allocated amounts are listed on this slide and they include city fiscal health, critical infrastructure, direct assistance programs, public health and safety and recovery from the pandemic. So I'm going to go through each one of those pillars, starting with probably the more boring one which is the city fiscal health. And this has an allocation of 16.2 million. It is needed to allow the resources that we need to ensure that we are efficient and expeditious

in the execution of those relief funds and also in compliance with the federal guidelines. It includes funding for human resources staff to hire staff to run the REVIVE programs, staff time to manage the REVIVE projects and make the necessary reports to the federal government as well as legal assistance from our own attorney's office and for any third-party consultants that we need to contract with to make sure that we are doing all of the Treasury Department guidelines correctly. And then finally under this category, we did have the opportunity to recoup losses that the city suffered in its funds from the results of the pandemic.

The second item is category, which is our largest. It is critical infrastructure. And this category ensures maintenance and preservation and improvement of city facilities and roadways to provide safe, accessible public services, public spaces, I'm sorry, that better serve our residents and visitors. So the projects under this bucket do include parking structure safety and beautification. This was where we did hire additional security for parking structures. Community center renovations. We have Salgado, Santa Anita, Chepes, and Memorial Parks all on the list. Did I say Chepes wrong? Is that what you're...

Thai Viet PhanItem 17

I was excited for Santa Anita.

Oh, okay. Yes, Santa Anita and Salgado were the first ones. And we are, the later additions to funding is Chepes and Memorial Park that we have. And those are community center renovations. This bucket also contains the large portion of the library improvements. And that includes the major transformation of the central library, which is a large chunk of that funding. It includes a new branch at the Delhi High. And it also is the first ever outdoor library at Jerome Park. Those are all being funded within this category.

Several pedestrian and mobility improvements to enhance pedestrian traffic safety and promote walkability are being done. That's being done in different phases. And then neighborhood safety features such as additional street lighting, safe routes to school. You just recently approved the Davis Safe Routes to School. It does have funding for IT upgrades to just make our government services more accessible to the public. And then funding has been made available for various traffic calming measures. And then this is also the funding that went into a lot of the storm drain gates that we've

done and the channel fencing that's adjacent to our stormwater areas which we're responsible for. The third category was in direct assistance programs. programs. This is $17.7 million. And starting with our food distributions, to date we have served over 100,000 residents. They have participated in our food distribution events. As of today there are five different programs that are up and running in our city. The Delhi Center has a food pantry that's open six days a week. Latino Health Access provides food on Fridays from walk-in from 12 to 1 and drive-in from 2 to 4. United Across Borders has Monday and Thursday evenings

for food distributions. And the Santa Ana Elks Lodge provides hot meals for seniors on Monday. And the Madison Park Neighborhood Association is providing $300 grocery gift cards to eligible households that meet the targeted low-income region. Starting in March, and you just approved this recently at a council meeting as well, A next round will go to the SEVA Collective and to continue to fund the Delhi Center.

Hot meals for seniors on Monday. And the Madison Park Neighborhood Association is providing 300.

Alrighty, everybody right now, let's keep going. There's another Christine in the room.

Business and nonprofit and artist programs are part of this bucket and we have given out money to various businesses, nonprofits. We also have an artist program. We allocated 725,000 to fund artists and arts organization to add public art and public art programming throughout qualified census tracts. And those are, we've already spent with the first 325,000 of that, we have 22 artists and arts organizations that will be paid to install public art and implement public art programming. three murals have already been completed so far, and the other arts programming has been started and will be completed by the end of the year.

This is the category where we early on did the resident direct assistance, and that was knocking on 20,000 doors and handing out $300 gift cards. And then we did have efforts taken early on to also ensure the residents remained house during the pandemic. We added at the request of council, youth violence prevention programs. Some have already been rolled out and continue. There's been 2.5 million allocated to youth violence prevention programs. And mainly those funds are allocated to partner nonprofits to carry out programming. For an example, 1,000 youths just in the last half of fiscal year, or not fiscal year,

calendar year 2022, we had 1,000 youths participate in a youth violence and prevention program. and early childhood support, Head Start and day care programs. We're starting to work on those. We have just one of them up and running. The increase in after school and youth sports. And then the other area that is set to be programmed is sexual assault intervention and reentry programs. The fourth category is public health and safety. And this focuses on public health and safety to ensure that there is healthy space, activities, and a safe environment for our residents.

So $10 million of this $32 million was set aside and committed to add park space in our city. And we have more than a dozen parcels that are in the process of being purchased or already purchased to create new parks. Those future parks that are funded by this money include the 10th and Flower, first in Mountain View, and then acquisitions along Warner and Bristol. This is the category where we were able to increase and add on the rapid response homeless services. And then one that was very popular with all of our residents was upgrading park restrooms. Oh, except for you.

So the ones that are planned are Heritage Riverview Angels, Campesino, Madison, and Windsor are all getting new restrooms. The restrooms at Campesino and Madison have already been completed. And the Madison's ones will be open very soon. The Campesino are already open. It is a really creative way. I give kudos to the Public Works Department. They're prefabricated restrooms and they're basically trucked in and a crane assembles them together. So.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

I'd like to request one at Morrison Park, please. A hawk, a bill, somebody.

And another really important project for the city that's included in this category is the First Street Pedestrian Safety Project. This is an area that our Public Works Director has wanted to address for a significant period of time. This is the stretch of First Street that goes under the railroad crossing where the sidewalk is in horrific shape and very, very narrow. And this is a project that's going to stabilize the slope, add hardscape, new fencing. It will improve the aesthetics on a major thoroughfare in our city. But more importantly, it's going to improve pedestrian safety under that crossing.

And then this is also the category where the property compliance and assistance programs that have been rolled out by code enforcement. It's to add more resources for code enforcement and then to create the assistant program where businesses can receive assistance to help improve their commercial storefronts and their facade improvements. We also have the healthy food access. And this is when the concept was for us to have a healthy farmer's market in our city, but one that also has educational efforts in it for nutrition and food preparation.

And we had reached out to the county and asked them if we could use the defunct bus terminal which is just across the street from her in the center and I did hear back from the CEO a little while ago they're gonna do an RFP to ultimately develop that property but he is willing in the meantime to give us like a dollar lease on it for as long as we can use it so we'll be able to probably kick that off

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

in April. I would just ask as the RFPs going that we keep a very close eye of what they're planning to put there. Again, it's Santa Ana or the county seat. Who knows what they're thinking about putting there unless they share it with you, but we as a council need to know what is going in there. And so either we say, yay, great, or we push back because we don't know what the county is, unless you don't, we don't know what the county is putting in there.

We certainly can track that process very closely for you. Thank you. Security cameras in the parks. This is the funding for that, which will greatly enhance the security. Gun buyback event. We did one this past July, and we did receive 542 surrendered guns. A favorite of a lot of the residents here is healthy activities. We brought back the 5K run, and then also, as you all know, the Winter Village. That was funded from this category. The final category is deemed just titled recovery from the pandemic.

And it really supports equitable distribution of vital public health information and resources to reduce the spread of COVID. Efforts in this area include expanding our communication methods. So the biggest part of this expansion of critical communication methods is the addition of digital signs at seven locations throughout the city. So one of the lessons that we learned early on in COVID is that we needed to have more means of communicating with our residents. And as you know, we do have some large digital billboards, but we have very limited access to those.

So what we thought would be a fabulous idea is to have digital signs, whether they're at a park or a community center out throughout the neighborhoods, that it would allow us to have a digital board that we can program the messaging and help spread the word of any of your important initiatives or other just important information for the community. The first one that's really being done is the digital sign outside of Eddie Westfield, and that will have a high-resolution screen. And then we are working on identifying the key locations for the seven others, but that will be a great tool that will help our communication.

And sanitation and prevention programs that were very critical early on, and that was to reduce the spread. We did a lot of increased disinfection of high traffic areas as part of this program. Emergency preparedness, that was just to help us be better prepared in the future if, heaven forbid, we had any other similar circumstances. Mental health recovery target programs, this is one we're still hoping to roll out. We do believe that the mental health has been impacted and it's starting to show up now more than ever with the pandemic. Mentioned before, sanitization of bus shelters.

And then the final two are completed and that included the funding of OCFA COVID-19 related calls. We were able to use some of the revived dollars to pay for that. And then we did allocate dollars where we conducted a study of the feasibility of us having our own public health department. And those are, I know it's pretty high summary level, if there is any categories that you want us to provide you with more information on or certainly staff will make ourselves available. If you want, if one of those you are interested in learning a lot more details on. And that concludes the presentation.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

All righty. I know we have questions. So if you want to speak, let me know. I can start on this end. Councilman Hernandez.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 17

Yes. Thank you, Mayor Mesquia. So, Madam City Manager, thank you for a fantastic presentation. Really excited about all of the things that you shared today. Okay, in looking at the fiscal year 2022-23 mid-year budget update, I saw that we had an item for waste hauler.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 17

There was an item that I saw in the staff report under the name of the document is City of Santa Ana Finance and Management Services, item 23, mid-year budget update. when you are looking at I'll tell you the exact page okay so it reads general fund expenditures and the item that I am particularly interested in addressing is the waste hauler donation Republic Services provides a donation of 183

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 17

thousand to the city to support community events and charitable programs So if you can give us an understanding as to what this item will be funding, Madam City Manager, I see that there is a request to have an appropriation to allocate $25,000 to the library and $48,000 to parks and rec and then $25,000 to non-departmental section of the budget for the City Manager's Office. Could you tell us a little bit about this item?

Certainly, sir. So as part of the new agreement with Republic Industries, one of the provisions in there did require Republic Services to provide a donation amount for supporting community events and charitable programs for the city. We took a look at the amount and staff sat down and thought of the different departments that could use that money because they pay for those types of events and programs. So we made the allocation to do $25,000 to the library to keep up a lot of the Director Sternberg's programs in that area. Of course your parks and rec has very heavily programming and community events, $48,500

to parks and recreation. And then $25,000 we wanted to place in the city manager's office in the non-departmental section. So as the need arrives we would have that money for those types. because as you know those requests come up outside of the budget process quite frequently. And then the rest is for the Public Works Administration Fund who has to put on a number of community events in efforts to educate on the different recycling and programs that we need to have in place for our residents.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 17

Wonderful. Thank you for that clarification, Madam City Manager. When this item was brought before us as the trash contract was being discussed under section 4.510 of the Republic Services and City of Santa Ana agreement, there is language and that language reads, at no cost to the city or its ratepayers, contractors shall provide up to $200,000 per rate year as monetary contributions to support community events in charitable institutions located within the city. Contractors shall collaborate with the city to determine which events and institutions will receive the annual contributions."

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 17

So that language is very clear, Madam City Manager. I like the language as it stands because it gives the community and it gives nonprofits that otherwise would not have had this opportunity to apply to an additional $200,000 where the funds are paid directly to them instead of on a reimbursement basis. This provides additional services to nonprofit organizations in the community that truly do need them. I want to thank our library and our parks and rec department for all of the tremendous work that they do.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 17

But I think that in the spirit of community and what we were trying to create is a relationship with this trash hauler, a relationship with government, community, nonprofit, and then, of course, intersecting that with service. I think that having the city be in charge of these funds takes away the community event component that we were all striving to accomplish. So I am not supportive of seeing those monies be moved over. I think if there is an ability for us to have a better working relationship with Republic, maybe it's defining where those priorities exist. and us doing that as a council.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 17

I know that that would be something that probably can help us shape, you know, a relationship with the Republic and the community. That is certainly a relationship that needs mending, so I think this is certainly going to help. Area number two where I wanted to talk about the mid-year spending plan, I see that we have the prayer breakfast. I didn't see that included on your presentation today. but I see that included as a line item. I am supportive of the prayer breakfast and the Pride Festival. The Pride Festival takes place here in Orange County, center of Orange County at Santa Ana.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 17

I am supportive of seeing the prayer breakfast and the Pride event. I would like to see the dollar amounts of the $20,000 that is going to the prayer breakfast. I'm supportive of that. I'm supportive of the $30,000 to the Orange County Pride Festival. And in the spirit of equity and ensuring that we're supporting our events across the board, I know that there are other events that we can strengthen with additional dollars. I think having the prayer breakfast, it allows us to work with all of our churches, all of the different religious groups that we have in our community.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 17

That needs to be intersectional. Number two, I am supportive of the Pride Festival, supportive of us funding that. I would like to see us increase funding for the other festivals that we have in our city as well. One festival that was well attended was the Mid-Autumn Festival. So I would like to see $20,000 go there as well.

So sir, this is a mid-year update, and that would fall into the next fiscal year. So certainly when we build the next year's budget, that would be a great opportunity to have those conversations to adjust the event once.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 17

Okay. So with the annual prayer breakfast that is here, this is a request for us to appropriate funds that were not in place here.

Correct.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 17

So for us to add additional events to fund to this mid-year budget, would this not be the appropriate place for us to do that?

Well, you mentioned an event that doesn't happen within this fiscal year. This is appropriations that are relevant to the current fiscal year, and the proposed prayer breakfast falls within the current fiscal year.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 17

Very good point. Well, in that case, I would like to see appropriations in an increase to the Juneteenth event in the amount of 20,000, the same amount that we have for the prayer breakfast, and then And that would be the only event that would fall within the midyear, would be the Juneteenth Festival. Thank you, Madam City Manager. And in addition to that, that is going to conclude my first round of comments right now.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 17

Tentatively, there's a lot of things I still would like to go over with our city staff. I am not fully committed to voting today on this item, but this is preliminarily my first round of comments. That concludes my comments.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

THANK YOU. BEFORE I CALL ON ANOTHER COUNCIL MEMBER, I WANT TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT WE WILL BE GOING BACK INTO CLOSED SESSION AFTER THIS MEETING. IT MAY BE AN ITEM THAT WE DON'T APPROVE TONIGHT, SO I'M OKAY WITH THAT TOO, JUST SO WE CAN GET ALL OF OUR QUESTIONS. I HAVE QUESTIONS TOO, BEING THAT I'M NEW HERE. COUNCILMAN BASSERRO, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

Phil BacerraItem 17

THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. WELL, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO STAFF FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER. I think for what we hear as far as folks that are trying to build in town, whether it's an average resident or otherwise, having the additional plan checkers is something that has been direly in need. So I'm glad to see that we're doing that. Could somebody explain, I see Brian Sternberg's here, but could I understand more about the whole library personnel moves where we're adding and subtracting? Just clarification, just so we understand it's a net gain, right, net loss, but could Brian come up and provide a little background on that?

Dr. Sternberg? It does have future fiscal year impact, but it's a net for the year.

Hi. Good evening, counsel. Yeah.

Phil BacerraItem 17

So my question was, could you elaborate on the personnel shifts regarding the library? So I see that we're adding one, but removing one. But I would just like you to share with the council and the public.

Yeah, absolutely. Thank you, Council Member Becerra. So what we're doing is we added a graphic designer to help the library with its social media, its website, all the promotions that we do, all of our events, promoting those, creating flyers, posters. And what we did is we deleted a library technician position to help balance that out. And then in the other instance, we removed a management analyst and we added a senior management analyst. So there's a little bit of an increase between those two positions that we added and those two that gain.

And that's where the future funding, I believe $37,000, that's where that comes from.

Phil BacerraItem 17

Okay, great. Thank you for that.

Easy? Okay. Perfect.

Phil BacerraItem 17

I appreciate that. I also see in the staff report that PD wants to remove one of the forensic specialist positions from the hiring freeze, and I support that as well, especially with the backlog of investigations that we have there.

Phil BacerraItem 17

For FYI, for fiscal year 2022 to 2023, the council approved funding for eight additional non-overtime full-time police officers. My question for staff is what is the status of filling those eight additional positions?

So as you requested, they've been added. So the count for police officers has gone up. So I believe right now the total sworn is 400 and staffed is 384 the last time that I looked. So there's 16 vacancies. What we haven't done with the request, although we've increased the authorized count, we haven't allocated the funding.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

I'm sorry. Let me interject you because I'm going to get you some information here. So I met with the police department today for several hours. So let me get you Assistant Chief Rodriguez. I think the numbers were a little different today. So if you can clarify, thank you for the manager for that information. But what I was told today is today when we met, we have 353 officers as of today, correct?

That is correct.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

And so we're funded for 384. That's including the eight that was approved by this council previously.

Yes.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

You have not hired the eight.

We have not. We have 31 vacancies still on, and we're still actively hiring.

Phil BacerraItem 17

Perfect, Mayor. Thank you for that.

384 are funded, 16 are not funded, and your 8 is included in the 16 that you added.

Phil BacerraItem 17

Yeah, I know the 16 will get us to the full authorized amount of 400, and I know that would be possibly the upcoming fiscal year and beyond. I don't know that those are the same numbers I got today.

I probably misspoke, but we're talking about two different things.

Phil BacerraItem 17

No, he's talking about the 8 officers. So in the last budget, or this budget, we funded eight additional officers. So that's funded, not just authorized, but actually funded. And so my question was just what is the status of hiring those eight additional officers? That was it. But it sounds like we haven't got there yet because if we're at 353 and we have funding for 384, we've got a little bit more room to grow, right?

Correct.

Phil BacerraItem 17

Okay. Thank you for that. So under the housekeeping adjustments for labor agreements portion of the staff report, it states that the fiscal year 2022-2023 general fund budget includes $5 million for labor negotiations. So on November 15th, council approved labor agreements for PMA and the part-time SEIU. And then on December 20th, on a simple majority, the council imposed the last, best, and final on the POA. So the staff report for each of those three contracts indicated that staff would propose housekeeping adjustments at the mid-year budget update to move the funds into the respective departments.

Phil BacerraItem 17

So my question was with that item, with the last best and final offer for POA when it was agendized on December 20th, why didn't that item at the time include a companion appropriation?

So all three of those items we didn't treat in that method. We had the contract before you for approval, and then in the fiscal impact on all three of those, it talked about doing housekeeping adjustments because we built the 22-23 budget and appropriated $5 million for labor negotiations. So finance simply said we'll come back mid-year as part of the mid-year update, and we'll do the housekeeping adjustments. If you look on exhibit one to the staff report, you'll see there's a net zero monetary impact because it's already been appropriated.

Phil BacerraItem 17

The funding for the POA?

The funding for the three that were approved to date.

Phil BacerraItem 17

So I'm confused. So if they've already been appropriated, why are we talking about them in this item?

As presented in the fiscal section on those staff reports is they were in the non-departmental fund. Now that you've approved three labor agreements, we have to put the money in the appropriate work unit accounts.

Phil BacerraItem 17

All right, so in other words, the council tonight would have to approve moving that money from the non-departmental budget over to the respective departments.

Allocating to the individual accounts. But it's a net zero impact in appropriations because it was already appropriated.

Phil BacerraItem 17

Right, but you would still need us to vote to move those funds. Correct. Okay. Okay. So I just want to say, you know, I voted to approve two of those three contracts. I did not support the imposing of the MOU on the POA back on December 20th. So tonight I will not be supporting the movement of the 1.32 million to implement that MOU. But additionally, I do not support utilizing any money from the PD budget that the council allocated towards funding those eight additional non-overtime police officers back when the council approved the budget for fiscal year 2022 to 2023 to fund the council imposed MOU

Phil BacerraItem 17

on the POA. I'm hopeful that my colleagues who voted to impose the MOU back in December have had time to see how this MOU has, you know, not just kicked the shins of the POA, but is a kick in the shins for all of our union brothers and sisters. So my hope tonight is that with this item in front of us that we will agree to not move over that 1.32 million for the POA MOU. That's all I have

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

right now, Madam Mayor. Thank you. So I'm going to continue on with comments from the Council or we can make a decision to put this item for the next Council meeting. So Council

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 17

Mayor Mascua. I'll make a motion to move this item to the next Council meeting. Mayor

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

Mascua. And I'll second that. Any other, you have comments? I have questions. You have questions? Do you all have questions on this end of the the DICE as well? No? Okay. So you have a question? So let me go to Councilman Fan and then Councilman Penelosa and then we'll vote to take it to the next meeting.

Thank you, Mayor. Just for clarifications, Mayor, you absolutely can move to the next delay or bring back at a different date the appropriation adjustments, but I would recommend that you do at least the receive and file on the mid-year update.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

So let's get through the comments and then we'll thank you for that, though.

Thai Viet PhanItem 17

Thank you. I do have a couple questions, and this is, I had raised it with staff, and it is relating to the prayer breakfast. And so I think this is a Madam City Attorney, this might be a question for you.

Thai Viet PhanItem 17

I am not aware of, and this is just the language in the staff report, this is what our public is seeing. It says that the mayor or the city would host an annual prayer breakfast with a request of a $20,000 appropriation. I'm not generally aware of any city that does like a mayor's prayer breakfast as hosted like this or the city hosting a prayer breakfast. Typically, they're done via a 501c3. But I do have concerns with it.

Thai Viet PhanItem 17

I understand that it would be open to all denominations and everyone would be invited as we have a very diverse community. But at the same time, obviously, you know, there are other religious groups that may be either fundamentalist or white supremacist or the Church of Satan who do actually have an after-school program because we do have to ensure that all communities, religious communities have the opportunity to attend. So Madam City Attorney, can you just talk a little bit or clarify or maybe bring back information so that I can better understand the prayer breakfast

Thai Viet PhanItem 17

and how it's being structured and what it looks like to ensure that we comply with not just the U.S. Constitution, which obviously has a separation of church and state, but the California Constitution, which has a stronger protection to the individual right to religion as well as the individual right from religion?

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 17

So, yes, you've stated the rules correctly. We do have the Federal Establishment Clause as well as a similar clause in the California Constitution which prevents a public agency from using public funds to support or promote any type of religion. Our research did reveal that most cities who are involved in these types of mayor prayer breakfasts do have 501 . So we went on the State of California's Secretary of State website and found some of those entities today. I think the question for the Council is, my advice to the City would be that we should

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 17

not use the words host or sponsor in connection with the word prayer if we want to avoid any question of violating either federal or state laws. But there may be a way potentially if you want to have this type of event to do something like you've done with your invocation years ago when the issue was raised you decided to go from a more christian-based invocation to a inspirational words or something that that was similar if the council wishes to direct us to work within those parameters we could possibly come up with something that would work but i would caution you against using host or sponsor in connection with prayer

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 17

and this is based on letters that we saw in our research that were sent to both the cities of WANNA PARK AND THE CITY OF ORANGE, SAY, IN THE LAST FIVE OR SIX YEARS BY ORGANIZATIONS WHO GO OUT AND MAKE SURE THAT CITIES ARE COMPLYING WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT CLAWS.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

SO CAN I INTERJECT BECAUSE I THINK, AND WE CHATTED ABOUT THIS EARLIER, THE CITY, IT'S ACTUALLY THE CHAMBER, CITY MANAGER IF YOU'D LIKE TO EXPLAIN. IT IS NOT MINE. IT'S WITH THE CHAMBER IS THE NON-PROFIT THAT WILL BE HOSTING IT.

So, you raised an excellent question, Councilmember Fan, and I know our city attorney spent a lot of time on that today, going back and researching everything on it. I'm confident that we'll be able to have this event occur and not violate either the U.S. Constitution or the California Constitution. We were already planning on partnering with the Chamber, which a lot of the cities, they either partner with a nonprofit community foundation or typically their chamber organizations. I do, isn't it the City of Irvine that actually does sponsor one that has prayer in the title of it, but I am aware of the the city

attorney's concerns and the sensitivities over it. So we, any event, should you approve this appropriation, we will be very mindful of those clauses.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

And all religions will be invited. It is not one specific religion. It will be open to all of them. And Anaheim does it. Irvine has one. Many, many cities do. Santa Ana used to do one years ago. I don't know anybody who's a dinosaur in here that can remember beside myself. And maybe Alvaro can remember back in the day when we used to have prayer breakfast here. It was during the era of Godina's time, I believe. And so all religions are going to be invited. And it's not going to be Christian-based. It's going to be a prayer breakfast. The faith-based in our community

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

want to work with the city and the chamber and to help, again, with the quality of life. So a lot of cities do it. And I think it would bring great relationships to the city. we really have it with like neutral ground like many of us work with neutral ground that is

Thai Viet PhanItem 17

from a faith-based yeah and I completely support working with our faith-based communities I know

Thai Viet PhanItem 17

Mayor Yu and Council Member Hernandez and we had you know Second Baptist Church who held the COVID you know vaccine clinic which used to be in Ward 1 now Ward 5 we have a lot of organizations and I'm completely supportive of that, and it's a very specific allocation for public good, like public works, public food distribution, these kinds of things. My concern is paying $20,000 for a religious event, though non-denomination, non-denomination null. So I would just like to see that whatever program we have

Thai Viet PhanItem 17

that it is kind of strictly construed, because in speaking to, for example, with Buena Park, that city does not provide any funding whatsoever for the prayer breakfast. I do know that the mayor is involved and that they did have, for example, the mayor is invited every year and that members of the council do work with the chamber, but they do not allocate general funding or city funding to it.

Thai Viet PhanItem 17

Moreover, I do understand too that when you have a third party or a 501c3 who chooses who to speak, you don't control the message, which is not what we're supposed to do. But I just wanted to raise that because I do know in the past they've had protests at the prayer breakfast as they invited Mike Huckabee to speak. I'm not speaking as to any political points of views, but that was something that happened just historically.

Thai Viet PhanItem 17

I'm just sharing the information that I received.

David PenalozaItem 17

I have a comment and question that's part of this, if I may. Yeah, go ahead. So back, and as the dinosaur on the city council, back in 2019, Matt, the city attorney.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 17

I'm not trying to solve anybody.

David PenalozaItem 17

I mean, you know. And I mentioned the city, oh, no, the city manager was here. When we had the city's 150th celebration, we did have the blessing of the city, and it was an interfaith event that we did use general fund dollars to fund. And it was out at the Orange County Courthouse, and there were appetizers, and it was a small ceremony, but it was about two hours long. And it was city-funded. How did we get away with that? Was it because it was a blessing of the city?

David PenalozaItem 17

And I remember we had like 10 different religious groups represented that took part of the blessing of the city. How was that? I mean, I'm imagining that that's what a prayer breakfast would be. You know, many religious groups, denomination, whatever it is, as Councilmember Phan mentioned, whatever it is you participate in. that would be a part of this prayer breakfast? Was that?

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 17

My legal advice wouldn't change. My legal advice to my client, which I don't like to give out in public, but sometimes I'm forced to, is that you avoid using the words prayer or blessings. Regardless of my personal belief system, I believe that avoid using those terms would keep you out of legal trouble of any kind. But that's consistent, whether you decide that you would like to try to continue to use those terms is up to the City Council. I'm just trying to give you the safest and quickest path to get you to where you want to go. I believe that you can have a mayor's event and perhaps avoid any questions by using different terms.

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 17

My research revealed that the Orange County cities, including the City of Anaheim, have registered 501c3s. The chambers work with the 501c3s, and we found them today on the State of California's Secretary of State website. Anaheim's, according to our research, just very recently, as of like January of this year, went into a non-productive or non-registered status. So that's the tool that the cities are using to call it the Mayor's Prayer Breakfast.

David PenalozaItem 17

So in 2019, were we doing something that fell out of your legal recommendation? And if so, then why was it a blessing? When it was a blessing? And nobody batted an eye. It came and went. Nobody. So I'm just saying, was that improper?

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 17

Or was it just something that nobody... I would continue to advise the city not to spend city funds on things that use those types of words. That's my advice, and my advice hasn't changed.

Thai Viet PhanItem 17

And I think for me, it's just, you're right. Maybe at that time no one batted an eye. Folks didn't bat an eye on a lot of things like the soccer fields for 30 years, right? And I am batting my eyes, I guess, because I want to ask these questions because when I did talk to Buena Park, for example, they said the city manager volunteered their time. The city manager was not paid to do the work. So that is my concern and I would like to have full briefing on it just to make sure that you know we can choose to make any policy decisions we want and we take risks all the time that's totally okay that was just something I personally

Thai Viet PhanItem 17

would like to flag one of my first meetings actually probably my second time at this council chambers was waiting five plus hours to talk on an item actually raised by former councilmember Ceci Iglesias about the motto here right behind us because she asked to have it say in God we trust and I made very you know a comment to say hey I understand that I support you in that but there are many of us who are of the faith of many faiths and not a faiths and so I supported a pluribus unum and so did other members of the

Thai Viet PhanItem 17

community and so I just want to make sure that if we take this step we understand full well what we're doing and how it may be different from others given that there are some you know statements by other organizations regarding whether that's appropriate or not otherwise I am supportive of the pride event I think not only is it something that the city has held for a long time but speaking of downtown Santa Ana we it brings down a lot of visitors from throughout the city county as well as the state to participate and really bring in revenue