Read the January 20 meeting.

being being

being being being being being being being being being

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good night, everyone.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

guitar solo

Jennifer L. Hall

Mayor, you're ready to go.

Valerie Amezcua

Madam Clerk, please start the meeting. Yes, Mayor, please proceed. Thank you. I hereby call the Santa Ana City Council 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 roll call. Councilmember Becerra?

Phil Bacerra

Here.

Jennifer L. Hall

Councilmember Hernandez? Here. Councilmember Lopez? Here. Councilmember Penalosa? Here. Councilmember Phan? Here. Mayor. Mayor Pro Tempestas.

Benjamin Vazquez

Present.

Jennifer L. Hall

Mayor Meskwia. Here. Five members present.

Valerie Amezcua

You do have a quorum. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Are there any additions or deletions to the closed session agenda? There are none. I'm sorry, did you say no?

Jennifer L. Hall

None.

Valerie Amezcua

Thank you. Do any Council Members need to announce their abstentions on closed session items?

Thai Viet Phan

Yes. I'd like to announce my abstention from closed session item one as Thrive Santa Ana, Inc. associated with Thrive LA and Thrive LA PAC which is a client of my employer, Rattan and Tucker. Thank you.

Valerie Amezcua

So item number one, Council Member Fann. Thank you. Madam Clerk, do we have any speakers for closed session?

Jennifer L. Hall

Yes, Mayor and Council, we do. We have four cards in person and two on Zoom. So we'll start with the in-person speakers. Perfect. Thank you. If you can please line up behind the podium. Luis Sarmiento, Ricardo Muniz, Cynthia Perez.

Jennifer L. Hall

Speaking time is three minutes.

Hello, good afternoon, good evening everyone, Council and Mayor. Thank you for hearing our item today. We've been working with city staff staff around the potential acquisition of 1901 West Walnut Street, the formerly known as the Walnut and Daisy site. Now since April, we opened up as La Colmena. Some of you might have seen the popularity of La Milpa Cafe, which is an all women owned coffee shop, coffee and pastries.

We host also a store that sells traditional textiles and another urban farming co-op, Salsa. Thrive, as you all know, is our community land trust, which started working in partnership with the city since back a little bit before, since probably about 2015, 2016. In 2016, we formed the first CLT work group with city staff and started developing the idea of a community land trust here in Santana, which offers the opportunity for local residents to have a stake, to have a seat at the table in local development.

And La Colmena was our first opportunity to do that with the city, and we included an an option to purchase and we're very happy to share that we have state funding to make an offer to the city. And we've been, again, working with city staff around that and you all will hear from them about it today. The important thing to note is we are on a very tight timeline, unfortunately, due to the requirements of our funding. meaning we already obtained an extension from the state. And due to just the craziness of the last few years, we're really trying to make this

acquisition happen towards the tail end of the grant period. So hopefully you all will be able to provide direction to staff today to draft up the purchase and sale agreement as well as an economic subsidy report which would allow for the amount that we have available from the state it's eight hundred and fifty thousand eight hundred and fifty two thousand is available from the state for this acquisition and we're just a little bit short from the most recent appraised value of the of the site and so that's where the economic subsidy report would come in and so that's what we're asking today and

And hopefully you all will be supportive of asking staff to bring that back for y'all's consideration at the next council meeting. And we would love to, if anyone does have any questions, we'd love to talk more. We have some community members out today that are gonna be sharing a little bit as well about the importance of this space for them. Thank you.

Jennifer L. Hall

»» Ricardo Muniz followed by Cynthia Perez and Patricia Vasquez.

»» Thank you so much. I really appreciate the time and the consideration on item 1 on this closed session. Just here representing a little bit on the community engagement component of Thrive and kind of speaking a little bit on the programs and the development and the things that have been happening. It's a really unique place. As Luis mentioned, there is three operators there, La Milpa, Duchi Ar, and Salsa, but not just them are using the space. We have community members that are using the space on a monthly basis. We have two groups that meet there on a monthly basis.

We have events that are different organizations have already reserved the space to use it, either to fundraise for their own organization or to fundraise for a member that they needed help with or just to promote one of the events. So we had SAS come in with our bicyclists at one point. You know, over the summer we had a bunch of like events for the kids. All summer long we had like pools where the kids come in and have water and have little activities. We had like activities with books. We had activities with kid works down the street. So we're really partnering up with the surrounding.

We are also in the process of identifying community members to be able to help us with the decision making and the governance of that place as well. So it's a very unique place. It's serving multiple uses of the space. We have two markets that are showing up on a monthly basis as well. We have the Monarch Mercado that comes every first Sunday, and then there is the Mercado Carrusel that comes every fourth Saturday. So there's so many things happening, not just the programming that Thrive brings to that community, but also the partnerships that we're developing with the organizations and with the community around the corner.

So I really wanted to emphasize those pieces that is just creating a, you know, generating income, not just for those individuals, but for other individuals, for those organizations. So I think it's a unique opportunity for the city to keep investing in those programs that we could and those collaborations that we're bringing forward with all the work that we're doing in the community. So it's a really unique model, right? The community could reserve that place as well to celebrate their birthdays at a way lower affordable rate. So it's really accessible for the community and we really want to keep advocating for

that for those to be accessible for the community so the community could use that space and organization. So we're here asking on that item and to consider and to hopefully grant us this and so let us buy this for Thrive. Really appreciate your time and your consideration. Thank you.

Jennifer L. Hall

Cynthia Perez.

Hello everyone, my name is Cynthia Perez. I haven't been here in almost 10 years and it's just different coming from a different perspective of being a youth in Santa Ana. So some of you might know me, some of you might not, but I've been in communion with a lot of organizations that you guys work with independently and have for the last 15 years. Most of the work that I do is very grassroots only because unfortunately helping people doesn't pay and capacity is always limited based on what's happening in milestones, whether it's going to school, you have a new job, you have children, or any position in your

status in the group that you're part of. I myself found myself in 2014 houseless because I had just lost my brother and I took refuge in a lot of community spaces that now became nonprofits like Cooperacion Santana. I was actually here and there part of Sacred and there was also a youth at the time Miriam who no longer is part of our environment but but she'll set a lot of seats to these projects and one of them is Thrive. And I wanted to just encourage y'all here

to just help in the phase that is happening in our city. Over 30 years, I have been seeing the lack of spaces here. I've taken my own child to Irvine Test Stent because there hasn't really been spaces for us to occupy that are fenced off and it's safe. For this almost a year, I've been taking my child and it's actually like our favorite third space that we go to. We have been able, me, my partner and my child have been able to initiate mutual aid through pantries, free markets. And as I go and fly around our environment in that space, I've met with the OC Sheriff's

Department. They like to come and get coffee. They actually would like us to be more open, but because we're still developing, you know, some folks we're just we're waiting for us to grow with our environment and part of it is there's a lot of folks not being able to be sustainable right now so the space has brought a lot of sustainability where money isn't available and where spaces are lacking so I encourage y'all to just help us out and the new phase and I assure you that this is gonna be a place that will bring

a lot of unity. The last thing I want to say is that we come from an environment that doesn't have accesses to space, to parks, too much, but the last couple of years I've seen the progress that has been made and for the first time in my whole life I feel like Santa Ana is actually a good city to come through and I don't need to go outside of Santa Ana to be. So thank you all for being here and for hearing us out as well.

Jennifer L. Hall

Patricia Vasquez.

a place where we are welcomed, where we can be a community, as the word says, the colmena, they are different organizations where we are meeting, us particularly, the family group, once a month, we feel super safe to be there, it is a place where it is surrounded by nature, where we can have a coffee, we can go buy a little bread and we can observe our crafts, we can even have our parties, in Christmas, on birthdays, we feel very, very safe to be in that place.

They have given us tremendous welcome and, better than anything, it is within the community. Everyone can get there by walking, by bike, feel safe, feel like family, feel welcomed. We can all help to have a safe and very warm place to be able to make everyone a community. that sometimes we forget that we are a community. So I want to thank the Colmena group for taking us by the hand, for opening up those spaces for us as a group of the LGBTQ family,

and more of my age, because it is more difficult to be approaching a counselor, a consejero, a tener acceso a lugares, pues que decirles con mayor profesionalismo. Ahí estamos en un grupo en donde nos podemos sentirnos como en familia, nos podemos sentir que estamos platicando en un ambiente sano y súper seguro, más en estos tiempos. Así es que ojalá nos sigan ayudando a mantener este lugar, no nada más para bien del grupo for the LGBTQ family, but also for the entire community. And remember that if the community is happy,

the leaders are happy, and we can all continue in our struggle, which is actually for all of us. So that's my message. Please continue to support us, and thank you very much.

Thank you. Hi to everyone. Thank you for allowing us to be here. My name is Patricia Vasquez. I am a mom and a volunteer at La Familia LGBTQ and a member of La Colmena. And we have been welcomed and received by the community. La Colmena, as its name implies, is a combination of different organizations. We meet La Familia and others. We meet once a month. And this is a place where we can be safe. We can be exposed to nature. We can drink some coffee. We can enjoy some bread. We can even enjoy our crafts.

We can even have parties there, like Christmas parties, birthday parties. It's a safe place. It's a welcoming place that is, more than anything, is in the community. We can get there by walking. We can get there by bicycle. It's a safe place for families, for us to feel welcome. and this is a place for the community and the community has welcomed us. We don't want to forget to give thanks to La Colmena for opening up these spaces, La Familia and for LGBTQ families especially for people of my age it's very

difficult to find places like this. This place is very professional. THEY MAKE US FEEL LIKE A FAMILY, FEEL WELCOME. IT'S A SAFE PLACE AND I HOPE THAT YOU CAN HELP US NOT ONLY FOR THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY BUT FOR EVERYONE SO THAT WE FEEL LIKE A COMMUNITY BECAUSE WHEN THE COMMUNITY IS HAPPY, THE LEADERS ARE HAPPY AND I HOPE THAT YOU CAN CONTINUE HELPING US ON THIS. THANK YOU.

Jennifer L. Hall

MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, THAT CONCLUDES THE IN-PERSON SPEAKERS. WE DO HAVE ONE HAND RAISED IN ZOOM. CONFIRM THAT THEY'RE HERE TO SPEAK ON CLOSED SESSION. the ocea program please unmute

Jennifer L. Hall

hi can you hear me yes are you speaking on closed session yes please go ahead good evening mayor

mezclo and city council members my name is anna charco and i am proud santa ana resident of ward 2 and a proud board member of thrive santana i want to speak in favor of agenda item number one My involvement in community work began at the age of 12 when I participated in KidWorks and Santa Ana Building Healthy Communities. That experience introduced me to the power of collective action and community care, an incredible, beautiful, and life-shaping feeling.

I experienced the same feeling every time I visit La Colmena, whether I'm enjoying a cup of coffee from La Milpa or purchasing a rebozo from Don Felacio or buying fresh produce from Salsa Co-op. in april 2025 thrive in the city of santana celebrated the grand opening of la colmena the city's first community land trust project since then la colmena has gained and um a lot of momentum and recognition across orange county and social media in fact it is now often recommended as a must-visit destination in santana because of its private colors community garden

delicious coffee and traditional embroidered clothing la colmena has always centered around around Santa Ana residents from inviting community members to help paint murals to tasting and shaping the coffee offerings to opening its doors to a food pantry for residents in need during this during this current political crisis this space truly reflects the heart of our city it is a powerful representation of Santana has become a recognized model of COT across California building Building on this important milestone, Thrive has been awarded the state funding to permanently acquire the site.

I respectfully urge your council members to make this property the first CLT-owned asset in Santa Ana by directing staff to prepare to purchase all agreement along with the required economic subsidy report, enabling the city to accept Thrive's offer. This proposal would result in a highly positive fiscal and community impact to the city. So the city will generate approximately $850,000 in unrestricted revenue for the general fund compared to only $1,200 over the next 96 years under the current lease.

So this is really a legacy that you all can leave behind during your time here on council. So La Colmena has also transformed a long vacant and blight property into a vibrant community hub that has definitely improved neighborhood safety, economic activity, and the quality of life of its current residents. The project has created at least five permanent full-time jobs, more than 10 temporary jobs, and over 30 construction jobs. Looking ahead, Thrive anticipates creating at least 10 more additional part-time jobs over the next five years through expanded programming and growing small business. La Colmena has proven what is possible

when community culture and care are prioritized. And I strongly urge you to support this item and help ensure La Colmena remains a permanent community asset for the city of Santa Ana. One second. Your time is up.

Jennifer L. Hall

Mayor and city council, that concludes the public speakers that were in the queue when we began.

Jennifer L. Hall

Noting for the record, we did receive 15 e-comments related to closed session item number one. Those were distributed to the city council and posted online for public access.

Valerie Amezcua

thank you madam city clerk at this time we'll recess this portion of the meeting to consider the items listed on the closed session agenda

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

guitar solo

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Let's go.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

the the

the

the the

the the the the the the the the the

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

guitar solo

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

guitar solo

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Let's go.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We'll see you next time.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

guitar solo

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

guitar solo

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

guitar solo

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

guitar solo

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

guitar solo

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

guitar solo

guitar solo

Thank you.

Thank you.

Valerie Amezcua

Oh, oh wait. Mr. City Manager, can we get started? Thank you.

Valerie Amezcua

I know it's really important. All right, Madam Clerk, please start the meeting. Yes, Mayor, please go ahead. Thank you. I hereby reconvene the Santa Ana City Council meeting to order. Madam Clerk, please conduct the roll call.

Jennifer L. Hall

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. This is a meeting to conduct the business of the city. There's an opportunity to call for a recess or break or even to clear the meeting room if a meeting becomes too disruptive to properly conduct business.

Jennifer L. Hall

Warnings will be provided prior to any action being taken. We appreciate your cooperation. For everyone's safety, per the fire marshal, please do not stand or place objects in the aisles in front of the dais along the back wall of the council chamber or in front of entrances and exits. During city council presentations, guests of individuals being recognized are invited to come to the front to take photos. For Wocall, Council Member Becerra.

Johnathan Ryan Hernandez

Here.

Jennifer L. Hall

Council Member Hernandez.

David Penaloza

Present.

Jennifer L. Hall

Council Member Lopez. Here. Council Member Penalosa.

David Penaloza

Present.

Jennifer L. Hall

Council Member Phan. Here. Mayor Pro Tembasca. Mayor Meskwa? Mayor Meskwa? All 7 members present?

All 7 members present?

Valerie Amezcua

Madam Clerk, before we proceed with the Pledge of Allegiance, please make an announcement.

Jennifer L. Hall

For members of the public on Zoom or teleconference to request to speak during public comments on agenda or non-agenda items within the City's jurisdiction, you must dial star 9 from your phone or click the button labeled Raise Hand in Zoom now in order to be in the speaker queue once public comments commence. This does not apply to Public Hearing Item Number 29 or the Housing Authority and Successor agency meetings for which comments will be heard separately please hold any comments on those items

Valerie Amezcua

until specifically called upon thank you thank you very much our first item on the agenda is the pledge of allegiance um if daniel from santanero can come up and lead us in the pledge please did i say that right daniel no yeah that's you would you like to come and lead us in the Please. Thank you.

All right. Try to remember from my high school days. Put your right hand over your heart. Ready, 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. You may not be, oh never mind. High school, sorry.

Valerie Amezcua

Thank you so very much. Words of inspiration will be provided by the police chaplain. Police Chaplain Bob Burnett, please join us.

Thank you.

I think you know over the years one of the things I like to bring to every place I go is some kind of encouragement and bring faith and hope to people. There's often a lot of life lessons we can learn from. We learned one last night and it wasn't just about a football game. It was about a young man, Fernando Mendoza, a young man who came out of high school as a two-star quarterback that really nobody initially looked at. In fact, growing up in Miami, and it encouraged me last night to see that he went to Miami and they wouldn't even take him as a walk-on. And so as a result of that, he wasn't deterred. He kept going.

That means you don't give up, you don't give out. There's good things ahead if you press through. And resilience is a great quality. And last night, it wasn't so much about the teams. I didn't go to either of those schools, so it wasn't a personal thing, but I was inspired to see what came through him. Gives us a challenge for this year. We may face obstacles and difficulties, but we can overcome and we can press through. And this is a team here. And so the best thing I can do is pray a blessing over this year and over you, that this would be a very powerful, successful year.

year. Lord God, we thank you for this place, these people, our leaders, Lord God. Please, Lord, give us wisdom and insight as we move ahead into this year. Let this be a year of great fruitfulness and blessing and joy. And we pray, Lord, for our city, that you would prosper our way. You bring safety and health always into this place. Guard and protect our men and women of law enforcement, those that are serving in the fire authority. And we thank you for the gifted and talented people that work throughout our city bless those tonight to be honored here in the name of the Lord amen amen thank you

Valerie Amezcua

thank you madam clerk are there any additions of deletions to the City Council agenda there are none thank you first presentations by councilmember Becerra please certificate of recognition presented by by Council Becerra to Otoniel Gomez for acts of bravery. I probably didn't say that right, so I apologize.

Come on up, please.

Phil BacerraItem 1

So tonight, we are honored to recognize an individual whose actions on the night of December 6, 2025, represent the very definition of courage, of selflessness, and of heroism. So at approximately 1 a.m., while a family of five slept, a fire broke out inside their home right in the Metro Classic neighborhood, not too far from where I live. And this was not just a house. It was a family home, one where children were raised and memories were made. Inside that home at the time was his wife, Blanca, his 35-year-old son, his 11-year-old son, and an elderly woman that they rent a room to.

Phil BacerraItem 1

Blanca woke up after smelling smoke and then immediately alerted her husband. By then, thick smoke and flames had already begun to fill the home. As Antonio rushed into the hallway to wake everyone, he was met by intense flames, making it impossible to reach the stairs or move anywhere further in the house. So in that critical moment, he made a life-saving decision. decision. With no safe path forward, Antonio returned to his bedroom, opened a window, and get this, and then jumped. He jumped from the second story of the home

Phil BacerraItem 1

at 68 years old. Don't mean to share, but 68, 67. All right, we'll say 70, whatever. But still, I know in my 40s I'm not trying to jump out of the second story window, okay? But this gentleman did. did. Once he was outside though, he didn't stop. He ran to retrieve 20-foot ladders from the backyard, tools from his landscaping business, and then began immediately rescuing his family. He placed ladders so that his wife and adult son could escape through their windows, guiding them with calm instructions. Calm instructions? Hell, I would have been a lot less calm in

Phil BacerraItem 1

that situation, so I'm glad to hear you were calm. So as the flames were following, he he then went to his adult son, who was able to call 911 while he was escaping. Antonio then turned his attention to his 11-year-old son, who was still asleep, which would probably be me as well. I'd be earthquake, fire, I'd be asleep too. So he was unaware of the fire. He was carrying a ladder and a shovel. Antonio then climbed up, broke the window, and calmly instructed his son to come toward the window. I'm still getting over this calm part because you're just like,

hey, there's a fire, you should come on down. That's it, we're just carrying.

Phil BacerraItem 1

So without hesitation, he returned once more to help the elderly woman who was unable to climb down on her own and carried her safely to the ground. So when the OC Fire Authority arrived, all five individuals were already safely outside. Although the family tragically lost their homes and all of their belongings, every single life there was saved and no one suffered serious injury or smoke inhalation. So Chief Henry had shared with me that Antonio waited, had he waited even one minute longer or panicked, obviously we know he wouldn't panic, the outcome would have been very different.

Phil BacerraItem 1

So tonight we recognize Antonio Gomez because five people here in Santa Ana are alive today thanks to this father's extraordinary courage, strength, and selflessness. Antonio's actions remind us of the amazing people that we have living here in Santa Ana and that heroes, true heroes, often rise when we least expect it. So Antonio, on behalf of the Santa Ana City Council, I would love to present you with this certificate and just say thank you for all that you've done.

Thank you. Thank you to the Concilio for inviting me and my family to be here with you guys. I really give a lot of thanks to the fire department where I think they only take probably five, six minutes after my son called to the emergency because I don't have time to call. He did. And I just say thank you to the fire department. He helped me a lot because it was really quick to start to work with the fire. We really was safe, but the way they did, it was really, really fast because the fire was right inside. So I would say thank you.

everybody here and to invite me here. Thanks.

Phil BacerraItem 1

Ladies and gentlemen, this is Chief Henry, our Division VI Fire Chief.

I don't know what else to say other than I'm glad that it worked out as well as it did, right? I can tell you so many tragedies where it hasn't And so just grateful to family as well. And got to get your house rebuilt, right? So, and just remind everybody, right, check your smoke detectors, make sure they work. And, you know, twice a year when we change our clocks. So thank you. Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 2

Next up is Councilmember Lopez. Lopez, certificate of recognition presented to Francis Sioko for outstanding contributions to the community. Come on up please.

Jessie LopezItem 2

Okay, good evening everybody. Today I'm really proud to recognize Francisco, which is his artist name, the artistic name of Francisco, a modern-day troubadour whose work captures the soul of Santa Ana. Francisco is known for his unique sound described as everything from Mex Americana to quinceanera surf punk but the one word that defines all his work is honest his powerful song eyes out of Santa Ana reflects the pain fear and resilience felt by immigrant families facing today's challenges while still

Jessie LopezItem 2

holding on to hope and unity through his art he gives voice to those who are often unheard. Francisco is not only an artist, he is a community builder. He has spent years uplifting local musicians, hosting showcases, open mics, creating spaces for other artists to share their voices and have a space to be able to create. He is deeply rooted in Santa Ana, a graduate of Roosevelt Elementary, St. Anne's, Monterey Day, and Santa Ana College, raised in the Delhi neighborhood, and now a proud resident of Washington Square. His songs, like Santa Ana's Sun and Memphis,

Jessie LopezItem 2

celebrate everyday beauty, love, and culture of our city. Francisco has performed in numerous events from Art Walk to movies in the park, holiday festivals, and becoming a familiar and beloved presence in our local art scene, not just in the city but in the county as well. Beyond music, Francisco is also a gifted photographer documenting Santa Ana's people, events and neighborhoods. In his professional life, Francis serves our community as a therapist and case manager at the County Santa Ana Mental Health Clinic, supporting transitional age youth, individuals experiencing homelessness, and those dealing and battling with addiction,

Jessie LopezItem 2

and Spanish-speaking and undocumented families. His artistry, advocacy, and service reflects the the strength, compassion, and cultural richness that exists in our city. We are honored to recognize Francisco, also known as Francisco Isais, for his outstanding contributions to our community. Thank you for all that you've done with your family, for our community at large, and I really encourage all of our constituents to support our local artist community now and always. Thank you.

It's an honor to be recognized by the city that I grew up in and I love and in the face of everything that's going on, it's easy to get despaired, but I'm also moved by what I've seen in the community, people coming together to support our undocumented folks and fundraise and educate and everything from ice watch to protest. protest and I encourage everyone to find ways to build the community that is actively being attacked. Connect with your neighbors, connect with local organizations, support our local businesses, our vendors. Do everything you can. Thanks.

Thank you.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 3

All right, thank you very much. Madam City Attorney.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 3

I'm sorry, I jumped up. Final presentation by Councilmember Panalosa. It's a proclamation presented to the United States Postal Workers in Santa Ana. Come on up, please.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 3

Come on up. Come on up.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 3

Don't be shy. Everybody, come on up.

David PenalozaItem 3

How's it going, everybody? Good evening. Please give a round of applause to the United States Postal Service, our workers.

David PenalozaItem 3

Tonight, we are proud to recognize the 250th anniversary of the United States Postal Service and its dedicated service to our community. 2025 marked 250 years since the creation of the United States Post Office, the predecessor of today's Postal Service established even before our nation itself and later enshrined in the Constitution. Over the years the Postal Service has played a critical role in connecting people and communities from building roads, railways, and airlines to serving as a vital lifeline for residents across the country. Today the United States Postal Service delivers to

David PenalozaItem 3

approximately a hundred and sixty nine million addresses, six and in some cases seven days a week operating entirely on its own revenue without taxpayer funding. Beyond the mail delivery, the Postal Service supports the 1.3 trillion dollar mailing and package industry and provides good union living wage jobs including being one of the nation's largest employers of veterans. On behalf of the City of Santa Ana, we are honored to present this proclamation to Priscilla Dennis. Although Miss Dennis is unable to be with us this evening, her wife Jennifer Borja, also a former city carrier, is here to accept the

David PenalozaItem 3

proclamation on her behalf. Ms. Stanis serves as a US Postal Service clerk and APWU Union Steward and this proclamation recognizes the indispensable service of the United States Postal Service and the dedication of its employees. While Priscilla lives in Irvine, Santa Ana is a community she serves every single day, working at multiple postal stations throughout the city. Though her work, she sees, through her work, she sees firsthand how important USPS is to our residents, especially seniors, people with disabilities, low-income families, and community members who face language barriers.

David PenalozaItem 3

At the counter, Priscilla helps residents with Social Security documents, medical supplies, legal paperwork, ballots, and other essential mail, often serving as a trusted and familiar point of connection to important services. services. As a bilingual clerk, she regularly helps residents who may struggle with English by walking them through forms, explaining mailing requirements, and making sure they feel supported and understood. These moments may seem small, but for many people, the postal service is a lifeline, the most reliable and affordable way to stay connected to essential

David PenalozaItem 3

services. We also want to recognize the dedication of Santa Ana's postal workers, who continue continue to show up every day despite staffing shortages, operational challenges, and increasing demand. Their work ensures that every household in Santa Ana receives mail, no matter their income, background, or neighborhood, something that's fundamental to access and civic participation. On behalf of the City of Santa Ana, we're proud to present this proclamation recognizing the essential service provided by the United States Postal Service, the dedication of postal workers,

David PenalozaItem 3

and the important role USPS and all of you play in supporting our community. So thank you so much. I please invite every single one of you to if you want to say something but the floor is yours.

Go ahead, here's this.

Sorry, I had it. Go ahead.

Councilmember Danielosa, thank you so much for that.

Jennifer L. HallItem 3

Of course.

So my name is Jennifer, and I'm accepting this on behalf of my wife Priscilla, who has been dedicating so much of her time to make sure that everyone Everyone in the postal community under her union is fought for and is just treated fairly.

She's not able to be here today, but she is deeply grateful and honored for this proclamation. Thank you to the City of Santa Ana. Thank you, Mayor Homesqua, for honoring the 250th anniversary of the United States Postal service the postal service is more than a job it's a public service that connects and supports communities every day so thank you so much for keeping it public and not private thank you

David PenalozaItem 3

all right they just want to say thank you so wonderful um

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thai Viet PhanItem 3

One, two.

Thank you.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 3

Okay. Madam City Attorney, do you have anything to report out of closed session?

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 3

Yes. Thank you, Mayor. Mayor, Council Members, members of the public, we held a lengthy closed session this evening. I want to thank you for your patience. We have two items for reportable action under the Brown Act. For item 2B as listed on the agenda, the Irma De La Cruz case, the Council approved a settlement of $135,000 by unanimous vote of all seven members. members. And for item 2G, the Rita Ramirez case, by unanimous vote of all seven members, the City Council voted to appeal the verdict in this case. And that is all of the reportable action that I have. I'm so sorry that it was not a unanimous vote. It was a 6-1 vote with

Sonia R. CarvalhoItem 3

Councilmember Hernandez declining to support the appeal.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 3

Thank you. I was just going to remind you that. Thank you very much. Okay. This is the time of the meeting for the City Council to receive comments from the public on agenda non-agenda items. Madam City Clerk please explain the public comment procedures and call the first speakers. Please thank you. Thank You Mayor and Council. Pursuant

Jennifer L. HallItem 3

to resolution number 2025-004 speakers are requested to address the City Council directly and to refrain from profane language, racial epitaphs, and libelous or slanderous statements that disturb the decorum of the meeting. Pursuant to the Brown Act the City Council may not enter into discussion at this time. Speakers will have three minutes for their comments. Before calling I'll report the summary of emails provided. As of today at 2 p.m., the City received a total of 43 e-comments. Twelve of those were on non-agenda topics and 31 of those were related to Item 16.

Jennifer L. HallItem 3

Those were distributed to the City Council, made part of the record, and made available online for public review. We will now hear from members of the public that are physically present in the Council Chamber, followed by those on the conference call or Zoom, to provide comments on agenda or non-agenda items. Please state your name and the ward or neighborhood that you reside in for the record. I'll be calling three names at a time. If you could please line up in the center aisle behind the podium. Patricia Huerta, Bruce Senator, and Roberta Herrera.

Jennifer L. HallItem 3

Patricia Huerta.

Patricia Huerta. Happy New Year to everyone.

Today I want to introduce you guys to a dear friend, and he's a non-profit here in Santa Ana. His name is Cory Vigil. He served eight years in the U.S. Navy. Deployments include Operation Desert Strike, Operation Southern Watch, and Operation Iraq Freedom. Currently works full-time as a leader, navigator with strong families, strong children, and supports military connected families transition with peer and clinical services located in santa

ana corey has volunteered for 10 years as a post service officer of american region harvard post 291 recent awards include the presidential lifetime achievement award by the biden Administration. He has also received the PBSA, which is a President Volunteer Service Award, Gold Award by the Trump Administration, numerous OC Veteran of the Year, and AD 74 Veteran of the Year. His expertise with VA programs,

homelessness issues, reentry and diversion courts, and veteran benefits is remarkable membership also includes the anaheim veterans of foreign war and also an elk member he have he has also started the coffee talk at the elks lodge and i'd like to introduce him corey hi city uh city council mayor i just wanted to say i'm from strong family strong children in uh 600 west santa ana boulevard uh we're on the sixth floor we just received a 3.9 million dollar grant so it's 1.3 million for each year. I think it's critical because Santa Ana

is a target for veterans so we provide the clinical services. According to the Census Bureau and a little bit more information I received from the Veterans Service office in Santa Ana, we found out that we have 4,500 veterans living in Santa Ana and 500 of them are female veterans. So just to end with a little bit of time we have here we have clinical services i passed out the flyers uh it's important that we make a connection uh patty wertha invited me here because she has some relationships with some of you on the board so it's important that we try to get services maybe out to the fire department the

police department we have the capability to put them in a motel the same day there's no weight on the clinical services and just to end quickly the suicide rate is extremely high for california more than 63% of veterans that are killing themselves are 61 and older, we just found out. So the official number on that right now is 17 and a half veterans committing suicide a day. Thank you for your time. Thank you.

Good evening. Bruce Senator, Ward 6. I had submitted the notice of intent to circulate the petition regarding the public parks, and I received this afternoon the ballot title and summary from the city attorney, so we'll get working on that. And this is the first time I've brought something like this forward, and we're going to try for 2026. However, if I cannot bring it to fruition for this election, I'm going to keep saving our sports public benefit corporation active, and then we will keep building a base and we'll come back in 2028. But we're going to try here for 2026.

The children of the city are definitely in need of this sort of protection, and their futures are pending upon this sort of protection. and to stave off the terrible effects that the gangs have. So if the kids are not fully engaged in our public parks and they're walking outside the parks, they're gonna be subject to gang influence. And so we're gonna keep pushing for this. There's another document that I had submitted and it's a follow up to what I submitted back in October, I believe, or December, excuse me, on functional auditing. And as I pointed out, the city of San Diego went through

an internal review and they really evolve their city operations and recently in working with our City Hall in whether it's finance planning and permitting it turns out there's a lot of convoluted information that comes out of there and it leads to a lot of a lot of problems and so we really need to take a look at the Municipal Code and how it's presented by staff because when staff on on the front counter have to continuously go back and talk with their superiors and you get conflicting information, not just when you're present before them, but when they send emails with conflicting information, it's really difficult.

So we need to be able to sit down with the department heads and we need to sit down with contractors and residents and discuss these things and figure out how can we amend the municipal code and how it integrates with the various departments and divisions so things and information flow smoother and much more accurately. Mr. Pinoloza, you gave an interview a while ago, I believe I saw it online, about supporting our immigrant community and I would hope that the city goes much further. You know, we could have immigration celebration events throughout the city in our parks and our community centers. They've supported us

for generations and we can support them for the years of torment that they have have already gone through under Trump and that we're going to be going through for three more years. So we need to see about how we can be much more involved in that. Thank you.

Jennifer L. HallItem 3

Next three speakers. Roberto Herrera, Daniel Diaz, Daniel Shamel.

Good evening, Mayor and City Council. My name is Roberto Herrera and I'm the chair of the Parks and Rec and Community Services Commission. I've been been since 2022 when our logo was nice this nice little sunshine here but not anymore so sad we don't have this logo anymore and for the record the Santana the city of Santana has stripped all parks and recs logos from every inch of the city but not from my pride and love for this department I come before you tonight as an individual of the commission not on behalf I've overseen this

department's growth from when I was first appointed in early 2022 in the midst of the pandemic. Then we've only had commissioned meetings virtually and Executive Director Hock Scott was brought in to revitalize the department. As chair and in collaboration with the Executive Director, we've transitioned our meetings from virtual to in-person and worked with this team to reimagine community engagement, park planning, and park reinvestment. Together we've worked hard to make parks safe, clean and green and ultimately popular. I've come before you tonight to speak highly of Executive Director Hawk Scott. The department under

his leadership has served the City of Santa Ana well. As of late I've been extremely disappointed at this council for your failure and leadership and accountability over the loss of seven million dollars for parks and recs. This failure falls squarely on the Mayor and City Manager. I do not accept nor nor understand your reasoning for returning $7 million, turning down community centers, childcare, programming for our youth and families. This is unacceptable and frankly embarrassing. I request your presence, city manager, at our Parks and Recs Commission meeting in February to explain to the public in detail

your reasoning for canceling these contracts. My aim is not to be political here, but there comes a point when corruption forces me to speak out. This was not a financial decision. It was purely political and you owe the public an apology. You owe the youth and the next generation of this city an apology for your failure. I am Parks and Recs. I come to speak for the countless on the ground workers of the Parks and Recs department who only seek to serve our youth and families. And I hope to see you at our February commission meeting, city manager. And thank you to the city council and the public.

Jennifer L. HallItem 3

Daniel Schimel, Ruben Salazar, Victor Payan.

Good evening, Mayor, honorable counsel. My name is Dan Schimel. I'm a resident of Ward 3. I'm here to talk tonight about the killing of Renee Nicole Goode and the broader implications that it has for the City of Santa Ana. I note that on the agenda today, this meeting is being called in part in memory of Ms. Goode. I think that's commendable, but it's not policy. It's not a plan, and it's not enough. And what I'm calling on the city council tonight to do is to set policy, set a plan, and give clear direction to city staff,

including when not limited to the police department, as to how it is to respond to continuing unlawful enforcement actions by ICE and other federal agencies. And I'm not just talking about the ongoing violations of the Fourth Amendment and people's rights that we've been seeing for months in this city, but I'm also talking about when they come here in force, as they've done in Minneapolis, as they've done in Chicago, and as they're threatening to do to blue states throughout the country. Now I note there was a policy, an ordinance adopted in July, in which the city expressed

threats and support for the immigrant community. I think that's good, but again, it stops short of actual tangible action. Now, in releasing that policy, the council noted that the city doesn't have the authority to unilaterally block federal enforcement, and that's true, but it is not powerless to act. I want to be very clear about this. The city council and this city has general police power to protect the health, safety, and welfare of its residents. The federal government does not. ICE does not. They are not the police. They do not have that right. They are a limited

agency with a limited statutory authority. So what can the city do? As a few examples that I might suggest the city council look at and give staff direction on, when a ICE vehicle speeds, cite them. When they park illegally, cite their vehicle and tow them. Use your social media to to amplify calls about unlawful enforcement actions from local community organizations. If an officer sees someone from ICE without a warrant, without probable cause, breaking someone's car window, dragging them from that vehicle, arrest that officer for assault, arrest them for vandalism.

If an ICE officer approaches a person's private property without consent, without a warrant, guess what? They're trespassing. They should be cited and removed from that property. I'll close. I see my time is about to expire. I just want to say that the people of this city, including myself, we're scared. We're angry. And we're looking to you for leadership. And I'm asking that you provide it. Thank you.

Thank you.

Jennifer L. HallItem 3

Ruben Salazar?

Jennifer L. HallItem 3

Victor Payan?

Hello City Council Mayor Victor Payan, Ward 2. I'm a 15 year resident of Santa Ana and an arts leader in the community. I'm founding director of Media Arts Santa Ana, co-founder of United Artists of Santa Anna co-founder of the OC film Fiesta a member of the Santa Ana Arts Master Plan steering committee lead artist for the votos Locos video game California creative core fellow and California Arts Council individual artists fellow I'm here today to respond to the false and misleading comments made by Alicia Rojas at the last City Council meeting regarding UASA and the proposal we

prepared for the CAC cultural district program to submit historic Main Street for designation as a state cultural district. Ms. Rojas sent a letter to the CAC and circulated it to the city attacking the proposal. Unfortunately, her attacks are based on several key falsehoods and her longstanding grudge against UASA, of which she is a disgruntled former member. Her attack was also based on the failures of the 2017 CAC cultural district proposal, which was submitted by Downtown Inc., Grand Central Arts Center, and the city of Santa Ana. To be clear, none of the people who worked

on the 25 proposal had anything to do with the 2017 proposal we are all too familiar with miss rojas calculated tactic of manufactured outrage and performative scandal to claim to play politics and defame her enemies or better said her competitors when confronted at the november arts commission meeting with allegations that her letter was full of falsehoods she responded quote the signatures can speak for themselves interestingly interestingly she did not defend to defend the letter, which was a tacit admission that she knew it was bogus. We have spoken with individuals who felt the issue was misrepresented to them by her,

felt pressured to sign a letter they did not agree with, and were made uncomfortable by her attack. It is our belief that the purpose of Ms. Rojas' attack was to damage our reputation and our economic well-being. Unfortunately, attacking the proposal didn't benefit anybody, and in fact cost the city of Santa Ana money, resources, reputation, and opportunities. This incident demands that I ask the following questions. What is the city doing to protect its residents, partners, organizers, and businesses from vicious attacks and defamation by unscrupulous actors?

What process does the city have to vet the veracity of accusations before just accepting them? And what process does the city have to inform people that unscrupulous and false accusations have been made against them so they can defend themselves? The 2025 Cultural District Proposal is visionary in alignment with the City's Arts Master Plan and reflects deep understanding of community priorities and input from the Master Plan community sessions, plus more than 15 years of working with City staff, artists, and arts organizations on Main Street from the 5 to the 55 freeways.

I commend the City for partnering with us on the proposal and do not believe it would have done so if it was bad exploitive or pro-gentrification, as alleged by Ms. Rojas. It is my hope that the City Council, Mayor, and staff will familiarize themselves with the proposal and work with UASA to make the plan a reality. We formed a steering committee and we'll be contacting you all to follow up. Thank you.

Jennifer L. HallItem 3

Ms. Danielle Diaz? Ruben Salazar? Dale Helvig?

Mr. Hello. My name is Ruben Salazar and I'm a resident of Washington Square here in Santa Ana. I have also worked in downtown Santa Ana for over 10 years. The Clean and Safe program, along with its dedicated staff and manager, Jose Romo, has been an integral part of maintaining a clean, welcoming, and vibrant downtown for many years. Their efforts have laid a strong foundation for preserving this historic part of our city. The team works tirelessly around the clock to ensure that downtown Santa Ana remains

safe and enjoyable not only for residents and visitors but also during the many special events held throughout the year the individuals who are part of the clean and safe program play a vital role in maintaining our streets and public spaces they are truly a part of the fabric of our thriving city and community they take pride in the work and it shows in the condition and atmosphere of our downtown I strongly believe this program should remain in place for years to come it not only benefits our city but also provides meaningful employment and

financial stability for the workers and their families thank you dell helvig

Good evening, Mayor, City Council, City staff. I wasn't here in December to wish you a happy holiday, so I'll do that. I hope you had a good holiday, and I hope you all have a good and successful and happy 2026. I'm here tonight to address what I brought to you guys in October to discuss the City Council Special Events Sponsorship Policy. I said I'd get back to you with all the data. I provided you guys a letter that showed the data that I obtained through public records and hopefully you had a chance to take a look at it. I did get feedback from several of you concerning the data that was provided.

I was able to make the corrections necessary and clarify some of the issues that I saw during my analysis. I was able to clear up everything but one event. And that's listed in the letter that I sent to you. And I'm hoping that you guys take a look at what the policy is, and moving forward, you take the corrective actions necessary. I think it's important that we go ahead and hold everybody accountable to the policies that are there. They're there for a reason.

We want to hold other people accountable for their actions and whatever, and we need to hold council members accountable as well. I think the true character of an individual is what they do after they make a mistake. stake. How do they correct it? How do they deal with it? Right now, it seems like it's just gone on silent ears. I know it's been brought up by a couple other residents and they have received zero feedback on what's going to happen. I'm hoping that we can get this corrected, put it behind us and move on. So with that, you guys have a good night.

Thanks.

Jennifer L. HallItem 3

Mayor and City Council, that concludes the public speakers that are present. We'll now begin the Zoom speakers. When unmuted, please announce your name and the ward or neighborhood that you reside in within the City of Santa Ana for the record.

Jennifer L. HallItem 3

Pocha Pena, please unmute and make your comments.

Any other comments?

Jennifer L. HallItem 3

Pocha Pena? Okay.

Jennifer L. HallItem 3

Please go ahead with your comments.

City Council and staff, I'm Sandra Pocha Pena Sarmiento from Pacific Park, and I'll be reading a letter by Tomas Benitez, which was submitted to e-comment earlier today in support of the historic Main Street cultural district. My name is Tomas Benitez and I'm an arts and cultural planning consultant from Los Angeles. I had the pleasure and honor to work with Jerry Allen and associates to create the arts master plan for the

city of Santa Ana in 2016 and 2017. Our mission was not to impose our expertise on what a healthy arts plan is, but to inculcate from the community itself what their priorities and needs were, and to forge a plan that benefits the community. Thus we needed to create bridges with local leadership at all levels, from government officials to artists and students. I had the opportunity to work with a nexus of arts leaders and organizations, and I was fortunate to

work with Victor Payan and Pocha Pena from United Artists of Santa Ana. They demonstrated true insight into the value of arts and culture in the daily lives of the people of Santa Ana and proved to be critically helpful in their overall contribution and effort, including helping our team create pathways to different segments of the community. Victor and Pocha lent their effort and and love of the arts towards every step of our work. They were vital in ensuring that the Latinx community voice was a part of the vision and planning. And they further helped us with meetings with Spanish speakers

and non-arts community leaders as well. I found them to be seminal examples of community arts leadership. I applaud the work of Victor and Pocha in creating the historic Main Street Cultural District plan that aligns with the Arts Master Plan and is visionary, but I am sorry to hear that it was not presented to the California Arts Council. I was also disappointed to learn that the plan was undermined by a few opponents who acted in their own self-interest rather than the public good, which the Cultural District Plan provided.

I would advise the Council in future, consider looking at who's doing the work needing to be done and not merely the accusations being made. I was at every public meeting during our planning for the Arts Master Plan. I know very well who the hardworking and caring individuals were, who gave the effort and time and opinion and who worked with them. Sandra your time is up. And collaborated with other arts leaders.

Jennifer L. HallItem 3

Mayor and City Council that concludes the Zoom speakers that were in the queue when comments commenced.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 3

Thank you Madam Clerk. All right at this time we're going to the consent calendar items 4 through 25 are before us. Council members please announce any items that you'll be abstaining from due to conflict if there are any. request to pull an item, let me know or let Madam Kirk know, please. So I'm going to pull item 16. Any Mayor Pro Tem?

Benjamin VazquezItem 4

I'm not going to pull anything, but I'm a no on 13.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 4

I'm sorry, did you say you're a no on 13? Yeah.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 4

Okay. Is that it? That's it. Council Member Lopez? No items to pull. Thank you. Council Member Panalosa.

David PenalozaItem 5

No items to pull, Mayor, but I'm just registering a no on Item 8.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

No on 8. Thank you. Council Member Phan. Nothing, Mayor. Thank you. Council Member Becerra.

Phil BacerraItem 5

Mayor, I won't be pulling anything, but I would like to register a no vote on Item 8, please.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

Thank you. Council Member Hernandez.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 5

I'd like to register a no vote on Item 13 and 15.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 5

Thank you so much.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

I'm going to pull Item 16 and also I'm going to register a no-vote on Item 8. Okay. Madam Clerk?

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 5

You already pulled Item 16?

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

Yes, I did.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 5

Wonderful.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

I'll make a motion to approve the rest of the items.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 5

I'll second your motion, Madam.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

Thank you, sir. roll call madam clerk

Jennifer L. HallItem 5

motion by mayor mezcua seconded by council member hernandez to approve consent calendar items number 4 through 25 with the exception of item number 16 that's pulled for separate discussion and consideration um council member becerra yes council member hernandez yes council member lopez Yes. Council Member Peñalosa?

David PenalozaItem 5

Yes.

Jennifer L. HallItem 5

Council Member Phan? Yes. Mayor Pro Tem Vasquez?

Benjamin VazquezItem 5

Yes.

Jennifer L. HallItem 5

Mayor Mezcua? Yes. The vote is 7 ayes, no nays for Consent Calendar Items 4 through 25 with the exception of Item 16 that has been pulled for separate discussion and consideration. Item Number 8 for which the vote is 4-3 with no votes registered by Mayor Mezcua, Council members Becerra and Peñalosa and item number 13 which the vote is 5-2 with a registered no vote by Mayor Pro Tem Vasquez and Councilmember Hernandez and item number 15 for which the vote is 6-1 with a registered no vote by Councilmember Hernandez motion carries thank you Madam Clerk

Jennifer L. HallItem 5

The item pulled is item 16.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

»» Madam Clerk, you want to read it out loud or you want me to do it?

Jennifer L. HallItem 5

»» Item 16 is an agreement with DTSA services for downtown Santa Ana clean and safe program presented by the Community Development Agency.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

Thank you very much Madam Clerk. So I'll be brief. Maybe we'll get out early. On item 16, first of all, I just want to say thank you very much Saromo and all of you that came tonight to support this item. I am going to vote yes because I know how important this is to our downtown merchants. I'm downtown quite a bit and I see the work that's being done. So I just want to say thank you Thank you to all of you who did send in emails. We received many emails of support. Mr. Romo, thank you for your services. You make downtown look good. And so we want it to look that way so that people will come and visit us.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

And so I just wanted to make those comments that I am supporting the item and I'll make a motion to support it. Councilman Hernandez.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 5

I'll second your motion, Madam Mayor. And I also want to echo the comments about the Clean and Safe Program program being something that brings people to downtown Santa Ana, it ensures that the events are safe and presentable. So I want to applaud and thank Jose Romo for his leadership and for making sure that the downtown is clean. And then lastly, I just want to verify, given that this was a five-year contract for a number of years, Mr. City Manager, could you help me understand the contract that's in front of us just very briefly?

Alvaro NuñezItem 5

So we are trying to be very fiscally conservative. So this is probably the first time where I think we're going to come very even to make sure that the parking revenue generates some of the parking expenses. So this contract allows us to review each year and make sure we're making the corresponding right decisions when it comes to fiscal responsibility.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 5

I want to ensure that this remains a priority given that the downtown is a location that brings over a thousand people daily at any given time. There are tons of business owners who rely on the clean and safe so that their business is presentable and is welcoming. So I want to ensure that we are protecting that longevity and that we have a sustainable contract where we're able to ensure long-term continued success. I understood.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

Thank you, Councilman. Council Member Becerra.

Phil BacerraItem 5

Thank you, Madam Mayor. First, I just want to say thank you to everybody that communicated to the Council how important this program is. I want to thank Mr. Romo for all the good work that he does and has been doing for years. The thing I loved about all the communication from the downtown merchants, it just shows the energy, the vibrancy of downtown and how much people care about how downtown is and the passion. So just seeing that on an item that was on consent, it just shows how much concern and care there is. So I appreciate that. And I was going to ask a question of the city manager, but he's good.

Phil BacerraItem 5

He was a little bit ahead of me on this one. And that was, I wanted to make sure that with this program, it's self-sustaining and that was through the parking structure and meters revenue. And thank you, Assistant City Manager Sylvia Vasquez for giving me the information earlier, but we're ahead, right? So we're in the black, not in the red when it comes to the revenues and being able to fund this program.

Yes, we're not losing money.

Alvaro NuñezItem 5

I think years past, and so not to sound redundant, but this is the key, right? Years past, we were at 1.6 million, 1.7 million at a deficit. I think this year with the parking structure aspects, I think people returning to the downtown, trying to maintain a clean atmosphere. Yes, give credit to Mr. Romo for doing a great job. We're balancing it out, and so that's the key, right? We wanna make sure that each year we present a balanced approach to this type of programs, and you see where the money's going.

Phil BacerraItem 5

Perfect, thank you for that, Mr. City Manager. I'll go ahead and support the item.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

Thank you, Council Member Serra.

Jessie LopezItem 5

Council Member Lopez? Thank you. I just wanna thank everybody that does the work in downtown. You know, oftentimes it goes unseen, it goes unrecognized, discussed, but as somebody that spends a lot of time in the downtown area, just thank you for your work. This is something that I've supported throughout my entire time here, and this is something that I'll continue to support. Thank you. Council Member Panalosa.

David PenalozaItem 5

Thank you, Mayor. I just wanted to thank the Downtown Santa Ana Enhancement Services and Joe Romo for your work and leadership in this. It's definitely noted and seen and noticed

David PenalozaItem 5

I WANT TO REITERATE TO OUR I'VE HEARD FROM THE MERCHANTS HOW SUPPORTIVE THEY ARE OF THESE SERVICES. SO VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS ITEM. I WISH IT WAS BACK TO A FIVE YEAR CONTRACT BUT I UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE LOOKING AT A THREE YEAR CONTRACT. SO VERY SUPPORTIVE OF A FIVE YEAR CONTRACT IF THAT WOULD BE AN OPTION. JUST WANTED TO ALSO REITERATE TO OUR DOWNTOWN MERCHANTS THAT that when parking fees and parking structure meters are raised, I mean, this is what these services are getting funded by. So I was like, I heard from a lot of merchants about the parking last summer

David PenalozaItem 5

and then some supportive of the services, but these are the types of services that we wish to fund with these parking fees and revenue. So I'm happy that it's here before us and very supportive of it. So thank you.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

All right. There's a motion that I've made and there's a second by Councilman Hernandez. Let's prepare to vote, please.

Jennifer L. HallItem 5

Motion by Mayor Masquith, seconded by Councilmember Hernandez to approve the agreement with DTSA Services for Downtown Santa Ana Clean and Safe Program.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

Vote is 7 ayes, no nays. Motion carries. All right. Thank you. At this time we're going to go to the business calendar. Item number 26 is the nomination for Mayor… Can I pull it? I'm sorry. No, you can't pull it. I never heard that one. Mayor Pro Tem for 2026. I don't think we need a staff report. Do we need a staff report? I see you. Councilman Becerra. We have a staff report, Mayor Pro Tem? Councilman Becerra, go ahead.

Phil BacerraItem 5

Thank you, Madam Mayor. I want to thank our current Mayor Pro Tem Vasquez for his service this year, and I'm going to go ahead and nominate Councilmember Penalosa.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

I'll second that. All right. Okay. Let's, another nomination.

Benjamin VazquezItem 5

I would like to nominate Councilmember Jonathan Hernandez.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

You're making a second motion here? Second motion. All right.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 5

I'll second your motion.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

All right. Madam Clerk.

Jennifer L. HallItem 5

So seeing no other nominations before you, Mayor, closing nominations?

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

Yes, I am closing nominations. The first one was for Councilmember Panalosa. then the current Mayor Pro Tem made another nomination.

Jennifer L. HallItem 5

Yes, so we will take a vote on each motion in the order that they were received. So the first one is on Council Member Peñalosa, nominated by Council Member Becerra and seconded by Mayor Meskwa. Council Member Becerra.

Phil BacerraItem 5

I guess yes.

Jennifer L. HallItem 5

Council Member Hernandez.

Phil BacerraItem 5

No.

Jennifer L. HallItem 5

Council Member Lopez. No. Council Member Peñalosa. Mayor Mesa?

David PenalozaItem 5

I suppose, yes.

Jennifer L. HallItem 5

Council Member Phan? Yes. Mayor Pro Tem Vasquez?

Benjamin VazquezItem 5

No.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

That was painful, huh, Mayor Pro Tem? That you know how it feels.

Jennifer L. HallItem 5

I'm the last one. I'm sorry, I didn't know.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

He said no very softly.

Jennifer L. HallItem 5

Mayor Meswa? I'm a yes for Councilmember Panelosa. Okay. So that vote is four ayes and three nays. We'll now vote on the second nomination which was made by Mayor Pro Tem Vasquez, seconded by Councilmember Hernandez to appoint Councilmember Hernandez as Mayor Pro Tem. Councilmember Becerra?

Phil BacerraItem 5

Real quick, Madam Clerk, if the first motion passes, we still need to vote on the second motion?

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

No, I don't think we do, Madam Clerk.

Jennifer L. HallItem 5

So the process that we've used in previous years is to vote on both nominations in the order received and then the one with the highest affirmative affirmative votes is the one that's selected.

Phil BacerraItem 5

Okay, I just want that clarification, thank you.

Jennifer L. HallItem 5

So we're currently voting on. Council Member Hernandez to serve as Mayor for 2026. Go ahead. Council Member Becerra?

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 5

No.

Jennifer L. HallItem 5

Council Member Hernandez?

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 5

Yes.

Jennifer L. HallItem 5

Council Member Lopez? Council Member Penalosa?

David PenalozaItem 5

No.

Jennifer L. HallItem 5

Council Member Phan? No.

Jennifer L. HallItem 5

Mayor Pro Tem Vasquez?

Benjamin VazquezItem 5

Yes.

Jennifer L. HallItem 5

Mayor Meswa? No. That vote is three ayes, four nays. Ayes by Mayor Potem Vasquez and Councilmember Hernandez and Lopez. The first motion passed with the vote of 4-3 with Mayor Potem Vasquez and Councilmember Hernandez and Lopez dissenting. Councilmember Penalosa will serve as Mayor Potem for 2026.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

Thank you Madam Clerk. Councilmember Penalosa, congratulations.

David PenalozaItem 5

Thank you to all seven of you. We're looking forward to the rest of the year.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

All right. Thank you. Councilmember Vasquez, you have something you want to give them? No? No? I'm just kidding.

Benjamin VazquezItem 5

No, we're good.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

Just kidding. All right, at this time, we're gonna go to item number 27, is a nomination and appointment of an alternate representative to Southern California Association of Governments General Assembly Business Meeting. I'd like to nominate Councilmember Lopez, please. If she'd be willing to accept.

Jessie LopezItem 5

Of delegate or?

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

No, you're an alternate.

Jessie LopezItem 5

Oh, got it.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

But don't worry, you'll be soon.

Jessie LopezItem 5

I know, I know.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

You'll be going to all the meetings. Okay.

Jessie LopezItem 5

I accept.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

Thank you. Thank you. So I'm going to make a motion and you're seconding that motion? Happy to second. Okay. Thank you. All right. Any other nominations?

Jennifer L. HallItem 5

Motion by Mayor Meskwa, seconded by Councilmember Lopez to nominate Councilmember Lopez as the alternate representative to the Southern California Association of Government's General Assembly Business Meeting. Councilmember Becerra?

Phil BacerraItem 5

Yes.

Jennifer L. HallItem 5

Councilmember Hernandez?

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 5

Yes.

Jennifer L. HallItem 5

Councilmember Lopez? Yes. Councilmember Peñalosa? Yes. Councilmember Phan? Yes.

Jennifer L. HallItem 5

Councilmember Vazquez? Yes. Mayor Meswa? Yes. So there's seven ayes, no nays. Motion carries.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

Perfect. There you go. Congratulations Councilmember Lopez. Okay on to item 28 is an amendment to chapter 2 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code regarding the procurement and contracting for vehicle and vehicle related equipment purchases. Does the Council need a report at this time? Seeing none, is there a motion? I'll make a motion.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 5

I'll second the motion.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

Seeing no comments, let's prepare to vote, please.

Jennifer L. HallItem 5

Motion by Mayor Mascoe, seconded by Councilmember Hernandez, Council Member Hernandez to introduce her first reading and ordinance of the City Council of the City of Santa Ana amending Chapter 2 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code as to Section 2-748 specifying the procurement and contracting procedure for vehicle and vehicle related equipment purchases. Council Member Becerra?

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 5

Yes.

Jennifer L. HallItem 5

Council Member Hernandez?

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 5

Yes. As long as it's not COPS.

Jennifer L. HallItem 5

Council Member Lopez? Yes. Council Member Phan? Yes. Council Member Vasquez?

Benjamin VazquezItem 5

Yes.

Jennifer L. HallItem 5

May I ask a question? Mayor Pro Tempanoza?

David PenalozaItem 5

Yes.

Jennifer L. HallItem 5

Mayor Meskwa?

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

Yes, I have to get used to the Mayor Pro Tempanoza, take me like a meeting or two.

Jennifer L. HallItem 5

Vote is seven ayes, no nays, motion carries.

Benjamin VazquezItem 5

Doesn't have the same ring.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 5

Run it back, run it back.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

All right, here we go.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 5

Without the POA influence.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 5

It's the end of business calendar now at this time. We're gonna go to the public hearing. Before hearing public item number 29, Madam Clerk, please provide instructions to the public Who would like to make a comment on this Public Hearing item only?

Jennifer L. HallItem 29

»» Members of the public joining us by way of Zoom or conference call who would like to make a comment for Public Hearing item number 29 only, the adoption of building and fire codes, please dial Star 9 from your phone or select raise hand from Zoom now to be called once the Public Hearing is opened.

Jennifer L. HallItem 29

»» No speakers, Madam Clerk?

Jennifer L. HallItem 29

Open the hearing.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 29

Let me open the hearing.

Jennifer L. HallItem 29

With the hearing opened, there are no in-person speakers, there are no Zoom speakers, and we received no emails related to this public hearing.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 29

Any comments by the Council? Seeing none, I hereby close the public hearing. No comments at all by Council? Okay. Let's make a motion.

Phil BacerraItem 29

I'll move the item.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 29

I'll second. Let's prepare to vote, please.

Jennifer L. HallItem 29

motion by councilmember Becerra seconded by mayor mesla to find that the proposed ordinance is exempt from sequa pursuant to guideline section 15061 b3 and to adopt an ordinance of the city council of the city of santa ana amending chapters 8 and 14 of the santa ana municipal code to adopt and amend the most recently enacted california building code california residential code california green building standards code california electrical code california mechanical code california plumbing code california energy code california historical historical building code, California fire code, California existing building code,

Jennifer L. HallItem 29

and international property maintenance code. Council Member Becerra.

Phil BacerraItem 29

Could you read that one more time? I'm joking, yes, yes.

Jennifer L. HallItem 29

Council Member Hernandez.

Phil BacerraItem 29

Yes.

Jennifer L. HallItem 29

Council Member Lopez. Yes. Council Member Phan. Yes. Council Member Vazquez.

David PenalozaItem 29

Yes.

Jennifer L. HallItem 29

Mayor Pro Tempano-Liza.

David PenalozaItem 29

Yes.

Jennifer L. HallItem 29

Mayor Meswa. Yes. Vote is seven ayes, no nays, motion carries. Thank you.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 29

Thank you. We are going to recess the City Council meeting and convene to the Housing Authority meeting.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 29

I hereby call the Housing Authority meeting to order. Madam Secretary, please conduct the roll call.

Jennifer L. HallItem 29

Authority Member Becerra? Here. Authority Member Hernandez? Here. Authority Member Lopez? Here. Authority Member Phan? Here. Authority Member Vasquez? Present. Vice Chair Penalosa? Present. Chair Meskwa? Present. All seven members present? Thank you.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 29

Madam Secretary, are there any additions or deletions to the Housing Authority Agenda? There are none. Do we have speakers on the item within the Housing Authority Agenda? We do not. Does any authority member wish to make a motion and a second and announce your name for the record, please?

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 29

I'll make a motion to move the item.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 29

Second.

Jennifer L. HallItem 29

Motion by Authority Member Hernandez, seconded by Authority Member Lopez to approve Housing Authority Consent Calendar Items 1 through 3. Authority Member Becerra?

Phil BacerraItem 1

Yes. Yes.

Jennifer L. HallItem 1

Authority member Hernandez? Yes. Authority member Lopez? Yes. Authority member Phan? Yes. Authority member Vasquez? Yes. Vice chair Penalosa?

David PenalozaItem 1

Yes.

Jennifer L. HallItem 1

Chair Meskwa? Yes. Vote is seven ayes, no nays, motion carries.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

Okay, let's see.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

The Housing Authority meeting is adjourned and we're gonna reconvene back to the city council meeting.

Jennifer L. HallItem 1

Mayor Meskwa, actually we do have

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

the special successor agency meeting i have a what i'm sorry oh that housing successor i'm so sorry

Jennifer L. HallItem 1

that's okay go ahead if you could call the order i'm calling it to order so with with the mayor calling the special successor agency meeting to order i'll conduct roll call agency member becerra here agency member hernandez here agency member lopez here agency member fan here agency member

Jennifer L. HallItem 1

Vice Chair Penaleza?

David PenalozaItem 1

Chair Messer? Vice Chair

Jennifer L. HallItem 1

! Penaleza? Vice Chair Messer? Chair Messer?

Vice Chair

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

All seven members here. Vice Chair Thank you. At this time, Madam Secretary, are there any additions or deletions to the successor agency agenda? Vice Chair There are none.

Vice Chair

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

Do we have any speakers? Vice Chair We do not. Vice Chair Does any agency member wish to make a motion and a second or announce your

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 1

name? Vice Chair

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

I'll make a motion to move the item. Vice Chair I'll second. And no comments by the Council? Vice Chair Penalosa?

Jennifer L. HallItem 1

Motion by Agency Member Hernandez, seconded by Chair Meskwa, to approve consent calendar Seeing none, let's prepare to vote.

Jennifer L. HallItem 1

items 1 through 3 for the successor agency. Agency Member Becerra? Yes. Vice Chair Becerra? Agency Member Hernandez? Yes. Agency Member Lopez?

Yes.

Jennifer L. HallItem 1

Agency Member Phan? Yes. Agency Member Vasquez?

Yes.

Jennifer L. HallItem 1

Vice Chair Penalosa? Yes. Chair Meskwa? Yes. Vote is 7 ayes, no nays. Motion carries.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

Thank you. The Special Successor Agency Meeting is adjourned and we will reconvene to the City Council Meeting.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

COMMENTS?

Alvaro NuñezItem 1

NO COMMENTS. WELL, ONE. JANUARY 20, 2026, AS MANY OF YOUR CALENDARS HAVE A HOLD FOR THIS FRIDAY, IT'S GOING TO BE A WORKING KIND OF A GOAL SETTING TYPE OF MEETING. I DON'T THINK WE'VE EVER DONE IT THIS WAY. SO OUR IDEA IS TO SET THE PRIORITIES AND WORKING PRIORITIES FOR THIS PIVOTAL AND CRITICAL 2026 FALL. for us. In addition, be on the lookout. We did a lot of work last year and I think you're going to see the fruits this 2026. We're going to have a lot of openings. Today you just

Alvaro NuñezItem 1

approved, for example, the addition to lights at the playground in Centennial. In your SPAC you will get a second request, a second contract and a second review. As you can see, we were to pivot our current contract expand the contract and still be on on cast to finish that accomplishment exactly by by august of 2026. so we are trying to work in a different way a very definite way and when city council approves uh an item we're looking to be effective within a year so that's

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

that's the goal whenever possible thank you thank you councilmember fan because you're so excited i

Thai Viet PhanItem 1

Yes. Hi, everyone. Happy Western New Year. The real New Year starts next month, February 17th. Okay, I was super excited because as some of you may know, during the budget for 25-26, the City Council with obviously staff's help allocated $4.8 million to rehabilitate, redesign portions of Euclid, which is the second busiest street in the city of Santa Ana. The busiest street in the city of Santa Ana is Harbor Boulevard, both of

Thai Viet PhanItem 1

which are in Ward 1. It's not Bristol. But I want to say that over the holidays with the incredible leadership of our city manager and director Rudy Rosas and our engineering team, public works team, we have been allocated, we have been granted, is this too soon? This is not too soon, right? Okay, we have been granted $15 million. So with that and the $5 million in CIP funding, we have the funding to completely redesign, fix, and create a brand new Euclid to make sure that it is one of the safest cities in the city. Yay!

Thai Viet PhanItem 1

One of the safest streets in the city. Super excited. And so now we need money for New I do hope. Thank you.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

Done, done. She's done with her comments. All right. Councilmember Vasquez.

Benjamin VazquezItem 1

Thank you, Mayor. I appreciate it. I want to congratulate Mayor Pro Tem Peñalosa for the new seat. Enjoy it. It's fun.

Benjamin VazquezItem 1

Also, you know, we had a presentation today by Councilmember Becerra, and I appreciate it. It was beautiful. I WAS SITTING ON MY, ABOUT A WEEK AGO, ON A SUNDAY, I WAS SITTING ON MY VALCONY OVERLOOKING BEAUTIFUL FIRST STREET AND PACIFIC AT EL PANO NORTEÑO AND I TURNED TO MY SIDE AND THERE'S A CYPRESS TREE ON FIRE ON MY HOUSE. AND I DON'T KNOW, I'M NOT JUMPING OUT OF A WINDOW OR OFF THE VALCONY, BUT I CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THEY CAME REALLY QUICK AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. and not only that, but they came in my house and checked the attic and made sure everybody was great

Benjamin VazquezItem 1

and cleared the house, and they were just wonderful, and I appreciate the work of Firehouse 73 and 75 for the work and their diligence that they did that day. My family felt safe, and we do appreciate you. So thank you. Also, ICE has been out in Santa Ana today. And people want to help. And not everybody wants to go with the camera and put their bodies in the line. You know, we have a lot of courageous people doing this work. And they do that, but that doesn't have to be your role.

Benjamin VazquezItem 1

There are many roles we can take and whatever capacity you could take on, like repost. If you see that there's ice in the city, you can repost. their sites in the city or where it's at or you can make phone calls you could get on on you can make phone calls to all our networks that are that are doing the work you could drive neighbors who feel scared to drive to grocery stores or work you can donate money for mutual aid you can organize food fundraisers or food drives so there's no there's not a need and whatever capacity you feel you

Benjamin VazquezItem 1

can take uh to be in your faith be confrontational you could do it we'll take all the help we can get and whatever you feel comfortable with but it's going to take everybody in the city working together to overcome this and to go through this together but thank you to all the ice watchers out there thank you to everybody who has been putting in time and and this is this is going going to take a lot of hard work and it's going to take a lot of love and loving our neighbors and doing the work so we get through this or our families stay intact. You know, it's difficult when

Benjamin VazquezItem 1

students and children just stop coming to work and we see these issues. I see it in my classroom and I saw it in summer school, but it's going to take a strong leadership on our part to stay together for the seven of us to be united in this and just keep working hard. I am asking everybody to to keep putting in the work and I appreciate all the work that's been up to date. Thank you. Thank you council member Lopez

Jessie LopezItem 1

Well first I'd like to invite Members of the public to join us this Saturday at Santiago Park for our first monthly office hours of the year beginning at 9 At 9 a.m. We are also partnering up with Orange County habitats from 9 to 11 to help once again

Jessie LopezItem 1

and we invite the public to participate and get involved with OC Habitats. And lastly, but most importantly, I did request that tonight's meeting was adjourned in honor of Jesus Alejandro Valdez, also known as Alex, one of our constituents who left an enduring mark on Santa Ana through his commitment to community, compassion, and service. a standout runner at Godinez Fundamental High School. He turned his love of running into a way to uplift others, mentoring youth and adults through Keep Running Santa Ana and the Lightning Youth Running Club, which I've been so proud to recognize in the past.

Jessie LopezItem 1

He has inspired many family members, friends, students, and even strangers using running as a bridge to connection, belonging, and shared purpose. His dedication and spirit were on full display play at the 2025 Sunana Fun Run, where he plays second in the 10K and then immediately returned to win first place in the 5K just minutes later. He is known locally for his luxurious curls, his charismatic presence, their vibrant energy. Alex was deeply admired, not just for his talent, but for his authenticity and warmth. The same thoughtfulness shaped every part of their life.

Jessie LopezItem 1

Alex believed in improving the well-being of others whenever they could. He supported individuals with mental health conditions, fostered over 200 at-risk kittens from the Orange County Animal Care, and rescued injured cats throughout the community. He was also a vegan for six years, lived very intentionally, thrift shopping, making making eco-conscious choices and striving to be kind, not just to the planet, but to his friends and neighbors, even if he didn't know them. His compassion was never performative, it was simply how he lived.

Jessie LopezItem 1

Alex is remembered for far more than his accomplishments, his joy, empathy, and generosity has created a lasting legacy in Santa Ana, in the hearts of many of our residents who are mourning the unexpected loss of Alex, one defined by care for others connection and the belief that small acts done with heart can change a community. Thank you for serving our community in more ways than one, Alex. You've left an example for the rest of us to follow. Thank you everybody, have a good night.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

Thank you, Councilman Hernandez.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 1

Thank you, Madam Mayor. I wanna thank members of the public as well as our city staff for today's agenda and I thank the members of the public for their comments. I want to echo sentiments that my colleagues shared by beginning with my sincere condolences to Renee Nicole Good, Jesus Alejandro Valdez, and Keith Porter. Their families are going through a very difficult time right now as they were victims of injustice. We see state sanctioned violence happening all around us since Trump took office, and we are now seeing that this violence sees no political boundaries,

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 1

and it is non-discriminative. It will murder anybody in its way, whether you are black, whether you are an immigrant, whether you are white, whether you're a citizen, whether you're a laborer, or whether you are a community member who is simply just advocating for your neighbors. And that is a dangerous precedent for Americans in this country. We are seeing a government that that is mirroring an authoritarian government where they are stripping us of our right daily and in more excessive cases they are murdering us. I want to raise my voice and demand justice that our congressional rep, Lou Correa, not support ICE.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 1

I want to ask our congressional representatives in Orange County to challenge ICE and to abolish them. We are seeing ICE tear our country apart. They are not targeting violent criminals. They are targeting working class people and American citizens. I also want to echo my concerns with an article that was recently written by the voice of OC talking in depth about Santa Ana PD costing taxpayers nearly $5 million in lawsuits related to accidents. Since 2020 to 2010, Santa Ana PD has cost taxpayers $24.5 million.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 1

From 2020 to 2026, taxpayers have paid over $5 million and counting for accidents related to police officers. We're talking about $30 million in misconduct and lawsuit money and your hard-earned taxpayer money. Now, you tell me if your department trusts you and respects you. I am having a very difficult time telling you they do. do. And I think that one of us on this council has to stand up unequivocally for our residents. And so I am demanding that our officers respect the streets that they drive on. That you drive like your child is in the car. And that if you see anybody, you know, you have a call

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 1

for emergency, you turn on your sirens. If there is an emergency, you take every precaution necessary to make sure that you are safe and that the people that you are taking an oath to serve are safe as well because not only are we losing you know people to these accidents where in very extreme cases you know people have lost their lives but we are also now seeing you know an abundance of taxpayer money that is that is going to be lost during a potential budget shortfall i also want to echo my concerns with san anna pd's use of militarized equipment we

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 1

We just saw last Friday two young people who were shot at by federal agents at the Santa Ana Ice Building, one of which may lose his eye, and another young Santa Ana resident who was also very close to losing vision in his eye. The weapons that are being fired at the public, you know, these are dangerous weapons. This is military equipment. The equipment that was used on June 9th in Santa Ana on protesters, I take issue with that equipment that Santa Ana PD has adopted through this council.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 1

And I want to ask our city manager to ensure that our police chief and our police department gives a thorough public presentation that is calendarized and agendized through our city council meeting. Because I did not feel it was appropriate when the city had a public meeting on militarized equipment and the very people holding that meeting were the same officers in the same department that fired at them on June 9th. To then hold a meeting at Santa Ana PD is inappropriate and it does not build community trust. So I want to give Santa Ana PD and our city of Santa Ana another opportunity to establish that trust.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 1

And that is for us to revisit the equipment that was used on the members of the public. under AB 481 it requires law enforcement agencies to gain approval from their local governing bodies for the acquisition and continued use of previously acquired military equipment Santa Ana City Council did adopt that in August of 2025 but it does have the condition of coming back to the council so I'm asking for this to be a priority given that we are seeing people you know be shot at by you know ice there you know there's a number of residents who who were shot at, including myself, by Sen. Anapedi.

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 1

And so I just wanna list before I end my comments some of the military equipment that has been adopted. Unmanned, remotely piloted, powered aerial or ground vehicles, mine resistant, ambush protected, MRAP vehicles or armed personnel carriers, high mobility purpose wheeled vehicles, two and one half ton trucks, five ton trucks or wheeled vehicles that have a breaching or entry apparatus attached, tracked armored vehicles that provide ballistic protection to their occupants, command and control vehicles that are either built or modified to facilitate operational control,

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 1

direction of public safety units, weaponized aircraft, vessels, or vehicles of any kind, battering rams, slugs, breaching apparatuses, and explosives that are explosive in nature that does not include a one-person ram. firearms and ammunition of .50 caliber or greater, excluding standard-issued shotguns, specialized firearms and ammunition of less than .50 caliber, including firearms and accessories identified as assault weapons, noise flash diversionary devices and explosive breaching tools, munitions containing tear gas or OC, excluding standard service-issued handheld pepper spray,

Johnathan Ryan HernandezItem 1

taser, shockwave, microwave weapons, water cannon, long-range acoustic devices kinetic energy weapons and munitions I don't think that a public agency has the evidence to display that Santa Ana is a threat to the extent that we need this equipment and so those are my final comments mr. city manager I do not want to see residents brutalized as they continue to protest ice violence thank you thank you councilman panalosa I'm

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

I'm sorry, Council Member Becerra.

Phil BacerraItem 1

Thank you, Madam Mayor. I wish I wasn't asking this, but I would like to ask our Council and Mayor to also adjourn tonight's meeting in the memory of Stephen Arthur Coutt. I think it's Kate. Stephen was a longtime resident of Santa Ana, and he previously served as the president of the Historic French Park Neighborhood Association. I want to also thank city staff for finally getting the calls for service posted regarding the permanent supportive housing projects because I think it's important that we're accountable to those residents. I'm not going to go into

Phil BacerraItem 1

my old diatribe like I did last time but let's just say I haven't lost any of the passion. We really need to help those folks and we need to be accountable so thank you for posting that data. As I do every month I'll be hosting my monthly community office hours on February 7th at 10 a.m. at Lilly King Park and since since February is Black History Month, I'm going to get a leg up on it and share a little history. The namesake of Lilly King Park. Ms. King served as a coordinator of the Corbin Community Center from 1977 to 1982, and she was recognized for the founding of the Santa

Phil BacerraItem 1

Ana Human Relations Commission. Unfortunately, she died on November 23, 1982, at the age of 50, and so Lilly King Park was dedicated in her honor shortly after. With that, I would just say to everybody and this isn't just to our undocumented community this is to everybody be careful out there as we're seeing right now ice is not committing targeted enforcement they say that they want to keep saying that just like they call everybody that disagrees with them an agitator just because you say it doesn't make it true so i ask everybody no matter what your status is

Phil BacerraItem 1

be careful out there we're seeing some horrific images on tv we're seeing a lot of just tragic incidences that are unnecessary out there. So I just ask that we all be vigilant, be resilient, and just be mindful and stay safe out there because again these are very trying times and we're not seeing anything precedented. So just please be careful out there. And with that I just want to wish everybody a good night, Happy New Year, and look forward to seeing you all in February.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

Thank you. Mayor Pro Tem, panelists please.

David PenalozaItem 1

Thank you Madam Mayor. Not Councilmember Vasquez. Mayor Wilson. I just again want to thank my colleagues for your support to be Mayor Pro Tem for 2026. And thank you city staff for adding my request to adjourn today's meeting in honor of Renee Nicole Good. Never in my wildest dreams or a million years did I ever think that we'd be here on January 20th, 2026, exactly one year after the Trump administration took office, closing our city

David PenalozaItem 1

council meeting in honor of someone, a U.S. citizen who was murdered by immigration enforcement agents on our streets in this country.

David PenalozaItem 1

It's unfortunate what's happening. We're seeing it. And Council Member Becerra said it. Please be vigilant out there. be careful when you're out there they're they're not doing targeted operations they're just profiling and and literally murdering people uh and so just wanted to thank staff for for adding that name i want us to remember her and just think of how many times this is happening throughout our country um but with that said on a much lighter note i just want to again thank staff for all the construction work that i see happening throughout our city uh every whether

David PenalozaItem 1

it's bristol and tolliver whether it's warner whether it's uh south bristol street uh centennial park i i see the work quick memorial park memorial pool which is very important i see a lot of movement happening and happening quickly and that's something that our residents deserve and and our residents deserve to see. I've always said it that for years and years we've seen these projects as drag and delay after delay and sometimes with no questions, with no responses of what's going on and I'm happy to see that work and see these projects be completed. I know we were just last month at the Santa Ana Zoo.

David PenalozaItem 1

Thank you Parks and Rec staff, Hawk and Ethan, our zoo director, for the incredible work in the River Otter exhibit that's now open. Very beautiful exhibit so thank you so much for for that work. With that I just want to, I told everybody here that I was gonna record my daughter's milestones and her and her accidents for the public record but she just turned two just a a couple weeks ago, so happy birthday Penelope. And a week before her second birthday, she broke her foot. So we were at the emergency room, and she's wearing a little boot,

David PenalozaItem 1

and the little boot is the cutest thing.

David PenalozaItem 1

The boot is the cutest thing I've ever seen. But remember, it's a two-year-old, right? So think of how tiny this boot is. So the orthopedic surgeon had to go find one that was appropriate for her size. but also happy birthday to my mom who just turned on the same day as Martin Luther King January 15th so happy birthday with that that is it thank you colleagues again for your support to be this year's mayor pro temp thank you

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

Thank You mayor pro time yesterday for MLK my husband and I were at the OC food bank working a shift of putting boxes of food to go is absolutely beautiful and it was a lot of fun and they had three shifts and we boxed a a total of 9,957 boxes of food that'll be going out to seniors so it's a great event and so hopefully next year some of you will join us at the OC Food Bank to pack boxes there was a lot of people there it was absolutely wonderful I also want to echo Mayor Pro Tem Pantaloza's comment thank you Councilman Becerra for your comments about being careful out there yes you see what's

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

happening and we do need to be very careful there are consequences and it's terrible what's happening but there are a lot of people out there who want to help so please ask those around you to help whether it's giving your kids a ride to school that's helping you get food there's just so many things and please do not forget that the city of santa ana has mdef with immigration defense and ayuda sin fronteras it's on our web page and you can get assistance for food and rental assistance you have to live in santa ana fill out some paperwork however we do not share that that information at all. I wanna be very clear on that.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

We do not share as a city any of that information. And that is just for the city to gather to see who we are helping and confirm that they are Santa Ana residents. And so Mr. City Manager, I wanna thank you because I've been sitting up here, I believe this is my fourth year, and this is the first time that we are having a goal setting event on Friday, January 23rd. I asked for it my first year in office, I asked for my second year in office and I was told we don't do that here and so I want to really thank you and I hope the entire council shows up so that we can be on the same page if we can.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

We want the same things for our city. We want what's best for our constituents and I'm hoping that that's what we'll find. So thank you Mr. City Manager to you and your staff for putting this together this Friday even though it's at 8 a.m. I think it starts at 8 a.m. Oh 9 that's good okay even better. 9 to 2 p.m so i want to just say thank you um on february 5th there will the chamber santa ana chamber of commerce is putting on the prayer breakfast at templo calvario you can go on to their website and purchase tickets if you'd like we do this well we've

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

been doing this since i got elected so this will be the fourth year of the prayer breakfast and so i really want to thank the chamber because it's called the mayor's prayer breakfast Mr. City Manager, before I close, I asked, I believe at the last council meeting or two council meetings ago, happy New Year to everyone by the way, before I ask this, about the shelter

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

and about what we're doing at the shelter. So I was given all this information and I read it. It's ugly, right? right, such a huge packet. And I was told that in here it states, Mr. Garcia, you said that it says we cannot drug test because it's part of Housing First. I did not see that anywhere. So if somebody can give me the page and the paragraph, I'm not asking for urinalysis testing because it's a gotcha. I'm not asking for that. What I'm asking for is comprehensive services to those who live in the shelter because it benefits not only them, their families, but it benefits all of us.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

And earlier, Councilman Hernandez talked about 30% million dollars well the city has spent well over 30 million dollars on our shelter is that correct mr city manager yes and we purchased that building didn't we yes and how much did we purchase that

Alvaro NuñezItem 1

building for uh i don't recall 1.4 18 million 18 million so then on top of the 18 million thank you

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

mr garcia on top of the 18 million you ask that you add the contract to city net which is let me see if i get this right mr garcia 3.6 million dollars a year and then how much we pay illumination foundation to run the shelter and so all i'm asking is that and i don't know what that is and i'm not saying that illumination foundation is doing a bad job what i'm simply saying i'll be really clear on this because i don't want anybody to leave here and blog that oh my god the mayor's trying to close the shelter. That is not what I'm trying to do at all. Yes, you can laugh

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

because that is not what I'm trying to do. You know, when you bundle up all the services that we can give to those that are in our shelter and do really comprehensive case management, it includes employment. It includes how to maintain a checking account or a savings account. It teaches them how to, you know, get the bus and go to NA or AA meetings. There's an educational program, whether it's the trades or college or a high school diploma or a GED, we can look at all kinds of ways to do this. There are people who specialize in wraparound services and maybe you can send them to the

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

shelter or have a conversation with whoever is working there right now. So when I say urinalysis testing, you know, there's no way, again, shape or form was I targeting anybody to say, well, if you drug test positive, we kick you out. what I would say is that if you take your analysis test and it is positive that we address those services we provide services for whatever your issue may be because the city of Santa Ana with taxpayer money has a shelter we actually have two we have one put on by the county paid for by the county with 400 beds and we have one here in Santa Ana the city of Santa Ana pays for with 200 beds

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

so I just want to make sure that we're doing the best that we possibly can with the funding that we have and as you say Mr. City Manager we're tightening up the belt and we are and so I'm not okay with people sitting on their bed getting three hots in a cot because that's not okay that's truly not what shelter services are about and we've can watch and google what's happening in LA County with the millions upon millions of dollars that they cannot find that was for shelters and homeless that is not happening here in Santa Ana at all we can account for every penny Thank you, Mr. City Manager.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

But I think we can account, we can do a better job in how we're doing services and providing services at our shelter. Again, as the mayor and when I speak to constituents, it's always public safety and the homelessness. Those are the two things they talk about. We just had a business meeting with our business partners and we walked away with three priorities. priorities PR for the city which is a great idea and we're I believe you're addressing that and public safety which is just what constituents always vote about on the budget and business

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

permit process and how to under that big umbrella so I bring this back up because I think it's very important that when I read this I was told because of housing first model we cannot drug test I didn't find it and prove me wrong Mr. Garcia please because maybe I fell asleep or something while I was reading this I don't know but I could have and so show me the page and the paragraph and where it states that we cannot do your analysis testing and well I'm in DC I'm gonna ask the federal government the same question with if we're getting funding from them where does it state that we cannot do urinalysis testing.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

And it's, again, the whole kit and caboodle of wraparound services, right? It's how you provide wraparound services. Because you cannot address, well, I don't have a high school diploma if I have a drug problem. Because you can't go to school, right? You have a drug problem, so let's address that, if that is the case. Or I have a problem with alcohol, so I need to address that, and then go to college or go to a trade school. Because you can't put somebody in with the trades if they have a drug and alcohol problem. So that's the whole goal.

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

we want to get people on their feet i know i do and i think the entire council wants to up here so with that also we'll be starting coffee with the mayor our faith-based meetings and our neighborhood associations will start again and again i just want to thank city staff for everything that you do i know that when i call and thank you especially sylvia when i call and i say who can help this family with my youth asleep fronteras you're on it and you're just like mayor giving the number and you refer them and you connect them and so we're the great connectors

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

in the city we connect people with services that they need and so i really appreciate all of you and happy new year and we are closing early tonight this meeting is oh before i forget i apologize before i adjourn sorry councilman i know you're about to jump up so there were a couple of people that we closed the meeting in so i have one her name is doris and herito harita need Durlith. She was born in Rochester, New York on April 14th, 1932, just as the nation headed into the start of the Great Depression. She was the youngest of seven children. She eventually moved to Chicago, Illinois, where she attended

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

nursing school and met Tomio, a resident assigned to teach the student nurses how to scrub for surgery. They fell in love at a time when marriage between Japanese and Caucasian people was not allowed. It was unusual, but it was really frowned upon by society at that time. Barely 10 years after the end of World War II, during which Tomeo and his family were incarcerated in an Arizona internment camp. That's where they got married. In 1965, she and Tomeo, who was then an OBGYN doctor at St. Joseph's Hospital, bought their home in Santa Ana, where they raised eight beautiful children and countless grandchildren and

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

great-grandchildren. She was an active member of Holy Family Church Parish and attended Mass on a daily basis it was in this same house on january 14th 2026 she passed away at the beautiful age of 93. saying she was surrounded by family to help with her transition would seem the right thing but the truth is the family held on to her as long as they could after decades of sharing her with so many people in the community and everywhere that she went to it was their time to have the last little bit of her for themselves before sending her back to heaven where we all believe

Valerie AmezcuaItem 1

she came from and so with that i am closing this meeting in her honor and thank you all very much and have a nice evening