General Public
Comment
Orange City Council
Meeting Time: 02-24-26 18:00
eComments Report
Meetings Meeting
Time
Agenda
Items
Comments Support Oppose Neutral
Orange City Council 02-24-26
18:00
42 2 1 1 0
Orange City Council
02-24-26 18:00
Agenda Name Comments Support Oppose Neutral
2. PUBLIC COMMENTS 1 0 1 0
4.1. Discuss reinstating sidewalk steam cleaning services for the Plaza in Old Towne.
1 1 0 0
Agenda Item: eComments for 2. PUBLIC COMMENTS
Overall Sentiment
Matin Sharifinejad
Location:
Submitted At: 1:49pm 02-24-26
Dear City of Orange Council members,
My name is Matin Sharifinejad and I am a native of the city of Orange. I am a CHOC baby and I grew up living in Greenbriar Apartments on Glassell back in the 80s and Ridgewood village in the 90s. I love this city with all of my heart. My family is the proud franchisees of two 7-ELEVEN stores located in the city of Orange. Our first location on Taft & Glassell was purchased in late 1988 and our second location on Chapman & Batavia in 2004. I could go into more details about my connection to the city like being an alumnus of California and Taft Elementary schools or how my mom used to walk me in a baby stroller to the ice ream stand on Glassell Ave. now known as Bruxie. I have an important subject to bring to everyone’s attention so without further ado here you go:
The city is imposing a ban on tobacco sales from 2am to 6am on the entire tobacco category starting July 1, 2026. This is already after an imposing an annual city tobacco licensing fee of $880 and banning entirely all vape sales. Obviously we stand to lose a lot of gross revenue and income as franchisees but I also wanted to highlight what the city stands to lose:
1. Business licensing fees in the city of Orange are based off of gross receipts. There is a flat fee based on a set gross sales amount and an additional fee assessed for every additional $100k above the set amount we do. Less gross sales mean lower business licensing fees for the city. If they incur a 2am to 6am ban the city of Orange can reset assured our gross receipts will go down therefore hindering important business licensing fees the city relies on.
2. People who buy tobacco buy many other things. For example some people(early risers, blue collar workers people driving to/thru the city for work/travel and graveyard employees) stop to by local convenience stores/gas stations to fill up their tanks with gas(taxable), buy a couple of Red Bulls(taxable), lunch(taxable) and a pack of cigarettes(taxable) or 2 on their way to work. This fallout will affect 24 hour fast-food operators as well. This will clearly reduce business licensing fees(gross receipts) and sales tax dollars collected by retailers like ourselves as customers will simply cross over to nearby cities to spend their valuable and taxable income.
3. No other city in Orange County has this type of moratorium on tobacco sales sans Anaheim. Anaheim has a restriction on TOBACCO ONL Y shops. Under city of Anaheim rules TOBACCO ONL Y shops must remain closed between 12am and 6am. This restriction DOES NOT affect 24 hour convenience store/markets/gas stations. The hours of operation restriction is limited to TOBACCO ONL Y shops.
4. We already have clear guidance/instruction from our franchise agreement in regards to the sale of age restricted and prohibited items at our stores based on federal and state laws. Franchisees risk severe penalty and/or forfeiture of their franchise location by breaching their 7-11 franchise agreement.
There are 10 7-ELEVENS in the city of Orange alone and countless other franchise and independent owners that operate 24 hours a day within the city. All in all everyone stands to lose if this sales restriction is still in place July , 2026. We kindly ask the city to consider the financial impact to city revenue and services along with the hardship that will be passed on to small business owners.
Respectfully,,
Matin Sharifinejad
7-11 #s 27910 and 17923
714-348-5544
Agenda Item: eComments for 4.1. Discuss reinstating sidewalk steam cleaning services for the Plaza in Old Towne.
Overall Sentiment
A.J. Ricci
Location:
Submitted At: 7:42pm 02-21-26
Thank you to Mayor Slater for bringing this forward.
As a downtown stakeholder and leader of the Orange Downtown Merchant’s Association, I can tell you this has been an ongoing issue and request since 2020, when the Orange Paseo was closed and routine sidewalk cleaning was reduced. Old Towne is the economic engine of our historic district. It’s the front porch of our city.
When visitors come here, this is what they judge us by.
With the successful implementation of paid parking in the Old Towne Commercial Corridor, visitors are now paying a premium to be here. That raises expectations. If someone is feeding a meter or paying through an app, the environment needs to reflect that investment. Right now, spilled drinks, food debris, and pet waste are a regular concern. People shouldn’t have to watch every step they take. They should be enjoying our shops, restaurants, and public spaces.
Myself, several merchants, and residents have proposed treating a portion of paid parking revenue as a parking benefit district dedicating a percentage of net revenue directly back into Old Towne for enhanced services like regular steam cleaning. The district generates revenue, and the district sees visible reinvestment. That’s how you protect property values, support merchants, and maintain civic pride and arguably preservation.
I strongly encourage council to reinstate regular street steam cleaning and explore dedicating a portion of parking revenue to sustain it long term. I can guarantee this will give returns back to the city.