Minutes of the Special Meeting
of the City Council
City of Santa Ana,
California
41 r"100'
v
a
May 16, 2024
OPEN SESSION MEETING - 5: 30 P. M.
CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER
22 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, CA 92701
OPEN SESSION
CALL TO ORDER
MINUTES: Mayor Amezcua called the special meeting to order at 5. 39 P. M.
ATTENDANCE Council Members
Mayor Pro Tem
Mayor
Acting City Manager
City Attorney
City Clerk
Qnl i rrel I
Phil Bacerra
Johnathan Ryan Hernandez
Jessie Lopez
David Penaloza
Benjamin Vazquez
Thai Viet Phan
Valerie Amezcua
Alvaro Nunez
Sonia R. Carvalho
Jennifer L. Hall
MINUTES: City Clerk Jennifer L. Hall conducted roll call.
Councilmembers Bacerra, Hernandez, Lopez ( arrived at 5: 59 P. M.), Penaloza, and Vazquez, Mayor Pro Tem Phan, and Mayor Amezcua were present.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Susana Rios
CITY COUNCIL 1 MAY 16, 2024
ADDITIONS\ DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA
MINUTES: _ None.
PUBLIC COMMENTS — Public comments will be held during the beginning of the meeting for comments on agenda items only.
City Clerk Jennifer L. Hall reported out the summary of email comments received: 45 agenda item No. 1 comments.
MINUTES: The following speakers addressed City Council inperson:
1. Debra Russell spoke regarding the arts budget and in support of funding the arts.
2. Amelia spoke in support of funding local artists.
3. Alicia Rojas spoke regarding the arts budget and in support of funding the arts.
4. Bryan Chang requested funding for the arts.
5. Peggy Iriarte spoke regarding the arts budget and in support of funding the arts.
6. Sara Guerrero spoke regarding the arts budget and in support of funding the arts.
7. Logan Crow spoke regarding the arts budget and in support of funding the arts.
The following speaker addressed City Council via teleconference:
8. Victor Mendez spoke regarding the budget.
WORK STUDY SESSION
MINUTES: At 6: 03 P. M., the Work Study Session was considered.
1. Fiscal Year 2024- 25 Budget Work Study Session
Department( s): Finance and Management Services
Recommended Action: Discuss and provide direction to staff.
MINUTES: Finance Management and Services Director Kathryn Downs gave a presentation regarding the Fiscal Year 2024- 25 Budget.
Councilmember Penaloza spoke regarding subsidizing parking in the Downtown area and the dog park.
CITY COUNCIL 2 MAY 16, 2024
Acting City Manager Alvaro Nunez provided clarification regarding the cost and location 1 . 0
of the dog park.
Public Works Director Nabil Saba spoke regarding the cost of the dog park.
Councilmember Hernandez spoke in support of homeless reduction efforts, pothole repairs, Police Department budget, youth programs, allocation of monies for sidewalks, creating equity through the cannabis fund, and suggested taxing the tobacco industry.
Councilmember Lopez asked for clarification regarding costs related to council aides, spoke in support of funding the master plan for the arts, spoke regarding the $ 1. 6 million miscellaneous fee for the Bowers Museum., and CAL Home MFDG loans and grants.
Community Development Executive Director Michael Garcia spoke regarding MFDG loans and grants.
Councilmember Vazquez spoke in support of a 3% tobacco tax and Civic Center Authority Policing Option 1.
Mayor Amezcua asked for clarification regarding budget responses, stated she is in support of the opioid hospital spending as long as it' s not in the city, and spoke in support of the Civic Center Authority Policing Option 1.
Director Downs stated there were 2, 200 responses and spoke regarding the opioid settlement spending.
Mayor Pro Tem Phan spoke in support of the Civic Center Authority Policing Option I and asked for clarification regarding the distribution of officers and the tobacco tax.
Director Downs spoke regarding the state tobacco tax and regarding the reallocation of funds for the arts.
Acting City Manager Nunez spoke regarding the Bowers Museum contractF F 9 9 Councilmember Bacerra asked for clarification regarding the business license tax fee schedule, requested exhibit I ® license to sell pistols and revolvers to increase, spoke regarding funding for the next steps of the water tower, proposed a fee related to under age sales grant program, and requested additional information regarding the Bowers Museum.
Councilmember Hernandez spoke in support of funding the arts and Art Walk, requested pedestrian safety in the Civic Center area be addressed, and spoke regarding City events and a tobacco free community.
CITY COUNCIL 3 MAY 16, 2024
Deputy City Manager Sylvia Vazquez gave a brief update regarding the Bowers Museum contract.
0Die%
cuSSiolkni
ell- ISuedregardingthe Bovvers.- MuSe--.. 1--/, m1. c0nitract. the PoliceDepartment's budget and fees, and ARPAmonies. Councilmember
Bacerra spoke in supportof the dog park, requesteda breakdownof recurring spending, filling fundedvacancies in the Police Department, and spoke regarding finding ways to fundarts. Councilmember
Penaloza spoke in supportof theCivicCenterAuthorityPolicing Option 1, spokeregardingthe DogPark, and spokein supportof a tobaccotax and alcoholtax at off -premiselocations. Discussion
ensued regardingthe dog park costs and the MOUbetween the City and County related to theCivicCenterAuthority. Mayor
Pro TemPhanspoke regardingreducing City eventsand relatedcosts. Discussion ensued regardingcosts associatedwith City Eventsand proposedfees. Councilmember Hernandez spoke in supportof theCivicCenterAuthorityPolicing Option 1, spokein oppositionto spendingmonies for grass, addressedsubsidizing parking in thedowntown area and layingoff staff, spokein supportof streetrepairsregardingFairview Rehab, and spokeregardingCity eventsand fundingthe ArtsMasterPlan. Director Saba providedclarificationregarding the FairviewRehab project. Mayor Amezcuaspoke regardingCity eventsand subsidizingparking, spoke in supportof fixing sidewalksand havinga morerobustSenior Center program, i. efundingtrips and coffeeall daylong at theSeniorCenters, requestedcameras and blue lightsthroughoutthe city, and addressedresident' s toptwo priorities. Councilmember
Penaloza spoke regardingCity eventsand the dogpark, askedfor the costsrelated to C/ P protectedbike lanes,, asked for clarificationregarding the BristolStreet Widening project, and requestedC/ P moniesfrom previousyears be reflectedin thebudget. Director Saba spoke regardingthe BristolStreet Wideningproject. Brief discussionensued regardingthe VisionZero Plan. Councilmember Vazquez requested an increaseto theart fundof $ 700, 000 and spokein support of fundingsenior programs. Mayor
Pro Tern Phanspokeregardingthe downtownparking subsidy, general fund, water tower, and City events. CITY
COUNCIL4 MAY 16; 2024
Councilmember Lopez spoke regarding the opioid settlement and increased Police Department fees.
END OF WORK STUDY SESSION**
CITY MANAGER COMMENTS
MINUTES: None.
CITY COUNCIL COMMENTS
MINUTES: None.
ADJOURNMENT — Adjourn the City Council meeting.
MINUTES: Mayor Amezcua adjourned the City Council Meeting at 8: 48 P.M.
Respectfully submitted:
L w T
s=
I
t s
Je -nn i fr L al , MC
FOR
City Cie
CITY COUNCIL 5 MAY 1612024