Planning and Building Agency
www.santa-ana.org/pb
Item # 19
City of Santa Ana
20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Staff Report
April 15, 2025
TOPIC: Memorandum of Understanding with the Southern California Association of Governments, Charitable Ventures, and The Kennedy Commission for a Grant to Fund Supplemental Community Engagement for the Comprehensive Zoning Code Update
AGENDA TITLE
Memorandum of Understanding with the Southern California Association of Governments, Charitable Ventures, and The Kennedy Commission for a Sustainable Communities Program – Civic Engagement, Equity, and Environmental Justice Grant to Fund Supplemental Community Engagement for the Comprehensive Zoning Code Update
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Authorize the City Manager to make all conforming edits and execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), Charitable Ventures, and The Kennedy Commission for a Sustainable Communities Program – Civic Engagement, Equity, and Environmental Justice Grant to fund supplemental community engagement for the comprehensive Zoning Code Update for a term ending June 30, 2026. (Agreement No. A-2025-XXX)
GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION §84308 APPLIES: No
DISCUSSION
In 2023, the City of Santa Ana, in partnership with Charitable Ventures and The Kennedy Commission (CBOs), applied to the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) for funding under the Sustainable Communities Program – Civic Engagement, Equity, and Environmental Justice (CEEEJ).
The City submitted a proposal designed to enhance grassroots engagement in its comprehensive Zoning Code Update, a key implementation item in the City’s 2022 General Plan Update. The project focused on deepening outreach across Santa Ana’s diverse neighborhoods, ensuring equitable access and input from residents, property owners, and business stakeholders in shaping the City’s future development standards.
Through the MOU (Exhibit 1) the City is to provide technical leadership, review deliverables, oversee the CBOs' performance, and ultimately present the Zoning Code
MOU with SCAG, Charitable Ventures, and The Kennedy Commission for a Community Engagement Grant for the Zoning Code Update
April 15, 2025
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Update to the City Council for adoption. No funds are being directly administered or spent by the City. SCAG will administer contracting and disbursements for project activities.
SCAG will fund the following:
•$102,510.74 to Charitable Ventures;
•$83,061.50 to The Kennedy Commission; and
•$284,127.76 for a consultant of SCAG’s procurement to support engagement and technical efforts.
Background
The City Council adopted a comprehensive update to its General Plan on April 19, 2022.
The updated General Plan includes significant changes to the Land Use Map that reflect the vision of the community to accommodate future growth. To ensure the City’s Zoning Code and General Plan are consistent, and to maintain compliance with state law, comprehensive amendments to the Zoning Code are required and underway, being led by Planning and Building Agency staff with the assistance of Moore, Iacofano, Goltsman, Inc. (MIG) via a contract authorized by the City Council on October 17, 2023. Necessary amendments include the creation of new zoning district designations and corresponding development standards; updates to the definitions, signage, nonconforming, and parking sections; reorganization of the entire Zoning Code to a more user-friendly format; and new standards to reflect land use trends, economic development trends, and land use goals of the City. The success of the comprehensive Zoning Code Update hinges on input from multiple and diverse stakeholder groups, necessitating a multi-pronged outreach strategy.
Outreach and Engagement
Recognizing the importance of engaging Santa Ana decision makers and community stakeholders, including residents, property owners, and business owners in the decision- making process, the Planning and Building Agency has included stakeholder engagement in the comprehensive Zoning Code Update Scope of Work (SOW), including a first round that included:
•Stakeholder interviews with 74 individuals including City Council members, Planning Commissioners, various City Departments, developers, design professionals, property managers, and community organizational leaders; •A presentation to Planning Commission on April 8, 2024; •A Community Planning Collaborative, held on June 13, 2024; •Six community workshops held throughout the City in all six (6) City Council wards between July 9, 2024 and July 20, 2024;
•A presentation to Planning Commission on September 9, 2024; •Two (2) business community workshops hosted in November 2024; •A virtual workshop available online from January 20, 2025 through March 20, 2025, and
MOU with SCAG, Charitable Ventures, and The Kennedy Commission for a Community Engagement Grant for the Zoning Code Update
April 15, 2025
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•A Planning Commission Work Study Session on March 24, 2025.
MOU - SCAG Civic Engagement, Equity, and Environmental Justice Grant (CEEEJ) To supplement the engagement plan and to advance goals of inclusivity for residents, property owners, and business owners, the Planning and Building Agency submitted the application to SCAG for a Sustainable Communities Program (SCP) – Civic Engagement, Equity, and Environmental Justice (CEEEJ) Grant in June 2023. The goal of the grant is to fund grassroots community engagement designed to make outreach efforts accessible and equitable to a diverse audience. Part of the grassroots engagement strategy for Santa Ana includes a partnership with two community-based organizations (CBOs), whose understanding of the community will inform the approach to various activities to ensure that ongoing outreach results in a Zoning Code Update that engages multiple stakeholders. Those CBOs are Charitable Ventures and The Kennedy Commission. The strategy also includes a Community Planning Collaborative (CPC) made up of stakeholders committed to raising awareness about the comprehensive Zoning Code Update and promoting participation in the update process among the following stakeholders:
•Residents;
•Neighborhood leaders and community organizations;
•Commercial property owners;
•Small and large business owners; and
•Business and tourism promotion organizations.
Through the SCP, which funds the CEEEJ grant, SCAG is responsible for the following:
•Procuring a consultant to perform the services required for the project; •Overseeing and managing the consultant’s activities; and •Reviewing, approving, and paying consultant invoices.
As stated in the MOU, the City is responsible for the following:
•Approving the SCAG consultant’s SOW to ensure the work effort is consistent with the City’s goals;
•Offering technical guidance and providing information; •Reviewing deliverables prior to SCAG’s payment to their consultant; •Providing required decisions; and
•Submitting the comprehensive Zoning Code Update to the City Council for adoption.
The SOW included with the MOU is general in nature to demonstrate consistency with the grant funding requirements. However, the consultant and the two CBOs will commit to individual SOWs that detail their activities in support of the supplemental stakeholder engagement that will inform the Zoning Code Update. The consultant SOW was drafted based on a template prepared in collaboration between the City and SCAG. SCAG MOU with SCAG, Charitable Ventures, and The Kennedy Commission for a Community Engagement Grant for the Zoning Code Update
April 15, 2025
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released the draft consultant SOW on January 13, 2025, as part of a Request for Proposals, and proposals were due on March 24, 2025. Once the consultant is selected, the respective SOW will be finalized in consultation with and approved by the City, to ensure consistency with City goals, and attached to a contract signed by SCAG and the consultant. The two scopes of the CBOs were prepared by the City in partnership with SCAG and the CBOs. They are finalized and attached to this staff report.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
There is no environmental impact associated with this action.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this action.
EXHIBITS
1. Memorandum of Understanding with Southern California Association of Governments
2. Charitable Ventures Scope of Work
3. The Kennedy Commission Scope of Work
Submitted By: Ali Pezeshkpour, AICP, Acting Executive Director of Planning and Building
Approved By: Alvaro Nuñez, City Manager