Finance and Management Services
www.santa-ana.org/finance
Item # 25
City of Santa Ana
20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701
Staff Report
May 6, 2025
TOPIC: Fiscal Year 2025-26 Budget Work Study Session
AGENDA TITLE
Fiscal Year 2025-26 Budget Work Study Session
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Discuss and provide direction to staff.
GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES: No
No
DISCUSSION
The City Council provided Early Direction on March 18; staff has since updated the draft budget based on City Council consensus. This report includes additional information on some of the funding options identified during the discussion. The City conducted internal budget meetings with departments from March 24 to April 4 to review supplemental budget requests and staff priorities. After comparing the requests to City Council priorities received during Early Direction and community priorities identified during budget outreach, Finance worked with the City Manager’s Office to build a draft budget for the City Council's consideration. The City is accepting budget survey submissions through May 11, although City Council will review feedback received on or before April 30. Staff continues to conduct community outreach and will present the top community-identified priorities to the City Council as part of this agenda item.
At a minimum, the staff presentation is expected to include the following:
•Summary of community outreach and priorities
•Notable additions to the General Fund Budget (one-time and recurring) •Revenue trends and estimates for significant sources
•Summary of the proposed Cannabis Public Benefit Fund spending plan •Additional details regarding the potential stadium investment •Additional look into Miscellaneous Fees
•Update on General Fund reconciliation and discussion of potential budget balancing measures
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The following section provides additional details in response to questions and feedback received during early direction. As requested, staff has included updated information and clarifications to support further discussion and potential next steps.
Bristol & Edinger Parking Lot
In response to a follow-up request from Early Direction, the table below provides additional detail on the scope and estimated costs for the Bristol Parking Lot Rehabilitation project. The proposed funding amount is $250,000.
The Bristol & Edinger parking lot is an ideal city-owned location for public event use.
Access to the site will be controlled by cattle gates, fencing, and parking wheel stops.
Staff is proposing to create designated sections within the parking lot that can be rented based on area usage. The proposed fee structure is based on the updated Plaza Calle Cuatro model and is labeled as a Special Location Rental Fee. Similar to Plaza Calle Cuatro, an event’s size determines which Park Facility Permit applies. Facility permit fees may vary depending on the group type, such as Resident, Non-Resident, Business, or Non-Profit organizations. The following is an example of what Santa Ana residents would pay for a three-hour reservation.
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Bus Shelter Locations
As requested by the City Council, staff has identified 16 proposed locations for replacement or new bus shelters. The majority of the Council expressed support for allocating $250,000 toward this effort. This information is provided to assist in confirming the locations and finalizing funding as part of the upcoming budget discussion.
Jail Improvements
City Council expressed interest in funding improvements to the Santa Ana Jail, specifically to enhance the Pay to Stay (PTS) program, and requested additional information to support funding considerations. The proposed funding amount of $250,000 would support two primary areas:
1.Facility Improvements (70%): Approximately 70% of the funds would be allocated toward critical infrastructure repairs, including plumbing, heating systems, and general living conditions. This investment is essential to improve the physical environment, support expanded programming, and provide a more functional and humane setting for participants.
2.Program Outreach and Promotion (30%): The remaining 30% would be dedicated to ongoing outreach and advertising efforts to promote the Pay- to-Stay program. This includes targeted campaigns through legal publications, traditional media, and other outreach strategies designed to continuously raise awareness and encourage participation among eligible individuals.
The Pay to Stay program offers a valuable alternative for individuals who must serve jail time but wish to maintain their employment, housing, and family responsibilities. It is especially beneficial to working-class participants seeking a structured but less disruptive
Fiscal Year 2025-26 Budget Work Study Session
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environment. The program has also demonstrated strong revenue potential. In 2023, it generated $15,644 in revenue, which increased to $66,162 in 2024, reflecting growing interest and effectiveness.
Code Blue Emergency Communication System Upgrade
The most recent data for the Code Blue boxes is from year 2022, when 210 emergency calls were received. Since then, the phone system has been out of service, but it is reasonably estimated that up to 600 additional calls could have been made to date.
Despite the phone outage, the cameras have remained fully operational and have supported multiple arrests, including two for homicide, one for a shooting, one for robbery, and one for assault with a deadly weapon.
Code Blue Boxes
Calls in
2022
Code Blue 1 3rd/ Ross 37
Code Blue 2 2nd/ Broadway 39
Code Blue 3 4th/ Spurgeon 0
Code Blue 4 4th/ Main 53
Code Blue 5 3rd/ Birch 25
Code Blue 6 4th/ Birch 0
Code Blue 7 5th/ Broadway 10
Code Blue 8 Ross Annex/Plaza of the Sun 0
Code Blue 9 Hall of Admin (Bldg 10) 7
Code Blue 10 Madison Park 39
Total 210
Modern Conference Space at the Senior Center on Third & Ross As requested, the following provides details on proposed usage hours and potential improvements:
•Proposed Event Hours of Availability
oMonday-Friday: 6PM – 11PM
oSaturday-Sunday: 8AM– 11PM
These proposed hours would not interfere with existing senior center programming, which operates:
•Monday–Friday: 8AM – 5PM
To enhance the space’s functionality and make it more appealing for broader community use, staff identified a list of small investments that can be made in the near term. A breakdown of these recommended items is shown below.
If the Santa Ana Senior Center were to host 25 five-hour events annually, the projected revenue would be based on the renter type, as shown in the table below.
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Additionally, if the City were to pursue a full expansion of the space to double its capacity from 125 to 250 occupants, the estimated construction cost would be approximately $3.5 to $4 million (subject to further design and cost analysis). Staff is not presently recommending this option because the return on investment is not sufficient to warrant the time and resources required.
Next Steps
•May 15 has been reserved for an additional Budget Work Session to review and discuss the draft budget.
•In addition, City Council is also scheduled to consider the proposed FY 2025-26 budget on May 20 to provide further direction to staff on follow-up items from the May 15 Budget Work Study session.
•On June 3, the City Council is scheduled to conduct the Budget Public Hearing and consider the first reading of an ordinance to adopt the budget for FY 2025-26, which begins on July 1, 2025, and ends on June 30, 2026. •The second reading and adoption of the FY 2025-26 Budget Ordinance is scheduled for June 17.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no direct fiscal impact at this time.
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EXHIBIT(S)
None.
Submitted By: Alex Trinidad, Acting Executive Director of Finance and Management Services Agency
Approved By: Alvaro Nuñez, City Manager