Parks, Recreation and Community Services
Commission 1 1/23/2025
Minutes of the Regular Meeting
of the Parks, Recreation and
Community Services Commission
January 23, 2025
REGULAR OPEN MEETING – 5:30 P.M.
City Hall Council Chamber
22 Civic Center Plaza
Santa Ana, CA 92701
Parks, Recreation and Community Services
Commission 8 1/23/2025
CALL TO ORDER
MINUTES: Chairperson Herrera called the meeting to order at 5:30 P.M.
ATTENDANCE Commission Members:
Selica Diaz
Josh Jogwe
Cory Nelson
Silvia Reyes
Ruby Woo
Maria Zacaria-Torres, Vice Chair
Roberto Herrera, Chair
Staff:
Hawk Scott, Executive Director
Brian Sternberg, Library Services Director
Timothy Pagano, PRCSA Deputy Director
Ethan Fisher, PRCSA Deputy Director, Zoo
Suzi Furjanic, Associate Park and Landscape Planner
Hannah Wayne, Recording Secretary
ROLL CALL Hannah Wayne, Recording Secretary
MINUTES: Recording Secretary Wayne conducted roll call.
Commissioners Diaz, Jogwe, Nelson, and Woo, Vice Chair Torres and Chair Herrera were present. Commissioner Reyes was absent.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
MINUTES: Chairperson Herrera led the Pledge of Allegiance.
PRESENTATIONS Employees of the Month
MINUTES: Commissioners presented certificates for Employees of the Month to Julie Hoang, Ulysses Rivera, Gabino Aguilar and Allan Duran and thanked them for their hard work and efforts. Executive Director Scott and Chair Herrera also honored Jesse Soto in person for his 31 years of service to the City of Santa Ana.
Parks, Recreation and Community Services
Commission 8 1/23/2025
PUBLIC COMMENTS
MINUTES: Nina Jirik spoke at 5:46 PM about getting a plot of land in Ward 5 Washington Square turned into a walkable park, they are currently working on getting a bid and want to keep it top of mind for the commission.
CONSENT CALENDAR ITEMS
MINUTES: The Consent Calendar was considered 5:49 P.M.
RCOMMENDED ACTION: Approve staff recommendations on the following Consent Calendar Items: 1 through 4.
1. Minutes of the Regular Meeting of December 5, 2024.
Recommended Action: Approve Minutes.
2. Excused absences.
Recommended Action: Approve Excused Absences.
3. Santa Ana Zoo Staff Report.
Recommended Action: Receive and File.
4. Library Staff Report.
Recommended Action: Receive and File.
MOTION: Moved by Commissioner Diaz to approve Consent Calendar items 1 through 4, seconded by Commissioner Woo.
The motion carried, 6-0-0-1, by the following roll call vote:
AYES: COMMISSIONER DIAZ, COMMISSIONER JOGWE,
COMMISSIONER NELSON, COMMISSIONER WOO, VICE
CHAIR TORRES, CHAIR HERRERA
NOES: NONE
ABSTAIN: NONE
ABSENT: COMMISSIONER REYES
Status: 6 – 0 – 0 – 1 – Pass
***END OF CONSENT CALENDAR***
Parks, Recreation and Community Services
Commission 8 1/23/2025
INFORMATIONAL ITEMS
5. Parks and Facilities Staff Report.
MINUTES: Park Services Superintendent Acevedo presented for Parks and Facilities, reviewing the Sports Field Maintenance Schedule.
Commissioner Nelson asked about communication practices with the leagues for field maintenance.
Park Services Superintendent Acevedo responded that the schedules are posted anywhere from 3 - 10 months ahead of time for the leagues.
Commissioner Diaz asked about Griset Park ownership, entrance location and hours of operation.
Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Executive Director Scott explained that Griset Park is a joint use area and Park Services Superintendent Acevedo said there is a pedestrian entrance on the west side and the hours of operation are 6 am – 10 pm.
Commissioner Jogwe asked if the Bomo Park will be under construction in March.
Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Executive Director Scott responded that they will be starting construction on Bomo Park on March 3 rd.
Chair Herrera asked where the maintenance schedules are posted, about the historic naming of parks and the Santa Ana winds damages.
Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Executive Director Scott responded that the schedules are on the website and that can be accessed via QR codes and the MySantaAna app. He also responded that they are working on documentation of the historic namings of parks. Park Services Superintendent Acevedo offered to provide a report on the Santa Ana wind damages at the end of the season.
Associate Park and Landscape Planner Furjanic presented the Park Planning Updates.
Commissioner Woo commented that she is excited about the Bristol Recreation Corridor.
Parks, Recreation and Community Services
Commission 8 1/23/2025
Commissioner Diaz asked about sun shades at the 10th St. and Flower park, community input for Griset Park and suggested fees for the 1st and Mountainview park.
Associate Park and Landscape Planner Furjanic responded that they plan to include sun shades at the 10th Street park. She also let the commission know that there will be 3 planning meetings to have the community contribute ideas for Griset Park and they will consider the suggestion for developer fees at the 1 st and
Mountainview park.
Commissioner Nelson and Commissioner Jogwe asked about the Bristol Recreation Corridor.
Associate Park and Landscape Planner Furjanic spoke in regards to the Bristol Recreation Corridor, how it will be under construction in stages and add to the total park space in Santa Ana.
Vice Chair Zacaria-Torres suggested the use of social media for community input on the Griset Park.
Commissioner Nelson commended their team for thinking outside the box on the 10 th St. project and other projects.
Chair Herrera thanked them for their work and asked about the current community engagement outreach plan for projects like the ones presented.
Associate Park and Landscape Planner Furjanic responded that there are standard operating procedures and are always looking to improve practices.
Vice Chair Zacaria-Torres asked about the Walnut St. urban greening parking spots.
Associate Park and Landscape Planner Furjanic responded that they are losing six spots and Commissioner Diaz commented that the parking is for the businesses.
Commissioner Nelson supported idea of a comment cards for public input.
6. Parks, Recreation and Community Services Staff Report.
MINUTES: Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Deputy Director Pagano presented the Parks Recreation, and Community Services Staff report to the
Parks, Recreation and Community Services
Commission 8 1/23/2025
commission.
Commissioner Diaz and Commissioner Nelson asked about the excursion teen program and how it is advertised.
Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Deputy Director Pagano responded that its best for teens to be involved with volunteering first to get priority registration and they will try to incorporate more social media when advertising those programs.
Commissioner Jogwe asked about the Santa Ana Clipper Night and the Fun Run.
Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Deputy Director Pagano explained that it is a discounted tickets night for to Santa Ana residents to attend a Clippers game and the Fun Run has been going since 2019 and there are various distances for all ages.
Vice Chair Zacaria-Torres asked about Juneteeth.
Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Deputy Director Pagano responded that it is being discussed based off of the current budget.
Chair Herrera thanked him for the work and will be attending the TET festival this weekend. They also suggested a partnership with a Segerstrom Center for the Arts for tickets and asked about Movies in the Park locations.
Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Deputy Director Pagano responded that he wasn’t sure if the parks had been identified yet for Movies in the Park, but
they aim to have one in each ward.
Chair Herrera mentioned a public comment about Indigenous People Day.
Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Deputy Director Pagano spoke in regards to the comment and will take it into consideration.
***END OF INFORMATIONAL ITEMS***
COMMISSIONER COMMENTS
MINUTES: Commissioner Diaz thanked everyone for all that they are doing for Parks and Recreation and especially those doing the grant writing.
Parks, Recreation and Community Services
Commission 8 1/23/2025
Commissioner Nelson thanked all for the programming and mentioned the parks are looking fantastic.
Commissioner Woo thanked everyone for the programs and for the parks planning that is happening. She is interested in participating in the sunshine workshops and asked about the OC Connect project.
Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Deputy Director Pagano responded that they are still in the early phase of that project and we will get connected once they are in a different phase of the OC Connect project.
Vice Chair Zacarias-Torres mentioned the language conversion of MySantaAna App to Spanish and Vietnamese and hopes the Juneteeth event gets included in our budget.
Chair Herrera announced that Councilmember Lopez is working with OC habitats hosting a park clean up at Santiago park on Saturday and urged the public to report any I.C.E. activity.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COMMENTS
MINUTES: Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Executive Director Scott urged the commissioners to go to the Zoo and the TET festival on Saturday, then thanked the commissioners for their support.
ADJOURNMENT
The next meeting of the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission meeting is scheduled for February 27th, 2025 at 5:30 pm at the Santa Ana Senior Center, 424 W 3rd St, Santa Ana, CA 92701.
MINUTES: Chair Herrera adjourned the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission meeting at 7:17 P.M.
Respectfully submitted:
Hannah Wayne
Recording Secretary