Correspondence - Non Agenda — Santa Ana City Council, August 4, 2026

Becerra, Alexis
From: curtis gamble|
Sent: Thursday, July 23, 2026 9:29 AM
To: !City Clerk
Subject: PLEASE UPDATE YOUR MUNICIPAL CODES FOR EMERGENCY SHELTERS Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana. Use caution when opening attachments or links.

JULY 23, 2026

PLEASE UPDATE YOUR MUNICIPAL CODES FOR EMERGENCY SHELTERS TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE CITY OF FULLERTON

MUNICIPAL CODES,
UPDATED: APRIL 1, 2025.

THANK YOU,

CURTIS GAMBLE/ACTIVIST, VETERAN, FORMER REAL ESTATE BROKER, FORMER OCTA BUS DRIVER Fullerton Updates Its Code Books to Reflect Overhauled Homeless -Shelter Ordinance Fullerton Observer
July 21, 2026
https://fullertonobserver.com/2026/07/21/fullerton-updates-its-code-books-to-reflect-overhauled-homeless-shelter- ordinance/

CITY OF FULLERTON

ADMINISTRATION

MEMORANDUM
To: City Manager's Office, Community and Economic Development, Fire (Administration), Library (Reference), Police (Chief), Public Works - Engineering, Public Works - Maintenance From: City Clerk Office
Date: June 20, 2026
Subject: Fullerton Municipal Code Supplements
Attached are the supplemental pages to be inserted into the Fullerton Code of Ordinances book in your department.

Follow the directions on the page titled, "Instruction Sheet" for removing/Inserting new pages.

Retain the first page titled "Instruction Sheet". The guide is a permanent record of pages supplemented and should be inserted in the back of the book after the "INDEX" tab. If you have any questions, please contact the City Clerk's Office at extension x6350.

FULLERTON MUNICIPAL CODE 15.42.01 EMERGENCY SHELTER FOR THE HOMELESS, LOW-BARRIER NAVIGATION CENTER - BRIDGE HOUSING RECUPERATIVE CARE/ MEDICAL RESPITE April 1, 2025 https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/fullerton/latest/fullerton ca/0-0-0-14520 Becerra, Alexis
From: Elizabeth Hansburg P4H <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, July 26, 2026 3:45 PM
To: eComment
Cc: Pezeshkpour, Ali
Subject: Public Hearing #2 Support for KB Home Townhomes at 1901 E. 4th St.

Attachments: Support KB Home 1901 E. 4th St. SNA 7-27-2026.pdf Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana. Use caution when opening attachments or links.

Dear Planning Commission,
Please find attached our letter of support for Site Plan Review No. 2026-03 and Vesting Tentative Tract Map No. 2026- 06, KB Home Residential (1901 E. Fourth Street), July 27, 2026 hearing.

Thank you,
Elizabeth Hansburg
Co-Founder & Director
714-872-1418
Fighting for a future of abundant housing in Orange County. peopleforhousing.org
Orange County
Isuri Ramos, Chair
Planning Commission
City of Santa Ana
20 Civic Center Plaza
Santa Ana, CA 92701
June 26, 2026
Re: Support for Site Plan Review No. 2026-03 and Vesting Tentative Tract Map No. 2026-06, KB Home Residential (1901 E. Fourth Street), July 27, 2026 hearing Dear Chair Ramos and Members of the Planning Commission, I am writing on behalf of People for Housing OC in strong support of Site Plan Review No. 2026-03 and Vesting Tentative Tract Map No. 2026-06 for the KB Home Residential project at 1901 E. Fourth Street. We are advocates for more affordable, attainable, and "missing middle" homes in Orange County to expand opportunity for residents at every income level. This project is worthy of your approval.

Missing middle housing. The project replaces four aging, underutilized office buildings with 188 for-sale townhomes across 27 buildings. Townhomes are precisely the "missing middle" housing type that Orange County needs: attached homes at a walkable, human scale that fill the gap between detached single-family houses and large apartment blocks. With floor plans ranging from two to four bedrooms, the project welcomes a real range of households, from first-time buyers to growing families, on a site already served by infrastructure and transit.

Affordable homeownership. Ten of the homes will be reserved for moderate-income households in compliance with the City's Affordable Housing Opportunity and Creation Ordinance. This matters because affordable homeownership, as opposed to affordable rental, is genuinely rare. For an income-eligible Santa Ana family, an ownership opportunity at a below-market price is a chance to 1 build equity and lasting stability, not just a place to live. The affordable homes will be dispersed throughout the community and indistinguishable from the market-rate units, so that affordability comes without stigma.

Revitalization of Fourth Street. Redeveloping an aging office campus into 188 new homes puts residents on Fourth Street who will walk its sidewalks, support its businesses, and invest in the neighborhood. This project does not stand alone. It is one of several housing and mixed-use developments proposed or under construction within a few blocks, and together they will remake Fourth Street east of the I-5 freeway from an underperforming office corridor into a revitalized urban, mixed-use, and residential corridor. New for-sale housing on an underused site is one of the most durable ways to bring that life and stability to a neighborhood, and this project delivers it at a meaningful scale.

In addition, this project is consistent with the General Plan and the Metro East Mixed-Use Overlay Zone. For these reasons, we urge the Commission to approve Site Plan Review No. 2026-03 and Vesting Tentative Tract Map No. 2026-06.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth Hansburg
Cofounder & Director
Fighting for a future of abundant housing in Orange County. peopleforhousing.org
2 Orange County
Becerra, Alexis
From: Alex Brown
Sent: Thursday, July 30, 2026 12:22 PM
To: eComment
Subject: Public comment for the city council meeting
Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana. Use caution when opening attachments or links.

Voice of OC, July 30, 2026
Does Orange County's Animal Care Director Live in California? https://voiceofoc.org/2026/07/does-orange-countys-animal-care-director-live-in-california/ The head of Orange County's embattled animal shelter is facing questions over remote work, with questions about how much time she spends between Texas and California. • OCShelter.com has a collection of recent articles — and a complete list you can download.

Below is just a sample. Advocates have caught the shelter director in flagrant lies many times before. There's a pattern here.

OC Register, September 25, 2024
County managers failed our animal shelter
https://www.ocregister.com/2024/09/24/county-managers-failed-our-animal-shelter/ [Note: There's a problem in the OC Register app. If that app is on your device, press and hold the link, copy it, and then paste it into your web browser.]
If you're having trouble with the above link, try this Shareable Link https://www.ocregister.com/2024/09/24/county-managers-failed-our-animal-shelter/?share=2opwholwe04gnaisaeiw Voice of OC, September 5, 2024
The OC Animal Shelter Director is All Image and No Substance https://voiceofoc.org/2024/09/mavrovouniotis-the-oc-animal-shelter-director-is-all-image-and-no-substance/ The county bureaucracy prefers political spinning over operational knowledge and experience. That's why they chose Monica Schmidt for OC Animal Care Director. She overstated her animal sheltering qualifications to get the job, and she habitually misleads the community and elected officials.

Voice of OC, November 22, 2023
The OC Animal Shelter Lied About Its Safety Record. It Needed an Excuse to Keep the Kennels Off-Limits and Ditch Its Strategic Plan.
https://voiceofoc.org/2023/11/mavrovouniotis-the-oc-animal-shelter-lied-about-its-safety-record-it-needed-an-excuse-to-keep- the-kennels-off-limits-and-ditch-its-strategic-plan/
The county misinformed the public and the Grand Jury. It understated the number of bites that occurred at the animal shelter in 2021-2022. In reality, shelter policies resulted in no safety improvements. False statistics served as a smokescreen for disregarding the Strategic Plan, blocking public access, and lowering animal care standards.

Voice of OC, November 14, 2023
Yamashiro: OC Animal Care Gave Hundreds of Rabbits, Guinea Pigs, and Birds to a Reptile Group. What Happened to Them?
https://voiceofoc.org/2023/11/yamashiro-oc-animal-care-gave-hundreds-of-rabbits-guinea-pigs-and-birds-to-a-reptile-group- what-happened-to-them/
Voice of OC, August 7, 2023
1 Lawther: OC Animal Care is Unable to Keep Track of its Animals https://voiceofoc.org/2023/08/lawther-oc-animal-care-is-unable-to-keep-track-of-its-animals/ OCAC appears to have fabricated the only 2023 animal statistics it has published so far. We effectively know nothing about current animal intakes, outcomes, or kill rates. What we do know is that their data can't be trusted. It's time for the Board of Supervisor to act.

OC Register, May 6, 2026
OC pays $450,000 to shelter volunteer who was mauled by a dog https://www.ocregister.com/2026/05/06/oc-pays-450000-to-shelter-volunteer-who-was-mauled-by-a-dog/ The events of that day left me scarred both physically and mentally and continue to haunt me to this day,' says the 46-year-old victim
Voice of OC, March 17, 2026
The County Animal Shelter has a Data Integrity Problem
https://voiceofoc.org/2026/03/mavrovouniotis-the-county-animal-shelter-has-a-data-integrity-problem/ Numbers don't add up at OC Animal Care, and it's not the first time. In shelter statistics, animals inexplicably vanish between reports. The billing calculations are based on faulty data as well. Why do the county and OC cities allow this? Fullerton Observer, March 5, 2026
Companion Animal Protection Society Releases Short Documentary Entitled A CAPS Investigation of OC Animal Care https://fullertonobserver.com/2026/03/05/companion-animal-protection-society-releases-short-documentary-entitled-a-caps- investigation-of-oc-animal-care/
Shelter mismanagement and failure by the county to conform to a strategic plan and audits have resulted in animal suffering.

You can view the 15-minute video here: A CAPS Investigation of OC Animal Care Voice of OC, February 2, 2026
Lamirande: How Negligent are OC Cities in Their Contract with the County Animal Shelter? https://voiceofoc.org/2026/02/lamirande-how-negligent-are-oc-cities-in-their-contract-with-the-county-animal-shelter/ Dear city officials, if you hire people with a track record of dishonesty and incompetence, you're responsible for the consequences. If you are in favor of good governance and a good shelter you must make two demands: First, get rid of toxic managers. Second, transparently implement the Strategic Plan.

OC Register, August 17, 2025
Owner of Woofy Acres dog rescue charged with 16 counts of animal cruelty https://www.ocregister.com/2025/08/15/owner-of-woofy-acres-dog-rescue-charged-with-multiple-counts-of-animal-cruelty/ The owner of a Southern California dog rescue has been charged with 37 criminal counts of mistreating the animals, nearly 100 of which were in such bad condition they had to be euthanized.

Woofy Acres first made headlines in early 2024 after Bedford was accused of abandoning 32 dogs — many from Orange County - at a Rowland Heights kennel in Los Angeles County.

Woofy Acres was heavily used by Orange County Animal Care.

Orange County Animal Care has released a total of 149 dogs to Woofy Acres, with the last placement in January 2024. It is unclear whether any dogs from Orange County were among the dogs seized by authorities.

Voice of OC, August 7, 2025
Two Dogs Dead in Transport from OC Animal Care to Idaho https://voiceofoc.org/2025/08/two-dogs-dead-in-transport-from-oc-animal-care-to-idaho/ Excerpt:
"U.S. Department of Transportation statistics show shortnosed breeds of dogs are more likely to die during air transport than dogs with normal-length muzzles, and similar risks are likely during road transportation," reads a best practices resource document from the AMA for relocating pets in non-emergency situations. "This is thought to be related to respiratory problems that are exacerbated by stress and difficulty with thermoregulation, so caution should be exercised when transporting these animals during warm weather, " it continues.

When transporting animals on the road, the American Veterinary Medical Association recommends keeping the trips as short as possible.

Voice of OC, February 18, 2025
OC Cities are Badly Served by the County Animal Shelter. Is Reform Possible? https://voiceofoc.org/2025/02/lamirande-oc-cities-are-badly-served-by-the-county-animal-shelter-is-reform-possible/ Residents paid OC Animal Care $5.8 million in license fees. On top of that, OC cities paid $15.7 million out of their budgets.

The county bureaucracy collected $8.4 million in admin costs. Supervisors Nguyen and Sarmiento, representing high-paying cities, are pushing for a better shelter. Supervisor Foley is protecting the mismanagement.

Animal Politics with Ed Boks, Substack, January 24, 2025 Vanished Without a Trace: The Mystery of the Disappearing Animals at Orange County Animal Care https://animalpolitics.substack.com/p/vanished-without-a-trace-the-mystery (The author, Ed Boks, is a former Executive Director of the New York City, Los Angeles, and Maricopa County Animal Care & Control Departments. His work has been published in the LA Times, New York Times, Newsweek, Real Clear Policy, Sentient Media, and now on Animal Politics with Ed Boks)
Voice of OC, November 22, 2024
Boyer: County Managers Responsible for the Animal Shelter's Decline are Turning Their Back on the Community https://voiceofoc.org/2024/11/boyer-county-managers-responsible-for-the-animal-shelters-decline-are-turning-their-back-on- the-community/
County managers and the animal shelter director are stalling and delaying. They're not applying the shelter's Strategic Plan.

They want to throw it away and waste taxpayer money on a "new" plan, to cover up their own failure. They are turning their back on community standards.

Foothills Sentry, October 30, 2024
Failing Furry Friends
https://foothillssentry.com/letters/f/letters-to-the-editor-failing-furry-friends Excerpts:

Dedicated OC animal shelter volunteers are sounding the alarm.

A 2023 report by the OC Grand Jury documented the understaffing in animal care attendants (ACAs), the conscientious frontline staff responsible for the day-to-day care of "hundreds of dogs, cats, kittens, and other animals. " Instead of addressing the problem, [shelter director] Schmidt has resorted to false statements to cover it up.

The volunteers offer a stark breakdown of the staffing numbers. At the time of the Grand Jury report, there were only 21 ACA positions. The county's own consultants recommended having 52 (two weekly shifts of 26 each). Can 21 staff members do the work of 52?
"You've been lied to, " warn the volunteers. Schmidt "has done what she does best and told you a story about staffing that simply isn't true."
Schmidt has a "penchant for making up numbers. "The letter urges the Board of Supervisors to investigate further and to "send a clear message to Monica Schmidt that lies will not be tolerated." Her failure to address these critical staffing issues directly impacts the care of the animals.

New revelations surfaced after the volunteers' letter: It appears that Schmidt grossly inflated her qualifications in her job application. This certainly explains the combination of ignorance and disinformation that are the hallmarks of her management Voice of OC, May 16, 2024
Yamashiro: OC Animal Care - Mismanagement and Public Deception Regarding Small Pets https://voiceofoc.org/2024/05/yamashiro-oc-animal-care-mismanagement-and-public-deception-regarding-small-pets/ OC Animal Care has been involved in transferring small pets to a reptile organization, which subsequently transported them to Arizona. In a related situation, it was reported that small pets from San Diego Humane Society were likely sold in Arizona as snake food. OCAC has not provided clear explanations regarding the fate of these animals, and support from County Supervisors Wagner and Foley has been lacking.

Fullerton Observer, March 12, 2024
3 More Bad News About Orange County Animal Care
https://fullertonobserver.com/2024/03/12/more-bad-news-about-orange-county-animal-care/ Excerpts:

On September 10 last year, the OC animal shelter handed over rescue dogs Baron, Kate, Enzo, and Nevin to the group Woofy Acres. OC staff were concerned. Jaime Link, OCAC Operations Manager, wrote:
"We recently had a rescue pick-up with the listed representative, Diane (see PID screenshot), and the shelter team reported that her vehicle emitted an odor of animal waste and grime reminiscent of most hoarding houses. She was also behaving erratically and yelling at staff in the lobby. The rescuer has recently been pulling a lot of aggressive dogs (5 today), and 1 am concerned they may be going into less-than-ideal conditions. " In the nine prior weeks (from July 5 to September 8 last year, the OC animal shelter had already given 21 dogs to Woofy Acres. The shelter gave a total of 128 dogs to Woofy Acres in 2020-2023.

In February, the OC Register reported that Woofy Acres abandoned 32 dogs at a dog boarding facility last year. Some were in the facility for two years. Woofy Acres is delinquent on its bills and state-mandated paperwork. Almost half of the abandoned dogs were given to Woofy Acres by OC Animal Care in 2021. The OC shelter gave many more dogs to Woofy Acres in 2022 and 2023; what happened to them is unknown.

Spokesperson Alexa Pratt told the Register that "the agency was unaware of any problems with Woofy Acres when it released dogs to the rescue, the last ones going in early January. " But Jaime Link's September 10, 2023 email tells a different story. OC was very aware of problems through the first-hand observations of conscientious staff.

It is unknown what research the shelter did, but it seems it didn't even try to verify Woofy Acres's charity status with the state.

Michael Mavrovouniotis, an animal welfare advocate, said, "Mid-level and frontline OCAC staff love the animals and are doing their best to get good outcomes for them. I applaud Jaime Link and the animal care staff, who spoke up. They did the right thing. They showed a better shelter is possible. However, the top managers at the shelter and OC Community Resources don't show the same concern for the welfare of the animals in their care. They falsely claim that they didn't know there were any problems. "
The shelter just kept handing animals over to Woofy Acres. In the last five months of 2023, the shelter gave 48 dogs to Woofy Acres after Woofy Acres had already abandoned dogs. Of those, 23 dogs were handed over after Jaime Link's red-flag email describing erratic behavior and signs of hoarding.

Unaccounted animals include Tate, Bonnie, and Gadget, who came from Fullerton. None of these dogs are in the boarding facility. The shelter booked them as successes in its statistics, but the actual fate of the animals is unknown. OC residents concerned about what happened to these dogs
can [http://The%200CAC%20has%20been%20criticized%20for%20not%20tracking%20animals%20in%20its%20statistics,%2 Ogiving%20pet%20bunnies,%20hamsters,%20and%20guinea%20pigs%20to%20a%20group%20specializing%20in%20snakes, /o20ando20maintainingo20pandemic-
era%20policies.%200n%20September%2010%20last%20year,%20the%20OC%20animal%20shelter%20handed%20over%20r escue%20dogs%20Baron,%20Kate,%20Enzо,%20and%20Nevin%20to%20the%20group%20Woofy%20Acres.%200C%20sta ff%20were%20concerned.%20Jaime%20Link,%20OCAC%20Operations%20Manager, %20wrote|contact the Board of Supervisors and their local elected officials to ask for a full accounting.

OC Register, March 5, 2024
Animal rescue abandons dozens of dogs at Rowland Heights kennel Dogs from OC agency among 32 abandoned by group
https://www.ocregister.com/2024/03/04/animal-rescue-abandons-dozens-of-dogs-at-rowland-heights-shelter/ Excerpts:

Especially troubling to animal activists is that Orange County Animal Care has released 128 dogs to Woofy Acres since 2019, according to county records compiled by activist Michael Mavrovouniotis. "The Orange County shelter just takes the view that we don't care who takes the animals as long as we get them off our He believes Orange County Animal Care should do a better job of screening animal rescues and following up on placements. "It's part of (Orange County's) reliance on rescues, " Mavrovouniotis said. "The shelter is not doing enough to make adoptions easier and their safety valve is to push as many animals as possible ... to rescues." OC Register, February 11, 2024
Fewer dogs, more death, at OC Animal Care
https://www.ocregister.com/2024/02/11/fewer-dogs-more-death-at-oc-animal-care/ 4 Column: Comparison of pre- and post-pandemic years show failure of shelter policies, critics charge. But things are changing, shelter asks for support
Excerpts:

The "kill rate" for dogs at Orange County's main animal shelter shot up markedly under its appointment-centric visitation system, where folks couldn't browse the full furry inventory at their leisure, data suggests.

Rather than throwing the doors all the way open, Orange County stuck largely to pandemic protocol last year, preferring that people peruse pooch photos online, then make appointments to meet those animals in person. [..] "Concierge service," they Critics countered that the system benefitted shelter managers, not animals or the adopting public. It's easier to not have all those pesky outside eyeballs on your operations, they charged.

Three hours every day is better, critics said, but all the kennels with adoptable animals should welcome the public every hour they're open.

Nationally, the number of dogs who were euthanized or who died in care rose as well. But while that jumped 12% nationwide, il rose 54% in Orange County. That, Mavrovouniotis maintains, shows O.C. is doing something wrong. "By any metric I looked at, national trends don't explain OCA's decline, " he said.

Yes, folks, please, absolutely. Foster! Volunteer! Help our unwanted animals be wanted and loved again! Let them sleep on the We may be a bit naive, but it seems that supporting the shelter, and opening it wider as activists demand, are not necessarily mutually exclusive things.
"It's quite simple, really," said Boyer. "They need to open up the shelter all the way, all the buildings, so people can walk through and look at all the available dogs. It was working fine before COVID. Why don't you back to doing what you did?" The numbers, Boyers maintains, understate the full magnitude of the problem. "Because of slow adoptions, the shelter got severely overcrowded in the fall. A lot of dogs weren't going to make it out alive, but the hangar fire brought in the ASPCA that saved 100+ dogs.
"Under the partial re-opening, the public can view only about 65 to 70 dogs. But the shelter has about 100 dogs available for adoption. Visitors should be able to see all of them in their kennels. The shelter shouldn't be hiding 30 to 35 dogs out of sight." Fullerton Observer, January 2, 2024
Animal Advocates Call for Independent Investigation of OC Animal Care https://fullertonobserver.com/2024/01/02/animal-advocates-call-for-independent-investigation-of-oc-animal-care/ Excerpts with added web links to supporting documents:

In just 20 months, OC Animal Care (OCAC) gave 273 rodents, 200 rabbits, and other small pets to a reptile group.

On a recent similar case involving animals from San Diego, the Sacramento Bee reports that: "Information clearly indicates (the reptile breeder's) intention to use these animals as feed instead of finding them adoptive homes." Snapshots of email correspondence obtained via Public Record requests show that the OC shelter typically offered many small pets at once. The reptile group then took rodents and rabbits in bulk without asking for precise numbers and types of animals.

That's highly unusual.

OC Animal Care made this reptile group its primary destination for small pets.

In the past, [the reptile group] has advertised the availability of "feeder" rodents, including live ones.

An independent outside investigator must be appointed directly by the Board of Supervisors to get a verifiable paper trail for every animal the OC shelter handed over to the reptile group.

OC Register, December 21, 2023
Orange County supervisors shrug at shelter's animal cruelty https://www.ocregister.com/2023/12/19/orange-county-supervisors-shrug-at-shelters-animal-cruelty Excerpts:

The problems focus on poor management that leads to the unnecessary euthanizing of adoptable pets. The issue cries out for attention from the Board of Supervisors.

One issue, detailed in news reports and columns, is easy to fix. Animal Care continues with COVID-era limitations on public access to kennels and has cut back programs to proactively find homes for homeless pets. That's unconscionable this long after the lifting of pandemic restrictions.
5 The Register's Teri Sforza found such policies have contributed to maddening statistics: a kill rate for adult dogs that "has nearly doubled since 2018, and the amount of time they spend behind bars has jumped 60%." Local activists have been providing alarming data and anecdotal stories.

OC Register, December 2, 2023
OC Animal Care sought to avoid optics of sending bunnies to local reptile rescue group https://www.ocregister.com/2023/12/01/oc-animal-care-sought-to-avoid-optics-of-sending-bunnies-to-local-reptile-rescue- group/
Foothills Sentry, December 1, 2023
OC Animal Care doesn't
https://foothillssentry.com/letters/f/letters-to-the-editor-oc-animal-care-doesnt If you want to see the printed layout:
https://fbs.advantageinc.com/foothillssentry/122023/4/
Voice of OC, October 25, 2023
Lawther: Animal Shelter Deteriorates as County Bureaucracy Keeps Supervisors in the Dark https://voiceofoc.org/2023/10/lawther-animal-shelter-deteriorates-as-county-bureaucracy-keeps-supervisors-in-the-dark/ OC Community Resources covered up the deterioration of the animal shelter. It put together a false narrative for internal use, but kept it from the public. Meanwhile, the shelter's kill rate is rising, dogs get very little socialization, and data collection is dismal. Why is the shelter flouting its own Strategic Plan? OC Register, October 14, 2023
Advocates horrified over mysterious fate of small animals https://www.ocregister.com/2023/10/13/advocates-horrified-over-mysterious-fate-of-small- animals/?share=saaeotyscecmamsawlie
https://www.ocregister.com/2023/10/13/advocates-horrified-over-mysterious-fate-of-small-animals/ Voice of OC, October 4, 2023
Lamirande: Volunteer Mauled by Dog at Orange County Animal Care, While Mismanagement Worsens https://voiceofoc.org/2023/10/lamirande-volunteer-mauled-by-dog-at-orange-county-animal-care-while-mismanagement- worsens/
Voice of OC, August 24, 2023
Barba: OC Animal Care Needs to Get Its Facts Straight
https://voiceofoc.org/2023/08/barba-oc-animal-care-needs-to-get-its-facts-straight/ OCAC is making false claims to cover up its poor performance. It can't even count its animals correctly. Although fewer animals are coming in than pre-pandemic, the shelter has higher kill rates and longer stays. More adopted animals end up returned. OCAC has been failing its Strategic Plan - and hiding it.

Fullerton Observer, August 16, 2023 (This is a multi-section article. Make sure you scroll down!) OC residents raise concerns over OC Animal Care shelter Orange County Tax Payers and Homeless Animals Deserve Better OC Animal Care is continuing to mislead the public
https://fullertonobserver.com/2023/08/16/oc-residents-raise-concerns-over-oc-animal-care-shelter/ Voice of OC, August 10, 2023
OC Officials Dispute Scathing Grand Jury Report on Increased Kill Rates at Animal Shelter https://voiceofoc.org/2023/08/oc-officials-dispute-scathing-grand-jury-report-on-increased-kill-rates-at-animal-shelter/ OC Register, May 11, 2023
6 OC's animal shelter still a killing zone
https://www.ocregister.com/2023/05/11/ocs-animal-shelter-still-a-killing-zone/ OC Register, May 10, 2023
Revamp Orange County Animal Care shelter policies, critics tell OC supervisors https://www.ocregister.com/2023/05/10/revamp-orange-county-animal-care-shelter-policies-critics-tell-oc-supervisors/ OC Register, May 7, 2023
More adult dogs dying at OC Animal Care, kennels largely off-limits https://www.ocregister.com/2023/05/07/more-adult-dogs-dying-at-oc-animal-care-kennels-largely-off- limits/?share=tocecdmereiywdporlao
Becerra, Alexis
From: Kim Fortun < [email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, August 4, 2026 2:49 PM
To: eComment
CC: James Adams; Yezenia Marrujo
Subject: Public comment for Aug 4 City Council meeting | non-agenda item (zoning code update) | Comentarios públicos para la reunión del Concejo Municipal del 4 de agosto | tema fuera de la agenda (actualización del código de zonificación) Attachments: ENGLISH _ EGL-Cornerstone QUESTIONS 8.3.2026 _ Draft Zoning Code Update .pdf; SPANISH. _ EGL-Cornerstone QUESTIONS 8.3.2026 _ Draft Zoning Code Update.pdf Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana. Use caution when opening attachments or links.

Attached, please find public comments to be added to the record for the City of Santa City Council meeting on Tuesday, August 4.

RE: Questions about draft Zoning Code Update

SUBMITTED BY
Yezenia Marrujo, Cornerstone Neighborhood Association & UCI EcoGovLab Kim Fortun and James Adams, UCI EcoGovLab
Adjunto encontrarán los comentarios públicos que se incorporarán al acta de la reunión del Concejo Municipal de Santa Ana del martes 4 de agosto.

Asunto: Preguntas sobre el borrador de la actualización del Código de Zonificación Presentado por:

Yezenia Marrujo, Asociación de Vecinos de Cornerstone y UCI EcoGovLab Kim Fortun y James Adams, UCI EcoGovLab
Kim Fortun, Professor
Director, UCI EcoGovLab
Department of Anthropology
University of California Irvine
[email protected] | 518-727-1244
Contact: Kim Fortun, [email protected]
Monday, August 3, 2026
TO
Siri Champion, Principal Planner, City of Santa
Ana Planning Division
FROM:

Yezenia Marrujo, Cornerstone Neighborhood
Association & UCI EcoGovLab
Asociación del vecindario
EcoGovLab
Cornerstone Kim Fortun and James Adams, UCI EcoGovLab
Village
RE: Questions about draft Zoning Code Update
Versión en español
Questions 1
Select Environmental Justice Policies in City of Santa Ana 2022 General Plan Update 3 Questions
We write to request responses to the following questions about the draft City of Santa Ana Zoning Code Update released last month:
• What process was used to ensure that the draft Zoning Code reflects the City's 2022 General Plan?
• How, specifically, does the draft Zoning Code reflect the 77 Environmental Justice Policies in the 2022 General Plan, including those listed below? • What economic analyses were done to support the draft Zoning Code Update? Given the reasoning behind the newly proposed Residential Industrial Interface (RIl), please share details on the revenue benefits of keeping properties in this area zoned industrial. • The draft code states that "No land use shall generate or cause any visible dust, gases, or smoke to be emitted into the atmosphere." But what about invisible and odorless emissions that are equally if not more harmful to residents' health and wellbeing (such as PM10, PM2.5, VOCs, or other toxic gases)?
1 Contact: Kim Fortun, [email protected]
• Where is there a list of instances in which the City's Nuisance Ordinance has been activated and effectively reduced pollution? At the July 21 City Council meeting, Planning Diversion Director Ali Pezeshkpour referred to this ordinance as a protective tool.
• Calenviroscreen currently shows Cornerstone Village in the 99th percentile for overall pollution burden, and the 96th percentile for toxic releases. This is for permitted (e.g. legal) pollution. Even without breaking the law, existing industrial operations in the Cornerstone area cause starkly disproportionate pollution compared to the rest of the state, and to other areas of Santa Ana. Importantly, representatives of CalEPA and other state agencies have repeatedly instructed us that clustering of multiple emitting facilities near fence-line residences, and resulting disproportionate pollution, is a zoning issue, and needs to be addressed through zoning code changes. How does the current draft of the Zoning Code Update do this?
• The area designated as "Business Park" in the October 2025 Zoning Code Update maps has been converted to a "Residential Industrial Interface" (RII). Will the new RIl zoning designation result in any current industrial facilities becoming non-conforming? If so, which ones?
• What are the precise mechanisms by which this supplemental standards district is supposed to guard against potential impacts to residents that are identified here? How were these mechanisms decided upon? What evidence can you share that these will be effective safe guards? What monitoring mechanisms are in place to ensure they are working?
• Given that many of the areas in the RIl are officially designated as environmentally disadvantaged, we need more than safeguards. We need mechanisms that will enable us to clean up the kinds of businesses and industries already operating in these spaces.

How, if at all, does this supplemental standards district enable this more active approach to improving environmental conditions in these interfaces? • In the Additional Operational Standards applicable to the RIl, the code draft states that any "nonconforming use that operates in an unlawful manner... will lose its nonconforming status, enabling the City to take corrective action as it deems appropriate, including initiating a hearing to consider business license revocation and/or terminating utility services or connections." Does this mean that any facility which is currently designated as conforming and that does not require a permit (which, for RII, includes rail facilities, vehicle fueling stations, vehicle repair and maintenance, storage warehouses, lumberyards, machine shops, manufacturing and production), will not be held to this "good standing" clause? If so, what mechanisms will ensure that these facilities are not posing a risk or nuisance to nearby residents? • How does expanding the allowed uses in a Residential Industrial Interface District facilitate the transition from industrial to nonindustrial uses, when it still allows for new 2 Contact: Kim Fortun, [email protected]
industrial facilities to locate there and doesn't make any of the current industrial uses nonconforming?
• What criteria was used to expand and/or reduce restrictions on the allowed land uses near Cornerstone Village, which coincide with the redesignation of the former "Business Park" as the "Residential Industrial Interface." These expanded uses include:

Land Use October 2025 Draft July 2026 Draft
Freight/truck terminals Not Permitted CUP
Heavy recycling processing Not Permitted CUP
Light recycling processing Not Permitted MCUP
General manufacturing CUP Permitted
Rail facilities Not Listed Permitted
Hazardous materials storage Not Permitted CUP
Research laboratories Hazardous Waste not Hazardous Waste Permitted Permitted
Major vehicle repair Not Permitted Permitted
Vehicle fueling stations MCUP Permitted
Machine shops MCUP Permitted
Impound yards Not Permitted P/CUP
• On multiple occasions since Fall 2025, community members were promised that they would be given the opportunity to review and comment on allowable uses in areas around their homes. When will this occur, and how will community input shape what is allowed?
3 Contact: Kim Fortun, [email protected]
Select Environmental Justice Policies in City of Santa Ana 2022 General Plan Update
See all Environmental Justice Policies here:
https://santa-ana.gov/city-general-plan-approved-environmental-justice-implementation-actions- 2022/
Land Use Element | Policy LU-1.1
Compatible Uses
Foster compatibility between land uses to enhance livability and promote healthy lifestyles.

Land Use Element | Policy LU-1.3
Equitable creation and Distribution of Open Space
Promote the creation of new open space and community-serving amenities in park-deficient areas that keeps pace with the increase in multi-unit housing development, with priority given to those that are also within environmental justice area boundaries.

Land Use Element | Policy LU-3.1Community Benefits
Support new development which provides a net community benefit and contributes to neighborhood character and identity.

Land Use Element | Policy LU-3.2
Empower Community
Facilitate community engagement and dialogue in policy decisions and outcomes affecting land use and development, with supplemental opportunities for proposed planning activities within environmental justice area boundaries.

Land Use Element | Policy LU-3.3
Enforcement of Standards
4 Contact: Kim Fortun, [email protected]
Maintain a robust and proactive code enforcement program that partners with community stakeholders and is responsive to community needs.

Land Use Element | Policy LU-3.8
Sensitive Receptors
Avoid the development of industry and sensitive receptors in close proximity to each other that could pose a hazard to human health and safety due to the quantity, concentration, or physical or chemical characteristics of the hazardous materials utilized, or the hazardous waste an operation may generate or emit.

Land Use Element | Policy LU-3.9
Noxious, Hazardous, Dangerous, and Polluting Uses
Improve the health of residents, students, and workers by limiting the impacts of construction activities and operation of noxious, hazardous, dangerous, and polluting uses that are in close proximity to sensitive receptors, with priority given to discontinuing such uses within environmental justice area boundaries.

Land Use Element | Policy LU-3.11
Air Pollution Buffers
Work with the Environmental Justice Action Committee to develop and implement landscaping and other local land use and zoning buffer strategies, guided by the California Air Resources Board and Southern California Air Quality Management District best practices, to separate existing sensitive uses from rail lines, heavy industrial facilities, and other emissions sources. As feasible, apply more substantial buffers within environmental justice area boundaries. 5 Contact: Yezenia Marrujo, [email protected]
Lunes, 3 de agosto de 2026
PARA
Siri Champion, Planificadora Principal,
División de Planificación de la Ciudad de
Santa Ana
DE:

Yezenia Marrujo, Asociación Vecinal
Cornerstone y UCI EcoGovLab
EcoGovLab Asociación del vecindario Kim Fortun y James Adams, UCI EcoGovLab Cornerstone
Village RE: Preguntas sobre la actualización del
borrador del Código de Zonificación
English version
Preguntas 1
Selección de políticas de justicia ambiental en la actualización del Plan General de la ciudad de Santa Ana de 2022 4
Preguntas
Nos dirigimos a ustedes para solicitar respuestas a las siguientes preguntas sobre el borrador de la actualización del Código de Zonificación de la Ciudad de Santa Ana, publicado el mes pasado:
• ¿Qué proceso se utilizó para garantizar que el borrador del Código de Zonificación refleje el Plan General de la Ciudad para 2022?
• ¿Cómo refleja específicamente el borrador del Código de Zonificación las 77 Políticas de Justicia Ambiental del Plan General de 2022, incluidas las que se enumeran a continuación?
• ¿Qué análisis económicos se realizaron para respaldar el borrador de la actualización del Código de Zonificación? Teniendo en cuenta los fundamentos de la 1 Contact: Yezenia Marrujo, Yezeniamarruj08/@gmail.com
nueva propuesta de Interfaz Residencial-Industrial (RII), ¿podría compartir detalles sobre los beneficios económicos de mantener la zonificación industrial en esta área? • El borrador del código establece que "Ningún uso del suelo deberá generar ni provocar la emisión de polvo, gases o humo visibles a la atmósfera". Pero ¿ qué ocurre con las emisiones invisibles e inodoras que son igual o incluso más perjudiciales para la salud y el bienestar de los residentes (como las PM10, PM2.5, los COV u otros gases tóxicos)?
• ¿Dónde se puede encontrar una lista de casos en los que se haya activado la Ordenanza Municipal sobre Molestias Públicas y se haya reducido eficazmente la contaminación? En la reunión del Consejo Municipal del 21 de julio, el Director de Planificación y Desvio, Ali Pezeshkpour, se refirió a esta ordenanza como una herramienta de protección.
• Calenviroscreen sitúa actualmente a Cornerstone Village en el percentil 99 en cuanto a la carga de contaminación general y en el percentil 96 en cuanto a emisiones tóxicas. Esto se refiere a la contaminación permitida (es decir, legal). Aun sin infringir la ley, las operaciones industriales existentes en la zona de Cornerstone provocan una contaminación desproporcionada en comparación con el resto del estado y con otras zonas de Santa Ana. Es importante destacar que representantes de CalEPA y otras agencias estatales nos han indicado repetidamente que la concentración de múltiples instalaciones emisoras cerca de las viviendas colindantes, y la consiguiente contaminación desproporcionada, constituye un problema de zonificación que debe abordarse mediante cambios en el código de zonificación. ¿Cómo aborda esto el borrador actual de la Actualización del Código de Zonificación? • El área designada como "Parque Empresarial" en los mapas de la actualización del Código de Zonificación de octubre de 2025 se ha convertido en una "Interfaz Industrial Residencial" (RII). ¿Provocará esta nueva designación de zonificación RIl que alguna instalación industrial actual deje de cumplir con la normativa? De ser así, ¿cuáles? • ¿Cuáles son los mecanismos precisos mediante los cuales este distrito de estándares suplementarios debe proteger a los residentes de los posibles impactos aquí identificados? ¿Cómo se decidieron estos mecanismos? ¿Qué evidencia puede aportar de que estas medidas de protección serán efectivas? ¿Qué mecanismos de monitoreo existen para garantizar su funcionamiento?
• Dado que muchas de las áreas de la RIl están oficialmente designadas como ambientalmente desfavorecidas, necesitamos más que medidas de protección.

Necesitamos mecanismos que nos permitan regularizar los tipos de negocios e industrias que ya operan en estos espacios. ¿Cómo, si acaso, este distrito de normas suplementarias facilita este enfoque más proactivo para mejorar las condiciones ambientales en estas zonas de transición?
2 Contact: Yezenia Marrujo, [email protected]
• En las Normas Operativas Adicionales aplicables a la RIl, el borrador del código establece que cualquier "uso no conforme que opere de manera ilegal... perderá su estatus de no conforme, lo que permitirá a la Ciudad tomar las medidas correctivas que considere apropiadas, incluyendo iniciar una audiencia para considerar la revocación de la licencia comercial y/o la interrupción de los servicios o conexiones de servicios públicos". ¿Esto significa qué cualquier instalación actualmente designada como conforme y que no requiera un permiso (lo que, para la RIl, incluye instalaciones ferroviarias, estaciones de servicio de vehículos, reparación y mantenimiento de vehículos, almacenes, aserraderos, talleres mecánicos, manufactura y producción) no estará sujeta a esta cláusula de "buena reputación"? De ser asi, ¿qué mecanismos garantizarán que estas instalaciones no representen un riesgo o molestia para los residentes cercanos?
• ¿Cómo facilita la ampliación de los usos permitidos en un Distrito de Interfaz Residencial-Industrial la transición de usos industriales a no industriales, cuando aún permite que se ubiquen nuevas instalaciones industriales allí y no hace que ninguno de los usos industriales actuales sea no conforme?
• ¿Qué criterios se utilizaron para ampliar y/o reducir las restricciones sobre los usos del suelo permitidos cerca de Cornerstone Village, que coinciden con la redesignación del antiguo "Parque Empresarial" como "Interfaz Residencial Industrial'? Estos usos ampliados incluyen:

Uso del suelo Borrador de octubre de Borrador de julio de 2026 2025
Terminales de No permitido TAZA
carga/camiones
Procesamiento de reciclaje No permitido TAZA
pesado
Procesamiento de reciclaje No permitido MCUP
ligero
Fabricación general TAZA Permitido
Instalaciones ferroviarias No aparece en la lista Permitido Almacenamiento de No permitido TAZA
materiales peligrosos
3 Contact: Yezenia Marrujo, [email protected]
Laboratorios de investigación Residuos peligrosos no Residuos peligrosos permitidos permitidos
Reparación mayor de No permitido Permitido
vehículos
Estaciones de servicio de MCUP Permitido
vehículos
talleres mecánicos MCUP Permitido
depósitos de vehículos No permitido P/CUP
• En varias ocasiones desde el otoño de 2025, se prometió a los miembros de la comunidad que tendrían la oportunidad de revisar y comentar los usos permitidos en las áreas cercanas a sus hogares. ¿Qué mecanismos de retroalimentación comunitaria seran establecidos y cómo influira la opinión de la comunidad en lo que se permita? Selección de políticas de justicia ambiental en la
actualización del Plan General de la ciudad de Santa Ana de 2022
Consulte todas las políticas de justicia ambiental aquí:
https://santa-ana.gov/city-general-plan-approved-environmental-justice-implementation-actions- 2022/
Elemento de uso del suelo | Política LU-1.1
Usos compatibles
Fomentar la compatibilidad entre los diferentes usos del suelo para mejorar la calidad de vida y promover estilos de vida saludables.

Elemento de uso del suelo | Política LU-1.3
4 Contact: Yezenia Marrujo, Yezeniamarruj08/@gmail.com
Creación y distribución equitativa de espacios abiertos.

Promover la creación de nuevos espacios abiertos y servicios comunitarios en áreas con escasez de parques, en consonancia con el aumento de la construcción de viviendas multifamiliares, dando prioridad a aquellas que también se encuentren dentro de los límites de las áreas de justicia ambiental.

Elemento de uso del suelo | Política LU-3.1 Beneficios para la comunidad Apoyar los nuevos proyectos de desarrollo que aporten un beneficio neto a la comunidad y contribuyan al carácter y la identidad del barrio.

Elemento de uso del suelo | Política LU-3.2
Empoderar a la comunidad
Facilitar la participación y el diálogo de la comunidad en las decisiones políticas y los resultados que afectan al uso y desarrollo del suelo, con oportunidades complementarias para las actividades de planificación propuestas dentro de los límites de las áreas de justicia ambiental.

Elemento de uso del suelo | Política LU-3.3
Aplicación de las normas
Mantener un programa de cumplimiento normativo sólido y proactivo que colabore con las partes interesadas de la comunidad y responda a sus necesidades.

Elemento de uso del suelo | Política LU-3.8
Receptores sensibles
Evitar el desarrollo de industrias y receptores sensibles muy próximos entre sí que puedan suponer un peligro para la salud y la seguridad humanas debido a la cantidad, concentración o características físicas o químicas de los materiales peligrosos utilizados, o a los residuos peligrosos que una operación pueda generar o emitir.

Elemento de uso del suelo | Política LU-3.9
5 Contact: Yezenia Marrujo, Yezeniamarruj08/@gmail.com
Usos nocivos, peligrosos y contaminantes
Mejorar la salud de los residentes, estudiantes y trabajadores limitando los impactos de las actividades de construcción y el funcionamiento de usos nocivos, peligrosos y contaminantes que se encuentren muy cerca de receptores sensibles, dando prioridad a la interrupción de dichos usos dentro de los límites de las áreas de justicia ambiental.

Elemento de uso del suelo | Política LU-3.11
Zonas de amortiguación de la contaminación atmosférica
Colaborar con el Comité de Acción por la Justicia Ambiental para desarrollar e implementar estrategias de paisajismo y otras estrategias locales de uso del suelo y zonas de amortiguación, siguiendo las mejores prácticas de la Junta de Recursos del Aire de California y el Distrito de Gestión de la Calidad del Aire del Sur de California, con el fin de separar los usos sensibles existentes de las vías férreas, las instalaciones industriales pesadas y otras fuentes de emisiones. En la medida de lo posible, aplicar zonas de amortiguación más amplias dentro de los limites de las áreas de justicia ambiental.

Becerra, Alexis
From: Francisco Orozco I
Sent: Tuesday, August 4, 2026 3:32 PM
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
Subject: Fw: Fw: Fw: Fw: Fw: Item subject to gap prototype VIP Partners Attachments: ItemGAPPrototypeAXD365InventoryValuationCurrencyExchangeValuation.pdf Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana. Use caution when opening attachments or links.

This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. Please notify the sender immediately by e-mail if you have received this e-mail in error
Sent: Tuesday, August 4, 2026 at 1:32 PM
From: "Francisco Orozco" <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Subject: Fw: Fw: Fw: Fw: Item subject to gap prototype VIP Partners This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. Please notify the sender immediately by e-mail if you have received this e-mail in error Sent: Tuesday, August 4, 2026 at 1:25 PM
From: "Francisco Orozco" <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Subject: Fw: Fw: Fw: Item subject to gap prototype VIP Partners This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. Please notify the sender immediately by e-mail if you have received this e-mail in error Sent: Tuesday, August 4, 2026 at 3:56 AM
From: "Francisco Orozco" < [email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Subject: Fw: Fw: Item subject to gap prototype VIP Partners This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager.

If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. Please notify the sender immediately by e-mail if you have received this e-mail in error Sent: Monday, August 3, 2026 at 8:54 PM
From: "Francisco Orozco" <[email protected]>
To: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Subject: Fw: Item subject to gap prototype VIP Partners 1 This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. It you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e- mail.Please notify the sender immediately by e-mail if you have received this e-mail in error Sent: Monday, August 3, 2026 at 8:52 PM
From: "Francisco Orozco"
To: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] CC: [email protected]
Subject: Item subject to gap prototype VIP Partners
Dear prospects,
Partners
Manufacturer (s)
Attorney (s
The following item is being identified as subject to GAP prototype. Apologies, in the event of any possible miss-understanding, concept not gain/loss and or understood or yet supported or in-progress or not available.

Subject: PUBLIC COMMENT: Fwd: Santa Ana Public Arts Policy ecomment and potential corruption
Attachments: E-Comment - COMPILATION-2.pdf
Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana. Use caution when opening attachments or links.

Hello, City Council Members and Mayor Amezcua,
I am writing to follow up on my email to City Manager Nuñez regarding a public comment provided to the Arts Commission on March 19 by Carlos Garcia regarding allegations of corruption, fraud and conflict of interest involving City contracts and City funds concerning Alicia Rojas, then-Commissioners Joese Hernandez and Debra Russell and others. Mr. Garcia's public comment also mentions use and distribution of hard drugs and sexual misconduct.

In his email, Mr. Garcia requests "a full, independent investigation" regarding these concerns.

I wrote to City Manager Nuñez on July 6 to request an update on Mr. Garcia's request and to add my own concerns regarding a $50,000 no bid contract Alicia Rojas received in November 2024 to create a Public Art Plan, despite her having no real experience in creating public art plans. I informed City Manager Nuñez that, although a full year had passed since Ms. Rojas was awarded the contract, I could find no evidence that community meetings or public input sessions had been conducted. I asked several local public artists if they were aware of this project and could not find one who knew about it.

If Ms. Rojas took $50,000 from the City and did not conduct public input sessions or merely sought the input of a few select cronies, close friends and collaborators, this would constitute a major fraud and would result in a weak, incomplete and flawed public art plan, which in my professional opinion, was the result.

In light of this, I requested in my email to City Manager Nuñez:

1. The City investigate the allegations made in Carlos Garcia's March 19 public comment

2. The City investigate possible fraud in the awarding and administration of Ms. Rojas' public art contract

3. The City investigate possible fraud concerning the absence or manipulation of public input regarding Ms. Rojas public art plan.

4. The City investigate whether the larger Santa Ana arts community was purposefully excluded from participating in or providing input into Ms. Rojas contract activities for the public art plan.

I believe Ms. Rojas also received a $25,000 mural restoration contract recently, which I understand was voted on by Commissioners Hernandez and Russell. In 2021, I wrote to the City to express that major conflicts of 1 interest existed between Commissioners Hernandez and Russell and Rojas, because they were close friends, colleagues, and had other significant conflicts. Joese was Alicia's former roommate and Debra was a member of Alicia's "Artista Coalition". It is also clear from comments made during numerous Arts Commission meetings that Hernandez and Russell are also unabashed cheerleaders for Ms. Rojas, further highlighting their bias and conflict.

In my 2021 email to the City, I also stated that negative conflicts of interest existed and that Hernandez and Russell would vote down projects by artists who called attention to Ms. Rojas and her actions. This would also constitute an ethics violation and compromise the process for awarding tens of thousands of dollars in public funds.

Joese recently admitted to this, saying he had "taken sides against" us in his capacity as an arts commissioner.

He made this statement in front of several witnesses. For a City commissioner to use his position to "take sides against" members of the public is a major ethics violation and confirms the concerns expressed to the City in 2021.

As such, I would like to add the following to my original request:

5. The City investigate whether then-commissioners Joese Hernandez and Debra Russell were involved in the discussions and voting of any of Alicia's awards or contracts with the City, including the mural restoration grant, and did not disclose their conflicts of interest with Ms. Rojas.

I know that several Council members fraternize with some of the people mentioned in Carlos Garcia's email, and I hope that this does not cloud your actions or affect your responsibility to conduct your civic duties with impartiality. The City deserves answers to these questions involving $75,000 or more in public funds.

I am also following up my request for a meeting to discuss these issues at your earliest convenience, and to receive answers regarding these concerns.

Thank You,
- Victor Payan
Santa Ana Resident and Arts Leader
.. Forwarded message -------
From: Victor Payan < [email protected]>
Date: Mon, Jul 6, 2026 at 4:55 PM
Subject: Fwd: Santa Ana Public Arts Policy ecomment and potential corruption To: <[email protected]>
Cc: <[email protected]>, <[email protected]> Hello, City Manager Nuñez,
I am writing to you at the suggestion of City Councilmember Vazquez to bring some important matters to your attention regarding allegations of corruption and fraud. 2 Please see an email below which was sent to Sue Mills on Thursday, July 2, commemorating the issues that were discussed in our recent meeting with Councilmember Vazquez, at which she was also present.

The public comment packet for the March 19, 2026 Arts Commission includes an email from Carlos Garcia dated March 19 that alleges corruption, conflicts of interest by Commissioners, quid pro quo, use and distribution of cocaine and heroin and sexual misconduct. The body of the July 2 email to Ms. Mills includes the text of Mr. Garcia's public comment submitted to the City. (See below) The individuals named in Mr. Garcia's letter are Alicia Rojas, Arts Commissioner Joese Hernandez, Arts Commissioner Debra Russell, artist Roger Reyes and an associate named Lenny.

Additionally, in January 2026 | learned that Ms. Rojas received a $50,000 contract in November 2024 to create a public art plan, despite demonstrating little or no real experience in creating public arts plans. It has since come to my attention that this was a no-bid contract and that it may have been pushed through by her friends on the Parks and Recreation and Arts Commissions.

Releasing a competitive bid for such an important civic plan would have attracted the interest of qualified and experienced arts professionals with a deep and broad understanding of public art, resulting in a visionary and robust policy. As presented to the public in March, the policy favors muralists almost exclusively, at the exclusion of other forms of public art.

I was shocked to learn about this 2024 contract, because as an active member of the Santa Ana arts community, it was disturbing to first hear about this project at the conclusion of its one-year term. I subsequently spoke with several Santa Ana public artists, and they were not aware of this project either.

I then conducted searches to look for evidence of public input sessions, and could find none, which leads me to believe that either public input was not gathered for this plan, or it was limited to Ms. Rojas' small circle of personal friends at the exclusion of the general public and the larger Santa Ana arts community.

As such, l am writing to request that:

1. The City investigate the allegations made in Carlos Garcia's March 19 public comment

2. The City investigate possible fraud in the awarding and administration of Ms. Rojas' public art contract

3. The City investigate possible fraud concerning the absence or manipulation of public input regarding Ms. Rojas public art plan.

4. The City investigate whether the larger Santa Ana arts community was purposefully excluded from participating in or providing input into Ms. Rojas contract activities for the public art plan.

I would also like to request a meeting to discuss these issues at your earliest convenience, and to receive answers regarding these concerns.

Thank You,
- Victor Payan
Santa Ana Resident and Arts Leader
3 -- Forwarded message ------
From: Sandra Pocha Peña <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, Jul 2, 2026 at 4:38 PM
Subject: Santa Ana Public Arts Policy ecomment and potential corruption To: <[email protected]>
Cc: <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>, <[email protected]> Dear Ms Mills,
The issue of a Public Comment was raised at our meeting with Councilman Vazquez this past Monday, June 29, I am forwarding you the following link and attachments so that you and City Manager Nuñez may be informed.

This past March, a Public Comment was submitted to the Arts and Culture Commission alleging some very troubling behavior on the part of Arts Commissioners and raising questions about a no-bid contract for $50,000 which was awarded to an individual who is a close personal friend of Councilman Vazquez.

This Public Comment is a part of the Public Record and can be found at the following link, under "attachments" in "compilation 2":
https://santa-ana.primegov.com/portal/item?id=56923
For your convenience, I have attached "compilation 2" to this email and am including the text of the document below:

From: (Email is blacked out) Carlos Garcia
To: Zurita, Blanca
Subject: Santa Ana Public Arts Policy ecomment
Date: Thursday, March 19, 2026 8:49:41am
Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana. Use caution when opening attachments or links.
"I am writing to express serious concerns regarding the integrity of our city's cultural and arts programs. A deeply disturbing revelation has come to light. Credible evidence now exists, including publicly available social media videos, that certain individuals receiving city support, among them Alicia Rojas, Roger Reyes, and their associate Lenny, are actively engaged in the distribution and personal use of illicit narcotics, including cocaine and, in Ms. Rojas's case, heroin.

These aren't rumors or isolated incidents. One of the individuals in question appear visibly impaired in recordings from city council sessions and art commission meetings. It is troubling that these people continue to be awarded taxpayer dollars for subpar artistic projects. Ms. Rojas was awarded $50,000 to develop a public art policy document that looks like it was made by ChatGPT. It has the markings of being Al generated. More importantly, no public bidding process was followed before awarding these funds. Was this fair? How did she get this contract? Was this a transparent process? This needs to be investigated.

There are also conflicts of interest with the oversight commission. Commissioner Debra Russell's well-documented advocacy for Ms. Rojas raises serious concerns about impartiality. Commissioner Joese Hernandez's close associations with the same circle, along with allegations of sexual misconduct, only adds to the appearance of favoritism and quid pro quo.

It is time for the Commissioners to confront these backroom deals and preferential treatment. A small but loud group of "artists" is using aggressive tactics to betray the public trust and degrade our community's future.

I urge you to act and resolve this unethical behavior. Suspend all further contracts with these individuals pending a full, independent investigation. Restore ethics, transparency, and true merit- based selection to every grant and contract. The City does many things well, but this is a black mark on it, especially if this continues.

Santa Ana deserves better."
As the former Chair and Vice Chair of the Santa Ana Arts Commission, I want to add some context to the betrayal of the public trust (the $50,000 no bid award to an unqualified individual) referenced in the above listed Public Comment. While I served on the Arts Commission, we contracted Cultural Planning Group - https://www.culturalplanning.com/ - who provided us with a team of four seasoned arts professionals; Jerry Allen, Linda Tara Flynn, Victoria Plettner-Saunders, and Tomas Benitez (former ED of Self Help Graphics, currently consulting for Plaza de La Raza and the Plaza de Artes in Los Angeles). This team drafted our Arts Master Plan.

Here is a link to the City of Santa Ana's Arts Master Plan - https://www.santa- ana.org/documents/arts-and-culture-master-plan/
The creation of a Public Art Plan is discussed on pages 39-40, of the Arts Master Plan. In addition to detailing the need for "Item/Goal 8. Public Art - Create visible and interactive arts opportunities for engagement through public art," Santa Ana's Art Master Plan recommends that a future art plan engages the following staff and partners:

Implementation Lead: Department of Planning and Building; City Council Implementation Partners: Arts Commission; Planning Department; Budget Department; private developers;
Timeline: Short-Term (Years 13)
Resources: Staff time and possible consultant fees (if not completed with City staff) Metrics: Completed Public Art Master Plan and future increases in resources for public art Arts Staffer Tram Le is aware of all this, and could have informed the City Manager about the true cost and public engagement needed in the drafting a Public Art Plan.

Why were Arts and Culture Commission staffers and commissioners left out of the loop regarding the $50,000 no bid Public Arts Plan contract?
Why would an individual who has never drafted a strategic plan or municipal plan of any kind be selected for a NO BID contract?
Why would this unqualified individual be paid $20,000 MORE than the going rate for a plan of this kind?
5 I agree with Carlos Garcia, who submitted the public comment, that this award reeks of corruption and unethical behavior.

Worse yet, as you witnessed yourself, Councilman Vazquez refuses to investigate or question this $50,000 contract because it was awarded to his personal friend, Ms. Rojas, who has now been accused of use and distribution of narcotics.

It is shocking that as an educator, Councilman Vazquez is bringing this individual into contact with youth at Villa High School. The repercussions of this situation could be devastating for our resident youth and the reputation of the City of Santa Ana, not to mention the potential legal liability.

I strongly urge City Manager Nuñez to launch an independent and comprehensive investigation on the issues raised by Carlos Garcia's Public Comment. He claims to have credible evidence and video footage to back up his claims.

To dismiss these serious allegations is a betrayal of the public trust, supports the mismanagement of public funds, and enables our school age children to be put at risk.

Please keep me posted on what course of action our city leadership chooses to follow. I will circle back with you in two weeks.

Sincerely,
-- Sandra "Pocha" Peña Sarmiento
former Chair and Vice-Chair of Santa Ana Arts and Culture Commission Sandra Peña "Pocha" Sarmiento
"Frontier Arts & Hybrid Culture"
www.sanartesa.com
714.417.0073
6 From:

To: Le, Tram; Zurita, Bianca; eComment
Subject: Public Comment-Supporting Amendments to Strengthen the Public Art Policy Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2026 11:26:24 AM
Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana. Use caution when opening attachments or links.

Dear Arts & Culture Commission,
Thank you so much for all of your hard work to develop a Public Art Policy for Santa Ana. As a resident and artist I truly value our community's murals and public artworks.

I am writing today to share my support of the following proposed amendments, and the goals of Santa Ana's Arts and Culture Master plan.
• Clear public notification standards when artworks may be removed, relocated, or altered • Strong artist consultation procedures aligned with VARA and CAPA protections • Community representation in artist selection panels
• Meaningful community engagement in public art projects • Creation of a Public Art Trust Fund to support long-term maintenance and preservation Thank you for your time and consideration,
Ali Coyle
--
Ali Coyle
Singer, Songwriter, Instrumentalist
@alicoylemusic / www.alicoxlemusic.com
"roost geration Irish-American artist, All Coyle creates poetie and moody music that speaks to your soml.» - Press Inquiries tol

From:

To: Le. Tram: Zurita, Bianca: eComment
SUDICCE Pubic Comment - Recommended Amendments to Strengthen the Public Put Poly Date: Monday, March 16, 2026 4:46:45 PM
Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana. Use caution when opening attachments or links.

Dear Arts & Culture Commission,
I appreciate the City's work to develop a comprehensive Public Art Policy for Santa Ana. Public art plays an important role in our city's cultural identity, and this policy will shape how murals, sculptures, and other artworks are created, maintamed, and protected in the tuture.

As the Commission reviews the draft policy, I respectfully encourage consideration of several amendments that would strengthen transparency, artist protections, and community participation.

Public notification when artworks may be altered or removed The current draft policy notes the City may gather public feedback as appropriate. The policy could be strengthened by establishing a clear public notification process when artworks may be removed, relocated, or significantly altered. including:
• a minimum 30-day public comment period
• public notice through the City website, on-site signage, and community outreach • a summary of public input and final decision rationale Recent discussions about the future of the Chicano Gothic mural at Memorial Park demonstrate why clear communication and public input are important when artworks with cultural and historical significance may be affected.

The draft policy states the City will make a good-faith effort to notify artists and provide a reasonable opportunity to respond. This section could be strengthened by establishing clearer consultation standards, inchidms • writen nonce to the arust at least so days m advance when teastbie • meaningful consultation with the artist or estate
• emergency exceptions only for public safety or structural concers These procedures should align with the principles of the Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA) and the California Art Preservation Act (CAPA), particularly if the City may request artist waivers as part of public art agreements.

Community representation in artist selection
Artist selection panels should include representatives from the Arts & Culture Commission and community members connected to the project site or neighborhood to ensure public art reflects Santa Ana's cultural identity and local context.

Community engagement in public art projects
Major public art projects should incorporate community engagement whenever feasible, including listening sessions, artist workshops, or partnerships with local organizations.

Public Art Trust Fund
Finally, the policy should strengthen support for establishing a Public Art Trust Fund to provide long-term funding for installation, maintenance, and preservation of Santa Ana's public art collection.

These amendments would help ensure the Public Art Policy fully supports the goals of Santa Ana's Arts & Culture Master Plan while protecting the city's vibrant public art legacy.

Thank you for considering these recommendations.

Sincerely.

Santa Ana resident, artist, educator and community member Sara Guerrero (she/hers) - a versatile theatre artist and educator, teatroguerrero.com _https://wrldefensc.com/y3/http://teatroquerrero.com/_UNgSfcluBEgOSJDEZzTkAsEN4ygUw/muumQ21ZSqgHKwk0kSh27ASGhcwiXOE2k6kJl3p.JidPMMSteDclt-_0E2ZXXu1-SepyYvO62S' Founding Artistic Director, Breath of Fire Latina Theater Ensemble <https://urldefense.com/v3/_https://www.breathoffre.orp/_:UNg8fcluBF408|JDEZ/TkAsEN4vpU/w/muumQ21ZSqgHKwk0kSh27A8GhcwiXOE2k6kJl3pJdPMMSteDclt._0E2ZXXu-9ct_cIRGus Artist-in-Residence. Grand Central Arts Center of Cal State Fullerton, Ca. <https://urldefense.com/va/_http://www.grandcentralartcenter.com/artist-in-residence. program/_INg8feluBEgOSUJDEZTkAsEN4ygUwlmuum021ZSggHKwkOk9h27A8GhcwiXOE2k6kJ/3pJidPMMSteDelt._0F27XX11-9ehzKIMSHS Established Artist Award Recipient, The California Arts Council Individual Artists Fellowship (IAF) Region 1, 2023-24-https://ur/defense.com/v3/https://artsoc.org/23-24-cac= inf/_:.Ng8fcluBFaQ81JDEZTkAsEN4ygUwImuumQ21ZSqgHKwkOk0h27A8GhcwiXOE2k6kJ3pJjdPMMSteDelt-_0F27XXu-9cjgpGLt9P Theatre Faculty, Califomia State University, Fullerton
<ps://wldefensc.com/ra/_https://www.fullerton.edu/arts/theatre/about_us/faculty_and staff/index, php_UN»8ícluBFqQ8!JDEZzTkAsEN4yęÏ/w/muumQ21Zq‹HKw&OkSh27A8Gh‹w©E2k6kJ3pdPMMSteDelt 0E2ZXXu-SesiitYIhS-
Finalist/Honorable Mention Playwright, The 46th annual Bay Area Playwrights Festival < https://widefense.com/v3/_https://www.broadwayworld.com/san-francisco/article/Playwrights-Foundation-Announces-Cohort-For- 46th-Bay-Area-Play wrights-Festival-April-12-21-
20230727*:* text=The*20playwrights*20for*20the*2046th,in*20New*20York*20City*20and_:341SUSUIJO!!Ng8fcIuBFgO8!JDEZzTkAsEN4ygUwimuumQ21ZSggHKwkOk9h27A8GhwiXOE2k6kJl3pJjdPMMSteDelt- • sent by a magical theatre loving unicom

From:

To: Le, Tram; Zurita, Bianca; eComment
Subject: Public Comment - Recommended Amendments to Strengthen the Public Art Policy Date: Monday, March 16, 2026 5:31:16 PM
Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana. Use caution when opening attachments or links.

As the Commission reviews the draft policy, I respectfully encourage consideration of several amendments that would strengthen transparency, artist protections, and community participation.

Public notification when artworks may be altered or removed The current draft policy notes the City may gather public feedback as appropriate. The policy could be strengthened by establishing a clear public notification process when artworks may be removed, relocated, or significantly altered, including:
• a minimum 30-day public comment period
• public notice through the City website, on-site signage, and community outreach • a summary of public input and final decision rationale Recent discussions about the future of the Chicano Gothic mural at Memorial Park demonstrate why clear communication and public input are important when artworks with cultural and historical significance may be affected.

Artist consultation and notice
The draft policy states the City will make a good-faith effort to notify artists and provide a reasonable opportunity to respond. This section could be strengthened by establishing clearer consultation standards, including:
• written notice to the artist at least 90 days in advance when feasible • meaningful consultation with the artist or estate
• emergency exceptions only for public safety or structural concerns These procedures should align with the principles of the Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA) and the California Art Preservation Act (CAPA), particularly if the City may request artist waivers as part of public art agreements.

These amendments would help ensure the Public Art Policy fully supports the goals of Santa Ana's Arts & Culture Master Plan while protecting the city's vibrant public art legacy.

Thank you for considering these recommendations.

Sincerely,
Matthew Williams
[Santa Ana resident]
From:

To: Le, Tram; Zurita, Bianca; eComment
Subject: Public Comment - Recommended Amendments to Strengthen the Public Art Policy Date: Thursday, March 19, 2026 12:49:25 PM
Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana. Use caution when opening attachments or links.

Dear Arts & Culture Commission,
I appreciate the City's work to develop a comprehensive Public Art Policy for Santa Ana.

Public art plays an important role in our city's cultural identity, and this policy will shape how murals, sculptures, and other artworks are created, maintained, and protected in the future.

As the Commission reviews the draft policy, I respectfully encourage consideration of several amendments that would strengthen transparency, artist protections, and community participation.

Public notification when artworks may be altered or removed The current draft policy notes the City may gather public feedback as appropriate. The policy could be strengthened by establishing a clear public notification process when artworks may be removed, relocated, or significantly altered, including • a minimum 30-day public comment period
• public notice through the City website, on-site siguage, and community outreach • a summary of public input and final decision rationale Recent discussions about the future of the Chicano Gothic mural at Memorial Park demonstrate why clear communication and public input are important when artworks with cultural and historical significance may be affected.

These amendments would help ensure the Public Art Policy fully supports the goals of Santa Ana's Arts & Culture Master Plan while protecting the city's vibrant public art legacy.

Thank you for considering these recommendations.

Sincerely,
Cynthia Rebolledo
Santa Ana resident /parent/community member
From:

To: eComment; Le, Tram; Zurita, Bianca
Subject: Santa Ana Public Art Plan e-comment
Date: Thursday, March 19, 2026 8:02:56 AM
Attachments: ee0720ab.png
Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana. Use caution when opening attachments or links.

Hello, Arts Commission and City Officials,
Having read the draft Public Art Policy, my first reaction is that it almost exclusively deals with murals and ignores other forms of public art, including digital artworks, sculptures or installations, sidewalk art, augmented reality, or light or sound-based pieces requiring electricity, solar power, etc.

This reveals a significant bias toward muralism, which has dominated Santa Ana's notion of public art and public space for decades, that not only misses a major opportunity to innovate Santa Ana's public art offerings, but also skews to the dominance of the discussion by muralists and their advocates at the expense of artists working in other disciplines.

We know that some of these mural advocates are aggressive and consistently rally their friends to parrot their interests to the City, and this is exactly why we need a public art policy that addresses and serves the needs of public artists working in diverse disciplines and visions. While Santa Ana has a fine history of muralism, it would be a mistake to move forward on a Public Art Policy that deals almost exclusively with murals.

This results in a proposed public art policy that looks backwards and not forward regarding what could be an exciting and innovative public art future for Santa Ana that can inspire its residents, future artists and visitors. To be effective, Santa Ana's Public Arts Policy needs to safeguard equity in the distribution of opportunities and resources to a diverse community of artists working in multiple disciplines.

Also, there was a major conflict that arose over 10 years ago when an artist was promised the parking garage wall at Plaza Calle Cuatro, and the Arts Commission rightly observed that there needs to be a public process for the use of public property. The City paused that artist's project, and to this day, she viciously decries the Arts Commission and others who prevented her from being granted that wall in a backroom deal.

The result was that the wall was not utilized until 2025, when it became the site, through a ublic proposal process, of the beautiful Sahuayo Sister City mural that now serves as i inational ambassador for Santa Ana's arts and culture community. If the Arts Commissior did not defend that wall, it would have served as a testament to that artists ego.

This current plan removes the requirement for Request for Proposals and Requests for Qualifications for projects on public property with budgets under $50,000, and this is a mistake. I strongly advise you to make public proposals, at least via Requests for Proposals, for ALL public art projects on public property.

As such, I recommend that there be additional community meetings to gather public input on the proposed plan and offer Media Arts Santa Ana's TVGB Digital Maker Space as a host location for such a meeting. Public input is critical to the creation of a valid Public Art Plan, and requesting input via one email opportunity to a plan that is referred to as "final" does not fulfill the requirement for public input. As arts advocate Tomas Benitez said to me: "You can't have a public art plan without the public...It's in the name!" I urge you to consider additional public input sessions, and I request that you reach out to me at [email protected] to discuss this opportunity further.

Below are some specific notes on some of the sections thru item 2.4. I will submit a second list of recommendations as a follow up.

Please review the additional recommendations below.

Thank You,
Victor Payan
Founding Director, Media Arts Santa Ana
Founding Member, United Artists of Santa Ana
California Arts Council Creative Corps Fellow

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE SANTA ANA PUBLIC ART PLAN

DEFINITION
• In the paragraph explaining the establishment of the public art policy on Page 1, a sixth point should be added: 6) Ensure the equitable distribution of public art opportunities and resources to diverse artists and protect against monopolization by predatory or unscrupulous artists or groups.
• The definitions of public art should include Sculpture and Installations as separate from Monuments. Public art is often developed in conjunction with a community, proposed by an artist or commissioned, while monuments are primarily donated and promote the agendas and narratives of the donor, not the public. • FUNDING AND BUDGETING
• The City should create funding for programs for the creation of new public art works as well as restoration of existing ones.
• Funding should be equitably distributed to ensure the creation of public art in all six of Santa Ana's wards.
• Funding and resources should be equitably distributed to prevent monopolization and ensure the maximum number of artists and creative visions receive opportunities to contribute to Santa Ana's public art landscape.

2.2.1 OVERALL SELECTION PROCESS
• Requests for Proposals (RFP's) should be required for ALL public art projects on public property, regardless of cost. Projects over $20,000 should have more rigorous requirements, including an RFQ, but requiring an RFP for all public art opportunities will ensure equitable an equitable process, opportunity, and awareness are provideo

2.2.2 RFQ PROCESS: REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
• The goals for RFQs process to promote equitable access to opportunities should apply to ALL public art opportunities, not just projects budgeted over $50,000. It is critical that all public art opportunities are protected by this process. RFPs for all public art opportunities would ensure these protections for all opportunities, regardless of budget size.

2.2.4 ARTIST QUALIFICATION EVALUATION
• The artist review process should strictly adhere to conflict of interest policy and protect against lobbying by artists to prevent compromising the selection process.

2.2.6 RFP PROCESS: REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
• A Request for Proposals should be required for ALL public art projects on public property to ensure equitable access to opportunities and a public review process. Not requiring a proposal process for public art projects is a recipe for conflict, community discord and strife among artists.

2.2.7 PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
• Artists SHOULD be required to participate in community engagement activities, not "may".
• The submission timeline for RFQs should be no less than 60 days from the public announcement to allow for appropriate awareness raising in the community and RFQ preparation.

2.2.8 DESIGN GUIDELINES
• The design guidelines are almost exclusively for painted murals, and do not account for digital artworks, sculptures or installations, including augmented reality, light or sound-based pieces requiring electricity, solar power, etc. The design guidelines also should include parameters for digitally created and printed murals and artworks.

2.2.10 PROPOSAL EVALUATION
• The panelists should be strictly required to disclose conflicts of interests and instances of lobbying efforts by applicants.
• Attempts by applicants to contact, lobby or influence the panelists, directly or through proxies, must be disclosed and result in the disqualification of their proposals.

2.4 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT
• The City should be wary of influence campaigns by artists that manipulate public input, discussion and review by stacking dialogues with their advocated to create a fabricated sense of public support.

From: carlos garcia
To: Zurita, Bianca
Subject: Santa Ana Public Arts Policy e-comment
Date: Thursday, March 19, 2026 8:49:41 AM
Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana. Use caution when opening attachments or links.

I am writing to express serious concerns regarding the integrity of our city's cultural and arts programs. À deeply disturbing revelation has come to light. Ciedible evidence now exists, including publicly available social media videos, that certain individuals receiving city support, among them Alicia Rojas, Roger Reyes, and their associate Lenny, are actively engaged in the distribution and personal use of illicit narcotics, including cocaine and, in Ms.

Rojas's case, heroin.

Rojas was awarded $50,000 to develop a public art policy document that looks like it was made by ChatGPT. It has the markings of being AI generated. More importantly, no public bidding process was followed before awarding these funds. Was this fair? How did she get this contract? Was this a transparent process? This needs to be investigated There are also conflicts of interest with the oversight commission. Commissioner Debra Russell's well-documented advocacy for Ms. Rojas raises serious concerns about impartiality.

Commissioner Joese Hernandez's close associations with the same circle, along with allegations of sexual misconduct, only adds to the appearance of favoritism and quid pro quo.

It is time for the Commissioners to confront these backroom deals and preferential treatment.

A small but loud group of "artists" is using aggressive tactics to betray the public trust and degrade our community's future.

I urge you to act and resolve this unethical behavior. Suspend all futher contracts with these individuals pending a full, independent investigation. Restore ethics, transparency, and true merit-based selection to every grant and contract. The City does many things well, but this is a black mark on it, especially if this continues.

Santa Ana deserves better.

From:

To: ecomment
Cc: Zurita, Bianca; Le, Tram
Subject: PUBLIC ART PLAN COMMENTS
Date: Thursday, March 19, 2026 3:35:27 PM
Importance: High
Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana. Use caution when opening attachments or links.

Dear Cultural Leaders and City Staff,
I am writing to give my feedback on the City of Santa Ana art policy. As the former head of the Arts and Culture Commission, I recall the consultants of our City Arts Master Plan proposing to do a Public Art Plan as an addendum for an additional $30,000. If the City ever chooses to go with, I suggest it be the result of a robust RFP so that a team of seasoned professionals can be engaged to strategize best practices and document public participation. The Public, as the name suggests, should be actively engaged in Public Art.

NEED FOR ADDITIONAL STAFF & PUBLIC ART BOARD
Many of the items cited - maintaining a public art directory, coordinating public art selection, fundraising/development, notifying artists of changes, tracking artists work, ensuring compliance with city standards, and more -- merit dedicated personnel. Ideally, Santa Ana's Public Art Team would be administrated via the same branch as the Arts and Culture Commission -- instead of spread out over so many agencies (City Manager, Parks & Rec, Econ Dev with Arts & Culture Commission). In the interests of increased Tourism, enhanced Quality of Life, and stimulating Property Values, the City of Santa Ana may want to consider transitioning all arts activities to a revenue-generating Art & Culture Department at City Hall.

This department could include events and film permits.

Below are links to the City of San Antonio's Art and Public Art Division, which has all its Art Endeavors - including Art Venues, Creative Workforce Development, Public Art, Events and Filmming into a collaborative Department at City Hall:
--- City of San Antonio Arts Dept
https://www.sa.gov/Directory/Departments/Arts
--- City of San Antonio Public Art
https://www.sa.gov/Directory/Departments/Arts/Public-Art --- SA Department of Arts & Culture - Staff and FY2025 Annual Report https://www.sa.gov/Directory/Departments/Arts/About

ESTABLISH COMPREHENSIVE GUIDELINES FOR BEST PRESERVATION PRACTICES Numerous times, "best preservation" practices and preservation activities are referenced in the plan, especially in section 3.0 Maintenance, Preservation, Modification, Relocation, and Demolition. I don't see anywhere what the specific practices are. To remedy the confusion and make clear what best restoration practices are, I suggest purchasing the "Mural Restoration Technical Manual" published by the Chicano Park Steering Committee in San Diego and contracting a training session by its mural masters for City Staff. -- Book Info
https://sandiego.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S161C125378 -- The staff at the Chicano Park Museum - Board Chair Josephine Talamantes and ED Monica Hernandez - can help you get clearances for reproducing parts of the book and/or use it as a training manual. Say "Pocha Peña" sent you.
https://chicanoparkmuseum.org/staff-board/
Full Disclosure - I contributed to the writing of this book, was a member of the Chicano Park Steering Committee and was also on the grant-writing team that enabled the Chicano Park 2.1 million dollar mural restoration.
--https://www.chicano-park.com/cpmap.html

CLARIFICATION - CITY - ISSUED GRANTS
On the first page at the end of the second paragraph, it says "city-issued grants" are excluded from being governed under "this policy". What does that mean?

CONSIDER PROVIDING ANTI-GRAFFITI COAT
At the top of the 3rd to last paragraph on page 5 (section 2.2.8) this policy mentions requiring an "approved anti-graffiti" coating. I suggest the City standardize anti-graffiti efforts by buying this coating in bulk and providing it free of charge to muralists or for a nominal fee. There is an excellent encapsulation method that enables aerosol tagging to simply wash off. Tram should have the details as the vendor wanted to demo it on the "Among Heroes" mural in Barrio Logan.

Sincerely,
-- Sandra "Pocha" Peña Sarmiento
Sandra "Pocha" Peña Sarmiento
"Frontier Arts & Hybrid Culture"
www.pocharte.com
www.sanartesa.com
714.417.0073

Santa Ana City CouncilAugust 4, 2026

Santa Ana City Council
August 4, 2026