City Council - Regular Meeting

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Mayor, the meeting is live.

Great, thank you. Let's proceed with the meeting. I hereby call the Santa Ana City Council meeting to order. This meeting is taking place with in-person attendance and by teleconference via Zoom. The public may access the meeting via the Santa Ana YouTube channel or the city's website. Please bear with us as the technology may disrupt the flow of the meeting. Madam Clerk, please conduct the roll call.

Council Member Becerra. Council Member Hernandez.

Present.

Council Member Lopez. Council Member Phan. Here. Council Member Vasquez.

Present.

Mayor Pro Tem Penalosa.

Present.

Mayor Mesquita. Present. Five members, that is a quorum.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Are there any additions or deletions to the closed session agenda? There are none. Do any council members need to announce their abstentions on closed session items?

Yes, Mayor. I have to recuse myself from item three, conference with legal counsel regarding potential initiation of litigation as the potential defendant is a client of my employer, Rattan and Tucker. So I will not be in the closed session room. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Madam Clerk, do we have any speakers for closed session?

We have no speakers and we did not receive any e-mails regarding the closed session agenda items.

Great. Thank you. We will now resume to closed session.

Bye. Thank you. you you Thank you. you do Thank you. you you you you

Yes, go ahead, Mayor. Let's start the meeting, Madam Clerk. I hereby reconvene the Santa Ana City Council meeting to order.

This meeting is taking place with in-person attendance and by teleconference via Zoom. The public may access the meeting via the Santa Ana YouTube channel or the city's website. Please bear with us as the technology may disrupt the flow of the meeting. This is a meeting to conduct the business of the city. There's an opportunity to call for a recess or break or even to clear the room if a meeting becomes too disruptive to properly conduct business. Warnings will be provided prior to any actions being taken. We appreciate your cooperation. For everyone's safety, per the Fire Marshal, please do not stand or place objects in the aisles, in front of the dais, along the back wall of the Council Chamber, or in front of any entrances or exits. During City Council presentations, guests of individuals being recognized are invited to come to the front to take photos. For roll call, Council Member Becerra.

Here.

Council Member Hernandez.

Present.

Council Member Lopez. Here. Council Member Phan. Here. Council Member Vasquez.

Present.

Mayor Pretend Penalosa.

Present.

Mayor Meskwa. Present. All seven members present.

Madam Clerk, before we proceed to the Pledge of Allegiance, please make an announcement.

For members of the public on Zoom or teleconference to request to speak during public comments on agenda or non-agenda items within the city's jurisdiction, you must dial star nine or press the raise hand button in Zoom now in order to be in the queue once public comments commence. This does not apply to the Housing Authority agenda for which comments will be heard during that specific meeting. Please hold any comments on the Housing Authority until those items are specifically called upon. Thank you.

Thank you very much. First item on the agenda is the Pledge of Allegiance. Can I have Armando from our Water Department please come up and lead us in the pledge? Thank you so much.

Good evening, everyone. Please join us.

Put your hand over your heart.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you very much, Amanda. The words of inspiration will be provided by Pastor Jeff Schlinder. Please come to the podium.

Good evening. My name is Jeff Schleter, and I'm a pastor at Cross of Grace Church here in downtown, and I'm grateful to be your neighbor. Thank you for the opportunity to address the city council and to ask God's blessing upon what takes place tonight. So let's go to him now in prayer. If you would, please bow your heads and pray with me. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen. Lord, would your will be done in Santa Ana as it is in heaven? Would your mercy and blessings and power be poured out upon our city? Would your truth and love and goodness shape the lives being lived all around us? And as we come to you now, we pray, give us this day our daily bread. Lord, give us what we need to do your will and to live well together. Would you give our city councilors the daily bread of wisdom, courage, and strength to execute their office and to serve the people of Santa Ana? Would you guide them as they discuss and debate and make decisions that impact our city? Would you use them to promote what you say is good and to protect our neighbors from what you say is evil or unhelpful or not leading to their flourishing? Would you give them, Lord, a unity of purpose, help them to work together, and empower them to place the quality of life in our city above any personal pursuits? And Lord, would you bless them as they do a difficult job that needs to get done? And for the citizens of our community, Father, I ask, would you generously give the daily bread a provision for their needs? Safety and security as they move through life. Comfort in their griefs. And a peace in their hearts that comes from you. A peace that is most deeply anchored in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The one who gave himself to us as the true bread of life. the one who can meet the deepest needs of our bodies and souls, the one who alone can satisfy the deepest hunger in our hearts, both now and forever. Oh Lord, would you give fresh grace, fresh help, and fresh strength to the leaders, the elected officials, the law enforcement personnel, the first responders, the business owners, the nonprofit workers, the churches, the schools, the parents, and the people of our city, so that we would be a city on a hill, one that shines forth your light in a way that cannot be hidden, one that we love and are proud to call home. Father in heaven, would you hear our prayers and do these things? For your glory and the good of our city, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you.

Thank you. Madam Clerk, are there any additions or deletions to the City Council agenda? No, there are not. Great. We're going to go to the ceremonial presentations. At this time, I have the first presentation. Can I call up the girls' fast pitch of Santa Ana for outstanding athletic achievement, please? You guys got to get closer like you like each other. Come on up closer. Right. Good evening. Tonight, it is my honor to recognize the players, the families, the coaches, the volunteers, and the leadership of the Girls Fast Pitch of Santa Ana. Let's give them a big round of applause. I love saying that, girls fast pitch, right? Because you know they're like amazing players. What makes this recognition especially meaningful is that it is about much more than wins and losses on the field. It is a story of perseverance, community, and the determination that defines Santa Ana. Less than a year ago, the future of this league was uncertain. Participation had declined, families were leaving to play in neighboring cities, and the league faced significant organizational challenges. At one point, only 17 players were registered. Rather than give up, because we don't do that here, dedicated volunteers, parents, coaches, and community members came together and chose to rebuild. They reached out directly to the community, promoted the program throughout the city, strengthened their outreach efforts, and worked tirelessly to create new opportunities for young athletes. Their commitment definitely paid off. By the spring of 2026 season, the league had grown to nine teams across multiple age divisions and successfully brought back programs that had not existed for years, including a 14 and under team. Let's give them a round of applause for doing that, please. You know that took a lot of work. The league also revived opening day and closing day celebrations, creating a renewed sense of pride and community. When new challenges emerged, the Santa Ana community once again rose to the occasion. Families answered the call, players came together from different backgrounds and experiences, and a new generation of athletes united to represent their city. As a result, Santa Ana fielded all-star teams in the 10 and under and 12 and under divisions for the first time in more than a decade. Congratulations. You can do anything when you put your mind to it. These young athletes demonstrated teamwork, resilience, sportsmanship, and dedication through practices, tournaments, and countless hours of hard work. They showed what can be accomplished when a community believes in itself and we invest in our youth. To all of the players here tonight, you have represented Santa Ana with pride, courage, and determination. You have inspired younger girls throughout our city to dream bigger, work harder, and believe that they too can achieve great things. So on behalf of the city council and the entire city of Santa Ana, and the mayor, thank you to the players, the families, the coaches, the volunteers, and the league leadership for your commitment to creating opportunities for our youth, your children. Congratulations on an incredible season and thank you for proudly, and I say that proudly, wearing the Santa Ana uniform and representing our community so well. And I just want to take a moment to say thank you because As I had stated, there were little rough patches here. And you all made a difference, all of the families and parents and Ninas and grandmas and Tias and friends and everybody that came out to support you all. So ladies, I'm so proud of you to stand up here with you. Love the shirts. I'm going to have to buy one, not get one, but buy one so I can support you all. But because when we dream big, we can do anything, right? We can do anything, especially as women. Ladies, hey, power. Power when it comes to women. So with that, yeah, that's a round of applause. Power when it comes to women. Yes. So who's going to speak? Who is going to speak on behalf of the team? One of you has to come up, or I can pick somebody. Come on. Come on up. Come on. Of course, I knew it was going to be Yubi, huh? I don't know how to lower this. I was like, I knew you were going to come up. Come on.

There you go.

Thank you.

Loud and proud. Represent. Come on.

It is an honor to be at this stage right here, and for my tenured team that I'm the youngest one on the team, and all of my teammates have pushed me to keep on going to play softball at Santa Ana. I'm so happy.

I'm so proud of you.

Thank you.

Coach is coming in.

Anybody coming?

Come on.

Thank you, Mayor. Thank you to the City Council, and of course, thank you to all of our families. We could not have done this without all of the people that volunteered, that supported the girls and supported us as also board members and coaches. Thank you very much.

Well, no, you can't go anywhere. Both of you. Come on up, ladies. Up close, up close, up close. Okay, so on behalf of the city of Santa Ana, I am going to present you with a certificate of recognition awarded to the girls Fast Pitch Santa Ana 10 and under.

Yay.

Yes, round of applause. And then the second one is a certificate of recognition for the Girls Fast Pitch Santa Ana, 12 and under.

Thank you guys so very much. Thank you for everything that you do. And girls, I'll see you next season.

All right, let's do it. We've got to take a picture first, okay? Let's take a picture.

Now it's hard to follow an act like that, but I'm gonna try. So if I can have the state champion, Santa Ana College baseball team join me up here in front of you guys.

Come on in.

Don't worry, Ben doesn't bite. You guys can keep going. Well, he might bite. Coach, come on over.

So tonight, it's my great honor to recognize the Santa Ana College Dons baseball team for an extraordinary and historic 2026 season. The Dons captured the California Community College Athletic Association state championship, securing their second state title in the last four seasons, and further solidifying their place among the top premier baseball programs in all of California.

Right?

So this season was truly one for the record books. The Dons finished with an incredible 44-7-1 record. I didn't know they had ties in baseball. Ah, okay, there we go. They also set numerous single-season records, including an 8.53 winning percentage. 85% of their games they've won. 44 wins, 563 runs scored, 673 hits, 138 doubles, 80 home runs, 508 runs batted in, and 1,937 at-bats. That means they were playing a little more offense than defense most of the year, which is awesome. In addition to winning the state championship, Santa Ana College claimed its 23rd Orange Empire Conference Championship and its first conference title since 2014. I love the fact that you've got more state championships coming in than conference championships. I'll take that all day. That's awesome. The success of this remarkable season reflects the outstanding leadership of the gentleman right next to me, head coach Tom Niles, who earned his 300th career victory at Santa Ana College, the second most wins in program history. Only the legendary coach Don Sneddon, who was at SAC for 32 years, has more wins. He corrected me on a couple of stats. I'll let him correct that a little bit later. Coach Sneddon won three state championships with his first coming 12 years into his tenure. Meanwhile, Coach Niles, again, I'll let you correct the record on this one, but he had already won two state championships in his first 10 years, but he has a different stat on that. Was it eight? We'll say eight? Nine. Okay, we're going to go with nine. So first and nine. I'll let him explain. Coach Niles was both the Orange Empire Conference Coach of the Year and the California Community College Baseball Coaches Association Coach of the Year, marking the second time in his career that he's received that statewide honor. Pitching coach George Carlejo, is he here?

He's not. He's not here. He's coaching his daughter's softball team.

All right. You can't stop coaching, right? He was recognized for his exceptional leadership and development of student-athletes, earning the California Community College Baseball Coaches Association's Assistant Coach of the Year Award. Several dominant players received prestigious individual awards for their outstanding performances throughout the season. Where's Nico at?

Niko's in Washington playing.

Of course he is. He's already at UW, right?

No, no, that's Jack.

Oh, okay, my bad. Well, Niko Palletta was named the state tournament MVP after an incredible championship run in which he batted 11 for 19 with nine RBIs and four home runs. During the season, he hit 422 with 84 hits, 58 RBIs, and 11 home runs. NECA was also named First Team All-State and First Team All-Orange Empire Conference. So where's Ken at? Do we have Ken here? Ken's also out playing. Ah. All the good ones are out playing right now, huh?

I met them!

Ay, ay, ay. Ay, ay, ay. This is a state championship team, guys. They all had to do well. Relax, guys. Relax. Ken Tomitaka. Let's talk about Ken for a second. Ken earned Orange Empire Conference Most Valuable Player honors and a first-team All-State recognition after hitting .380 with 73 hits, 60 RBIs, and eight home runs. Jack Mueller. It's Jack.

Mueller.

He's out playing too. Mueller. Mueller's not here, huh? Jack was named to the All Southern California Region Team First Team All Orange Empire Conference and was recognized as Santa Ana College's Male Scholar Athlete of the Year. Jack finished the season with a .337 batting average, 66 hits, 48 RBIs, 40 walks, and 8 home runs. Additional recognition goes to Aiden Marquez and Evan Ryder, who were selected to the All Southern California Region team, while nine Dons players, I'm sure they're all behind me, earned all Orange Empire Conference honors. The success of this team extends beyond the baseball field. Nine student athletes from this championship roster have already committed to continue their academics and athletic careers at NCAA Division I schools. They include the University of Washington, that's why I said UW earlier, UC San Diego, LMU, the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley, and Southeast Missouri State University, and East Tennessee State University. The accomplishments of the Santa Ana College Dons baseball team is a testament to the dedication of players, coaches, staff, family, and supporters Speaking of supporters, I see Dr. Annabel Neri in the audience, and I see our athletic director, Mary Hegarty. Can we give them a round of applause, please? These guys did all the heavy work, but if it wasn't for them, there's a lot of things that get done behind the scenes. So thank you guys for all the work that you do. So on behalf of the city of Santa Ana, I want to congratulate you on an unforgettable season, a conference championship, a state championship, and for representing the city with excellence, both on and off the field. So guys, please join me in congratulating the 2026 state champion Santa Ana College Dodds baseball team.

First off, thank you for this great honor. We were able to come here in 2023, and I told Councilman Becerra that we would be back the following year. We came up short in the final four that year, but it took me a little bit longer, but we're back. So I appreciate it. It's always great to be here. I do want to thank our administration, Dr. Lamb, Dr. Neary, Yep, Mary and Andrew, it's hard to do any of this without people behind the scenes doing the heavy lifting. You mentioned quite a few individuals. I also want to point out another guy that is here today. Andrew Phillips, where you at, buddy? That guy threw on Saturday, opening day, and then came back on Monday and closed out our fifth game over the three-day span. Without that kind of individual effort, this wouldn't have been done. And I can say that about all the guys on the roster. I mean, they all stepped up. They all did the things that they needed to do above and beyond what's normal. And so it's not just those guys that got the accolades on the offensive side, which was special, but guys like him. So I definitely want to point that out. Look, they were all incredible. Fun run. Trying to do it again next year. So hopefully I'll say this now. We'll be back next year. But thank you.

before you guys run.

Council, would you like to come down? Or stand? All right, good luck with these guys.

All right, next up is Councilman Hernandez.

All right, if we could please put our hands together for the Santa Ana Community Artists Coalition. We'll be bringing them up to the front here. All right. Well, what a wonderful day today is, June 16, 2026. It is with great pleasure and an honor to be able to recognize for their outstanding contributions to preserving two important community murals here in Santa Ana, Viva Santa Ana and La Virgencita. I have the honor of presenting this to the Santa Ana Community Artists Coalition. I'd like to begin by thanking all of the community members who are here today, and more importantly, the Santa Ana Community Artist Coalition. Tonight, we are proud to recognize the efforts and the talented artists of the Santa Ana Artist Community Coalition. This amazing group that is behind us here has worked to preserve two important community murals that are located in downtown Santa Ana. Those are respectively titled Viva Santa Ana and La Virgencita, which is located in the Friendship Park right across from Ed Carruthers Park off of Myrtle. I would encourage you to go and pay that a visit. It's very beautiful. I also want to highlight that in 2023, the Santa Ana Community Artists Coalition also renovated the historic Chicano mural off of Civic Center and Artisa Pilar de la Raza mural, as well as Sergio Ocades' mural located at what was formerly Fremont Elementary, now Guzman Elementary. The work that the Santa Ana Community Artists Coalition has been doing over the past decade plus has helped preserve Chicano culture, arts, and community. What we have here today is a very powerful representation of a growing movement of youth artists. These youth interns dedicated over 64 hours of restoration work to help preserve these beloved community murals. They have been learning from Santa Ana's best experts, people like Alicia Rojas, people like Roger Reyes, They are helping these young students learn how to preserve our murals. They are teaching them conservation techniques. They are engaging with the Santa Ana community. And more importantly, they're helping preserve important cultural and historical landmarks for the Santa Ana community. Throughout this project, these youth leaders have developed hands-on skills in public art restoration. They've developed hands-on skills in color matching, surface preparation, in painting, documentation, and community engagement. Their commitment, their professionalism, and their care for the city of Santa Ana's public art have truly been inspiring. I encourage you to go to downtown and pay respect to the work that they've done. Founded in 2013, the Santa Ana Community Artists Coalition is a grassroots organization that is from this community. They have dedicated themselves to connecting local creatives with their neighborhoods through collaborative art projects. This coalition's champion's focus is to preserve our culture. It is to ensure that they have a community-driven mural restoration effort, and one that is successful. They're strong artist advocates. They have fought to make sure that artists have the right to protect their work. They have fought to make sure that their rights of these artists are protected across our beautiful city. Their efforts not only focus on restoring art in our city, but they have also introduced public artworks that we all love. They are connected to our local history. They are connected to our culture and our civic pride. We are deeply grateful for these young leaders. We're grateful for their mentors, and we're grateful for their advocacy. Their advocacy and their efforts is capturing the soul of what is Santa Ana. In these murals, you will see their stories. We are honored to be able to celebrate their accomplishments here today at City Hall. These young artists and their dedicated mentors are painting the future. Please join me tonight in recognizing and thanking these artists for their continued support of the arts, for them developing youth leaders, and for preserving Santa Ana's culture. Please put your hands together for the Santa Ana Artist Community Coalition. I would like to give this certificate of recognition to the Santa Ana Community Artists Coalition. I would like to invite their founders, their lead artists and youth artists, and those will be Alicia Rojas, Roger Reyes, Cynthia Mora, and Liliana Playas to share some words. Thank you.

Thank you so much, Councilman Hernandez, for acknowledging and being one of our biggest art champions, passing these restoration funds that have helped make these programs. So I just wanna say a few words. It's been over 10 years since we've been working to establish public art policies, preservation. And I think what this story is so special about the youth that you see here, thanks to a city grant, we were able to start these programs. We had over 103 youth applicants between 16 to 24. It was very hard to choose. These are old kids who were born and raised in the city Some of them are already college graduates, all products of Santa Ana School District. And I think also what's so beautiful about when we talk about preservation is we're teaching youth to take care of things, right, in long-term things. So as Councilman Hernandez spoke, we restored two 50-year-old murals in the city of Sergio Cadiz. La Raza mural was 1980. And we were right now working with the city on the preservation and enhancement of Chicano Gothic Memorial Park. I'm very proud of what the coalition has accomplished. All our public art projects include a process where we include the community in the art making. So they're also imagining the designs, the storytelling, and they're coming to paint with us. So the walls belong to everybody. So, thank you so much for this recognition, and I will call on Roderick Wolfaunder.

Roderick Wolfaunder Thank you, everyone, for being here to recognize these youth. Tonight, we probably recognize this remarkable group of young people who dedicated their time and talents to restoring murals here in Santa Ana. Through their hard work and commitment, they help preserve the history and spirit of our city for future generations. Their contributions remind us that public art is more than just paint on a wall. It is a reflection of who we are as a community. It was an honor to be a mentor and witness their passion and dedication. The future is bright, and I have no doubt that they will continue to inspire and strengthen the communities that they serve. Thank you.

Cynthia, Liliana, and I know Linda wanted to also add some words.

It's been an absolute honor and privilege to be part of the collaborative creative process behind Viva Santana. As one of the original artists 10 years ago, it was a collaborative effort where we asked members of the community and residents what they wanted to see throughout the city. After listening to stories and suggestions of many community members, a creative process began. The purpose of this mural was not only to provide beautiful imagery, but also to reflect the stories deeply rooted in what Santa Ana is and the historical pieces of its earlier years, stories that may mirror experiences with our own family histories or those of families we know. These are images that resonate with us and may resonate with you as well. And too often these stories remain within the hearts and minds of those who hold them or are shared only with trusted listeners. But through this mural and the work of Santa Ana Artists Coalition, we have allowed those stories to be amplified and made visually accessible to all. Because public art is so much more than aesthetic charm. It opens windows into narratives that have the power to bind and connect us all. It is a visual form of storytelling and one of the oldest forms of expression. It's a universal language that we must not take for granted and should never allow it to fade. So thank you for this opportunity, for the recognition, and what a privilege it has been to be entrusted with creating and restoring what you see today as Viva Santana.

Hello everyone, me llamo Liliana Playas. Thank you all for the love and support on our recent mural restorations. Specifically, I was hopping on La Virgencita and the new additions of Las Mariposas. I'm deeply grateful for the trust in leading the Mariposa wall along with youth interns where I had the opportunity to share my creative freedom and skills. Being part of this project has been an honor and such a blessing to our neighborhood due to violence among youths. And since I was asked about myself, I want to talk. As a Santanera born and raised in Santana living among two rival gangs, I've seen it all. I know the effects of gang violence and police brutality in families because I lived it for so many years. As a young girl growing up, I never believed I would make it out alive because a violent police retaliation goes against anyone. I remember as a young girl, cops busting into my home illegally, tasing and beating up my father in front of me. This is traumatizing to our children. Even if you try to comply, they will use excessive force against you. I've seen it for so many years, but different names. I wonder, when will our community stop thinking, another day, another murder? As a santanera and a victim of negligence, our mural speaks volumes and voices of those who have left us due to gang violence or victims of police brutality. Our prayers of a peaceful and safe mural of La Virgencita was highly requested from our neighborhood in Muerto, and I hope that we can now see our children play together without the fear of police harassment. Our hands-on community involvement makes projects like this impactful and meaningful in the slow process of changing the corruption of our system in our own city of Santa Ana. I want to acknowledge and praise the team's hard work and dedication. Seeing everyone's collaborative work, energy, shared creativity, and vision among us and the children really bloomed our murals to life. Gratitude for our mentors Alicia and Roger for the trust and guidance. They are great people striving for positive change, and I will continue to support the coalition because they are helping plant new seeds of change. Sharing our stories builds community. Thank you to the city for the grant. I'm sure we can do more, but I believe this is a start. Justice for Noe Rodriguez, and the only thing I want to request is, or at least ask, is when are we changing the Cesar Chavez on OSHA school? Thank you.

May I come back?

Hi, everyone. Thank you for coming out. First, I'd like to thank Alicia and Roger for allowing us, all of us, to have this opportunity to help our community. And thank you, my little sister, for coming. Honestly, I think it was such a beautiful experience getting to meet new people and other artists, especially working on La Virgencita, since it was mainly women that I was working with, which we don't get much representation, it's usually men working on murals, so it was really nice to see the youth and young girls, and then getting to know all of them especially, and then having the community come out and help paint the mural, and then I'd also like to say Thank you to my mom. I really enjoyed doing the because it was for her because she's really passionate about the itself. And then hopefully we get more funding for the art so we have more opportunities to make the community more beautiful.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. We'll be taking a picture and then thank you guys all for your service very much.

Thank you, next up is Council Member Lopez, please.

Okay.

Yeah, of course.

All right, good evening, everybody. I am really excited to be recognizing Iman and his team members for all the work that they've done as a local business owner. Here in the city of Santa Ana, it really is my pleasure to recognize and congratulate them for their outstanding service and contributions to our community and our local economy. through his ownership and operations of a local UPS store in South Santa Ana. As a local small business owner, Ahmaud has successfully built and operated a business that provides essential services to residents, to other small businesses, to entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and organizations throughout the city. Through shipping, printing, mailboxes, and business support services, he has helped countless individuals and businesses meet their needs and achieve their goals. What makes Iman a true pillar of his community is his commitment to exceptional customer service, and I'm really excited for you to share the story about how that translated into his store being one of the highest rated in our city, and I think in Orange County. He has established a reputation for professionalism, reliability, and genuine dedication to helping every person that walks through his doors. His focus on customer satisfaction has earned the trust and appreciation of many community members. Externally, his support for local businesses, our public schools, other entrepreneurs, and nonprofit organizations reflect the spirit of community partnership that helps Anayana thrive. Internally, AMADA places great importance on creating employment opportunities for local hires and fostering a positive work environment through ongoing employee training and professional development. Together, these efforts demonstrate that when you invest in care for your people internally, positive impacts on the broader community naturally follow. On behalf of my office and the residents of Santa Ana, we thank Ahmad and his team for his dedication, his hard work, his commitment, and his contributions to our community and local economy. We congratulate him on his accomplishments and wish him continued success in the years ahead. We know that for business owners in our community and really all through the state and abroad, it's been really difficult, whether you're dealing with tariffs, whether you're dealing with the interruption in the supply and chain orders, or whether you're just dealing with, quite frankly, rude, entitled people. And I think I bring that up because we probably have all seen the video of that person throwing food at a Chipotle worker. And it really brought me back to when I used to work in downtown Disney and really having to always put a smile on your face, provide the best, I think, experience for somebody. But there's always going to be that moment when you're dealing with somebody that feels entitled. And it's really hard, especially nowadays. And so I just want to thank them for all that they do to serve our community members. And don't forget to support our small businesses. And don't forget to be patient sometimes because it's really important. And so I just want to congratulate them on their continued success. And thank you all for that you do. And we just want to wish you again a successful year ahead. And thank you all so much for your contributions to our city. We appreciate it. Of course.

Thank you, Council Lopez, I really appreciate you. I prepared a very short speech, it's about two hours, so bear with me. I'm just gonna put this one a little higher. Good evening, Mayor, city council members, city staffs, and members of our community. My name is Emad Dalati, and I am honored to stand before you tonight to accept this recognition on behalf of my family and our business, the UPS Store 7792. This recognition at the UPS store, we strive to be more than just a shipping and printing center. Our goal, to provide dependable service, support local businesses, help our neighbors, and make a positive difference in the community. We are especially proud that in just a year and a half, our store has become the top-rated UPS store in Orange County. To us, that achievement reflects the dedication, hard work, and commitment our team puts into serving every customer. It represents the level of care, service, and attention we provide every day, and it motivates us to continue exceeding expectations. This recognition means a great deal to us because our journey has been built on hard work, perseverance, and commitment to serving our community. My brothers and I are immigrants who were raised by a wonderful father and mother who taught us values that continue to guide us, a foundation of both our personal and business lives. And now I would like to take a moment to... ask you guys to give a great round of applause to my parents. I only have my mom with me today, but my father, he's at home. Thank you, thank you.

I would also... She's welcome to come up with you. Please bring her up with you.

She doesn't want to. I don't know why. She's shy. Come here. Come on. Come on up, mom. Come on up. Come on up. I would also like to say thank you to my brothers, John and Jake. We have worked side by side. Yes, definitely they deserve it. We have worked side by side to build this business. Their dedication, sacrifice, and commitment have been a huge part of our success. Everything we have achieved has been a true family effort, and I am grateful to share this recognition with them. Love you both. Almost done, I promise. I would also like to say thank you to my beautiful wife for her endless support, patience, and encouragement. She couldn't be here with me today. She's at the store running the business. Running a business requires many long days and sacrifices, and I could not have done it without her standing by my side every step of the way, especially when she thinks that I am the most annoying person in the world. So I love you. Thank you, City Council, for this recognition. It is truly an honor, and we are proud to be part of such a welcoming and supportive community. We look forward to continuing to serve and give back to our community for many years to come, inshallah. God bless my family, God bless you, and God bless America.

Anything to report out of closed session, please?

Thank you, Mayor, Council Members, and members of the public. I do have some reportable action this evening. On item number one in the Michael Gonzalez v. City of Santa Ana case, which is a workers' compensation case, the City Council voted 7-0 to approve a final settlement of $400,000. In item number two in the case of Corey Slayton, the City voted 7-0 to appeal the decision of the Superior Court. And in item number three, the City Council gave direction to staff regarding this item. And that's all the reportable action that I have.

Thank you very much, Madam City Attorney. At this time, we're gonna go to public comments. This is the time of the meeting for the City Council to receive comments from the public on agenda and non-agenda items. Madam City Clerk, please explain the public comment procedures and call the first speakers.

Thank you, Mayor. Pursuant to resolution number 2026-024, speakers are requested to address the City Council directly and to refrain from profane language, racial epitaphs, and libelous or slanderous statements that disturb the decorum of the meeting. Pursuant to the Brown Act, the City Council may not enter into discussion at this time. Speakers will have three minutes for their comments. Before calling speakers, I'll make the summary of emails provided as of today. By 2.30, we received a total of four e-comments, three on non-agenda topics, one for item number 19. Those were distributed to the City Council and posted online for public review. We'll now hear from members of the public that are physically present in the council chamber to provide comments on agenda or non-agenda items. Please state your name and the ward or neighborhood that you reside in for the record. I'll be calling three names at a time. If you could please line up in the center aisle when you hear your name and approach the podium. Nancy Robles. Suman Basin. Anthony Agama.

Can you bring your mic down so we can hear you please?

Oh, that's better. Good evening, Mayor and members of City Council. My name is Nancy Robles and I am speaking tonight on behalf of SEIU employees. For more than a year, SEIU employees have been negotiating in good faith, yet meaningful progress remains elusive. While other employee groups have received substantial compensation increases, SEIU employees continue to be told to wait. SEIU members are the employees residents interact with every day. We maintain city facilities and public spaces and support public services, assist residents at service counters and maintain infrastructure and keep city operations running. We are the workforce delivering city services directly to the community. Over the past year, executive management team compensation increased by an average of 10%. Yet the employees performing the hands-on work that residents see every day continue to wait for meaningful movement at the bargaining table. When the employees delivering the frontline services continue to fall behind while executive compensation move ahead, it raised legitimate question concerns about city's priorities. Our members are also deeply concerned by discussions of contracting out work traditionally performed by city employees. What makes this even more troubling is that council has been told furloughs are off the table, yet SEAU employees are facing the possibility of having their work outsourced. To our members, that sends a conflicting message. If preserving city services and maintaining a stable workforce are priorities, then the city should be investing and retaining its employees, not exploring ways to replace them with outside contractors. Our members are tired of the delays, tired of excuses, and tired of always being last. We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for fairness and a bargaining process that produces real results. I respectfully urge the council to support meaningful negotiations, protect the city roles, and ensure that the employees who keep Santa Ana moving are treated with the same value and respect afforded to other groups. Our members have waited long enough. Thank you.

Next speaker. The next speaker is Suman Bazin.

Hold on one second. I can't hear you. Hold on one second. There you go.

Next three speakers, Suman Bazin, Anthony Agama, Virginia Bernal.

Excuse me one moment. Mr. City Manager, I don't know whose city phone is going off, but can you make sure that city staff have their phone turned off, please, in the front here? Thank you very much.

Stopped. Good evening, Mayor and members of the City Council. My name is Suman Basin, and I'm a Santa Ana resident working with the Climate Action Campaign. I'm here tonight to urge this council to pass a resolution supporting Assembly Bill 2463, A critical piece of state legislation aimed at tackling skyrocketing energy costs and bringing transparency to how our utility bills are calculated. Unchecked utility profits, a major yet hidden driver of these skyrocketing bills is the return on equity. The problem is that its current process lacks transparency. The CPUC's decision-making on these multimillion-dollar profit percentages often happen behind closed doors without a clear, independently verifiable formula. Some small adjustments to these profit percentages translates into 10 of millions of dollars added to our, or taken off our local community's energy bills. That is where AB 2463, introduced by Orange County's own assembly member, Kati Patrice Norris, steps in. This bill demands accountability. It requires the CPUC to provide an independent data-driven and completely transparent mathematical explanation for the profit margins they approve. It forces them to disclose every financial model, assumptions, and weight used, allowing experts to independently verify that utility rates are just responsible and not artificially inflated. It requires a long-term plan to ensure that as we transition toward our state's climate goals and electricity demands grows, We achieve this through smart, cost-effective infrastructure rather than blindly padding corporate utility profits at the expense of everyday citizens. Santa Ana has always prided itself on standing up for environmental justice and protecting our most vulnerable communities. Please support this resolution and stand with the families of Santa Ana who deserve an affordable, reliable, and accountable clean energy future. Thanks for your time and your leadership.

Thank you.

Anthony Agama, Virginia Bernal, Cassandra Perez.

All right, thank you. Before I start, do you all have your sheet? Okay, perfect, thank you. And do we mind if we restart the timer?

Madam Clerk, go ahead and restart the timer.

Thank you. I appreciate it. Good evening, Mayor Meskwa, council members, and the community members. My name is Anthony Agama with Climate Action Campaign, a nonprofit policy watchdog. If you see on the first page of the handout you were just handed, we're here because Southern California Edison's rates have more than doubled in the past decade, up 101%. Behind that first page, you'll see that nearly one in five Edison households are behind on their bills, owing an average of more than $830. And this isn't about the cost of electricity. It's about how the system is structured. Anaheim, served by the public utility right over there, pays... half of what Edison customers in this room should know at least one Santanero who needs your support, Mayor and City Council members. While families are far behind, Edison profits are soaring, more than five billion last year, a 200% increase, even though they were found responsible for the deadly Eaton fire. Their CEO took home $16.5 million in bonuses for 2025. The average California worker would need 175 years just to earn what his bonus was. And five more rate increases are pending at the CPUC right now. This is why we're asking Santa Ana to join San Diego, Irvine, Laguna Beach, and countless other cities in this region, considering supporting a resolution for the 2026 Utility Affordability and Accountability Package, especially SB 905, SB 1098, SB 886, which rein in excessive profits, stop wasteful spending, and make data centers pay their fair share. With floor votes expected this summer, your voice matters now. These resolutions carry real weight with the legislators, and 83% of Californian voters say lowering bills should be the top priority for elected officials. This is bipartisan and common sense. We respectfully ask the City Council to agendize and adopt the resolution supporting these reforms. San Diego City Attorney has already drafted one that we are happy to share with you. Thank you so much for your time, leadership. We're glad to share the package, model resolutions, and serve as a resource for this matter. Thank you for your time and for your consideration.

Next three speakers, Virginia Bernal, Cassandra Perez, and Yohan Lopez.

Greetings, Mayor, council members, and persons in the community. My name is Virginia Bernal, a resident of Santa Ana for the past 47 years. I'm here to request that you advocate for affordable electricity. Our California legislators are considering Senate Bill 905, this is a separate bill, attacking a different problem, titled Electricity Cost Savings. Its intent is to reform the profit earnings of our electric utilities. So, SoCal Edison has guaranteed profits. And I say, how about guaranteed affordable electricity? The high electricity bills are not only a challenge for consumers, but also for business owners who find California too costly. An undisclosed portion of each payment of our electric bill goes directly to shareholders of the investor-owned utilities. The California Public Utilities Commission authorizes profit That hovers around 10% and the utilities exaggerate the risks of their business and ask for more and more. Californians pay close to double what the rest of the nation pays. The utility executives get massive pay increases while the residents struggle to pay their ever rising electricity bills. Many getting their service disconnected due to non-payment. And at the same time last year, Edison tripled its profits and increased our bills. Utilities need to invest on infrastructure, true, to reduce the risk of wildfires. and develop more renewable electricity generation to support growing demand while reducing emissions. But the CPUC regulators need to give higher priority to us citizens than to corporate profits. SB905 has provisions to address this concern. One is to reduce utility profits by demanding investments at lower risk. Another is to make a significant part of the compensation of executives dependent on control of the cost of electricity. We know that our legislators are induced by industry lobbyists to water down bills to protect their corporate interests. By now, Senate Bill 905 has been debated, amended, and is now being transmitted to the Assembly for consideration. So please, consider passing a resolution to ask our legislators to pass Bill 905 in its original, unamended form. Thank you very much.

Good evening, Mayor and City Council. I'm Cassandra Perez, District Director for Congressman Correa. I'm sharing a message from the Congressman he sent to Acting County Executive Officer regarding the coordinated reentry center. Dear Ms. Aguirre, in writing regarding the federal funding I secured for the County of Orange through the fiscal year 2022 community project funding process for the coordinated reentry center and ongoing discussions regarding its site location. The project received $5 million for the purpose of reducing the number of individuals with mental illness and substance use disorders involved in the criminal justice system. When the project was submitted to my office for consideration, the submission stated that the county has identified an existing facility to be utilized that meets the needs of this project. I was also provided with letters of support for the project from elected officials and community leaders. When the project was submitted to committee, my office was informed that there was a community consensus for the project, and its proposed location at the county had included a coordinated reentry system as a strategic priority in its annual financial plans dating back to 2016, and construction was slated to begin as early as October 21st. As it turns out, the City of Santa Ana is strongly opposed to this project. Our working relationship is based on mutual trust and cooperation. I insist that you work with the City of Santa Ana to address their concerns so that this project receives the local support that was represented to me when it was submitted to the office. I look forward to working with you to ensure this program moves forward so that these essential re-entry services can be provided to those in need at a location that benefits the whole community. thank you for your attention to this important matter the letter was shared with the santa ana city council and the orange county board of supervisors our office will be in attendance at thursday's community meeting joining in support of the city of santa ana thank you johan lopez followed by jasmine ocampo and azuri ramos

Good evening, Mayor Emescu and members of the City of Santa Ana City Council. My name is Johan Lopez and I am here on behalf of Dentists for Seniors and Oral Disability Rescue to bring attention to a serious but often overlooked health issues affecting many older adults in Santa Ana, oral health neglect, When we talk about senior wellness, we often discuss housing, transportation, medical care, food insecurity, and social services, but oral health is often left out of the conversation, even though it directly affects a senior's ability to eat, speak, smile, maintain nutrition, avoid infection, and live with dignity. Many seniors in Santa Ana are slightly suffering with missing teeth, loose dentures, dental pain, untreated infections, and difficulty chewing. Some cannot drive. Some live in nursing homes, assisted living communities, or memory care facilities. Some have dementia or physical disabilities. Others lived on fixed incomes and postponed dental care until the problem becomes severe. This is not just a dental issue. It is a senior health issue, it is a nutrition issue, it is a dignity issue. A senior who cannot chew properly may stop eating healthy foods. A senior embarrassed by missing teeth may stop smiling or socializing. A senior with dental pain may suffer quietly because they do not know where to turn. Dr. Charles Zahidi was recently invited by the California Assisted Living Association to speak on the prevention of oral health neglect among older adults because this issue is becoming increasingly recognized across the senior care industry, but this problem is not abstract. It affects families and seniors right here in Santa Ana. That is why Dentists for Seniors and Oral Disability Rescue are working to bring dental care directly to vulnerable seniors, including those in nursing homes, assisted living communities, senior centers, and community events. Tonight, we respectfully ask the city of Santa Ana to consider including oral health as part of its senior wellness priorities. We would welcome the opportunity to partner with the city to provide free dental screenings for seniors, help them understand and maximize their Medi-Cal dental benefits, and identify seniors who are suffering from untreated dental disease before it becomes a medical crisis. Our mission is simple, to make dental care affordable, accessible, and convenient for older adults, especially those who are most vulnerable. Every senior in Santa Ana deserves the ability to eat comfortably, smile confidently, and age with dignity. Mayor Mezco and members of the council, thank you for your leadership and for your continued commitment to the health and well-being of Santa Ana seniors. Thank you so much.

Good evening, Mayor and members of the City Council. My name is Jasmine and I'm here not only as a resident of Santa Ana, but the partner and as the mother of the daughter of Jose G. Guadalupe Lagunas-Oriente, whose life was taken on May 28, 2026, just one week before his daughter's second birthday. It was at the Elder Apartments off of New Hope in Santana. I'm sure it was pretty viral, a lot of people saw it. I'm also a re-entry case manager at one of the largest re-entry programs here in Santana. Every day I work with individuals and families that are impacted by gangs, violence and incarceration and the justice system. I believe in accountability and I also believe in compassion and the power of words. That is why I'm here today. I'm not here to interfere on any investigation or to criticize the work of law enforcement. I understand that detectives must follow the evidence wherever it leads. I am here because words matter, especially when a family is grieving. The public press release stated that the incident was believed to be gang related. Almost immediately, people began making assumptions about Jose and his character. Comments spread implying that he was involved with gangs and his family was left to defend a reputation of a man that was no longer here to defend himself. Jose grew up in Santana, a city where gangs have impacted many lives. He knew what the environment looked like, but he was proud that he did not choose that lifestyle. He worked hard, he loved his family, and was a credible father to our daughter, Ruby, who is here with me today. That is the man that I knew, and that is the man that our daughter deserves to remember. Today, I am asking for compassion and accuracy. When an incident is classified as gang-related because of the information about suspects or investigative circumstances, I respectfully ask that public statements make that clear that this does not mean that the victim was a gang member or gang-affiliated unless there is evidence to prove and support that claim. No grieving family should have to fight public assumptions while mourning the loss of somebody that they love. A few additional words in a public statement can protect the family's dignity and prevent any unnecessary pain. This is not just about Jose, it is about every future victim and every future family who deserves fairness, respect, and opportunity to grieve without carrying the burden of assumptions. I'm simply asking that our city lead with both truth and compassion, and I ask for a clarifying press release on this matter, please. Thank you for your time.

The next three speakers, Izuri Ramos, Veronica Rincon, Martha Bailon.

»» If your name has been called, can you please come up to the front? Hold on one second, please. Madam Clerk, can you recall them again, please?

»» After Izuri is Veronica Rincon and Martha Bailon. And then Claudia Morales.

»» Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Good evening, Mayor and Council. My name is Isuri Ramos. I am a lifelong resident of Santa Ana and a very involved member of this community. Tonight I'm here to speak on behalf of Chispa in support of the city staff that make up SCIU Local 721. We stand with SCIU Local 721 and join them in opposing contracting out of SCIU-represented positions in the budget. These SCIU members are skilled, experienced, and ready to do the work for the city that they love. Contracting out takes jobs from Santana families, lowers accountability to the public, and often costs more money and resources in the long run. We urge you to protect these positions and invest in the workers who already live and serve here. Santana is stronger when we keep these good jobs local rather than outsourcing them. Please reject contracting out and support your frontline workforce. Thank you.

Veronica?

Muy buenas, muy buenas noches a todos. Mi nombre es Veronica. Vivo en el distrito número 6. Mi representante es David Peñalosa. Estoy aquí porque nos están desalojando y las condiciones donde yo vivo son deprobables. Y con la construcción del tren se empeoró. Hay una plaga de ratas que me destruyeron todos mis muebles que con tanto sacrificio compré. Tengo pruebas, fotos y videos. Mi familia y yo estamos devastados y mis niños los veo tristes con mucha ansiedad. Y el día de mañana no sabemos a dónde vamos a pasar anoche. Tengo una persona de la tercera edad de 87 años que está viviendo .

Good night, everyone. My name is Veronica. I live in District 6 and my representative is Peñalosa. I am here because we've been kicked out of where we've been living and because of the construction of the train. There's a lot of rats going on, destroying my furniture that I bought with a lot of effort. I feel very sad. My kids are very sad. There's a man that has been living, a senior man, 87 years old, that has been living in that building. And he's been living there for 30 years. So he can't even sleep at night. So I'm here just to ask to do something about it. Thank you.

Muy buenas tardes a todos, miembros del concilio. Mi nombre es Marta Bailón. Vivo en el Distrito 6. Mi representante es David Peñalosa. Estoy aquí porque me están desalojando y las condiciones en que vivimos son deplorables. Por más de 17 años, llegué allí a vivir a ese edificio. Nunca nos arreglaron el edificio. Llegué allí cuando mis niños estaban pequeñitos. Ahorita ya están grandes, pero nos están desalojando. Nos quieren subir mil dólares de renta. Quieren remodelar el edificio para subirnos mil dólares de renta. Quieren que entremos como nuevos inquilinos y que ganemos 7,500 de ingresos mensuales. para podernos quedar en el edificio si queremos quedarnos o podemos irnos también, pero nos quieren subir mil dólares si nos queremos quedar y ganar ingresos de $7,500. Yo soy madre soltera, no tengo esposo, solo soy yo y mis hijos. Vivimos por 17 años con goteras, liqueos, moho, humedad, Y ahorita tenemos ratas desde que abrieron la zanja para que pasara el tren. Tenemos cuatro años con ratas de alcantarilla. Se han comido todos muebles, mordido cables, ropa, y estamos siendo desalojados ahorita. A mí me están demandando ellos porque yo les dije que yo todavía no tengo dónde ir a vivir. Good evening.

Good evening, my name is Marta Bailón. I've been also being asked to live where I've been living for 17 years. They have never fixed the building. We are dealing with leaks, with rats that have been eating our clothes, our furniture, the wires. I'm a single mom, I have no husband, just my kids. We're dealing with mold because they opened the track for the train track and we've been dealing with those issues. They've been asking us to pay $1,000 more to increase the rent and to have an income of $7,500, which I'm not allowed to do that, I can't do that because I'm a single mom. So I'm asking please for your support. because they wanted me to come up into an agreement with them, and I asked them for a written notice, and they deny it, so they're suing me, and they're demanding me to leave the place. So I ask for your support, please. Thank you.

The next three speakers, Claudia Morales, Kathy Aconlas, and Nina Jurek.

Ah, buenas noches. Pues como ya escucharon, mi nombre es Claudia Morales. Llevo 25 años ya viviendo en Santana, 20 de los cuales son en el Distrito 4, ¿verdad? Actualmente soy presidenta de Esperanza Unión de Inquilinos, que decidimos unirnos por todas estas condiciones que escucharon, que estamos viviendo. Estamos aquí apoyando a la señora Marta Bailón y a Verónica Rincón que son dos de las que se decidieron a pelear, a exponer este caso tan terrible, ¿verdad? y esos desalojos injustos que están teniendo, que ahorita están bien difíciles las rentas, aumentos que no nada más ellas estamos viendo, estamos viendo en nuestras comunidades aumentos de mil dólares, que es injusto, pero que nuestra comunidad, muchos de ellos migrantes, tienen miedo, se sienten oprimidos, se sienten solos, sin información porque no es suficiente la información que está llegando de la ley de estabilización de renta. Ellas son la voz de estas personas que solo están viniendo a decir las condiciones que hay. Y esas son las condiciones que están viendo en toda nuestra comunidad. Quisiera que fuéramos a ver, ¿verdad? Porque esta ley de estabilización de renta protege de apartamentos que son muy viejos, que están en estados deplorables. So, we are seeing those consequences, but we need to work harder. We are grateful that they supported us to pass this Law on Rent Control, a cause of fair eviction. I don't think it would be fair for anyone to stay on the street with their children because of the evictions of owners who only want more money, who only want to make more money, like this situation that got worse. Cuando se excavó el tren, las infestaciones de ratas y de animales corrieron a muchos vecindarios. Pero ellos solamente quieren su dinero. También estamos pidiendo, por favor, que se hagan programas de inspección. para estos apartamentos que se desalojan, desalojan a la gente y se vuelven a rentar porque no los arreglan correctamente. Queremos que sean funcionales, que se hagan inspecciones verdaderas para que la gente pueda habitar dignamente en estos apartamentos. So, thank you, we give you, because our families don't deserve to live on the street, they don't deserve to stay on the street, nor to have to pay such high rents. We appreciate, but we also ask, please make programs where inspections can be made to all these apartments, but don't throw families on the street, because after an inspection to see that the apartments are bad, many times these families are evicted and we have nowhere to go. So thank you very much for your support and collaboration. And thank you, girls, for being here supporting.

Good night. My name is Claudia Morales, as you heard. I have been living 25 years in the city of Santa Ana. Out of those 25, I've been living in District 4. I've been the new president for the Alianza for Inquilinos, supporting these people. I'm here to support Veronica Rincon and Marta Bailón. Those are the two women that are here to talk from those people that have been living in that building. This is an injustice because they have been increasing their rents for $1,000. That is not fair for anyone. Most of them are immigrants that feel lonely. They feel sad. They have no information about it. And these people, these two women are the voices of those people. They're here to let you guys know about the conditions that they've been living in this community. This new law that you guys passed, thank you for passing this law that protects people living in these places. and old buildings, and we're here to support them. We're also to ask you to have a program that can, an inspection program, so they can inspect these buildings, that whenever they tell people to leave those places, they remodel them, and then they are renting them for more pricey rents, but they haven't been inspected. So we're just asking for dignity, so people can live with dignity, and for protection. Thank you very much.

Katia Canlas, followed by Nina Jurek and Giovanni Chavez.

Good evening, everyone. Good evening, Mayor. Good evening, Council. My name is Katia Canlas. I'm representing the Orange County Labor Federation. We represent 279,000 union members. Sorry, I ran back here. I just found out my mom fell, so... I'm here representing 279,000 union members in Orange County. I stand here in solidarity of the SEIU 729, 721. Our labor movement is committed to stand alongside these workers because when we invest in the people, we serve our communities, every one tribe in our community and our city tribe. So we hope that we can continue to count on your support. Thank you, everyone.

I'm Madam Mayor, City Council, City Manager. My name is Nina Jurek, resident of Ward 5, Washington Square. You know, I've done my due diligence in voting at every opportunity, but I had no idea what it took to run a city and how to make the residents, especially of Washington Square and the city I live in, thrive. The decisions you make are not always popular ones, and I want to thank you for doing the tough things that you do each and every day. to improve our quality of life. And with that, the over 2,000 residents of Washington Square, thank you for including the partial funding for a park in Washington Square. And to let you know, this isn't the last of us. that you'll see, we really want to partner with you. We want to stay involved every step of the way, from the negotiations, to the planning of the park, to the fundraising, whatever we can do. Please, you've got my contact information. You've met with all of us in Washington Square. We genuinely want to partner with you, and we cannot wait to see this to fruition. Thank you.

Giovanni Chavez. Doesn't appear that they are here. Mayor and City Council, that concludes the public speakers that are present. And there were nobody in the, there was nobody in the Zoom queue when we began public comments.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Mr. City Manager, two things, please. The matter with the apartments and the rats, Mr. City Manager, and I don't want to go into discussion, I just want to, I don't want to step out of line, Madam City Attorney, but we do have We have something in the city that can help them. And we have the ability to help them. And so I am sure that Mr. Garcia that just walked in will be meeting with the families and addressing the issues that they're talking about. I think all of us up here can agree that that is very important that we don't want people coming here talking about how awful the apartments are. So full of rats and things of that nature. None of us want people living like that. So please make sure that our city staff address that, please. And then you don't need to, I just want to be really clear because I know this is not what we normally do. The other thing, the Climate Action Campaign, Mr. City Manager and City Attorney, San Diego has a template. We can bring that forward so we as a council can also look at that. and bring that forward as a council to vote on that matter is very important. So two things, I normally don't do this, I apologize if I am stepping out, but when they come up and talk about living with rats and mold and apartments like that, no. And when we talk about electricity, Southern California Edison, I think we all up here know what's going on with Southern California Edison, so we'll be addressing that, so thank you. With that, we're gonna move on to the consent calendar. Calendar items number five through 19 are before us. Council members, please announce any items that you'll be abstaining from due to conflict. If there are any requests to pull an item from the consent calendar for further discussion. Councilman Hernandez.

I'll make a motion to move the items.

Thank you, I'll second. Any items need to be pulled by any council members? Seeing none, let's prepare to vote. Madam City Clerk, can you do a roll call, please?

Motion by Councilmember Hernandez, seconded by Mayor Mezcua to approve consent calendar items five through 19. Councilmember Becerra?

Yes.

Councilmember Hernandez?

Yes.

Councilmember Lopez? Yes. Councilmember Phan? Yes. Councilmember Vasquez? Yes. Mayor Pro Tempagnoloza?

Yes.

Mayor Mezcua?

Yes.

Vote is seven ayes, no nays. Motion carries, consent calendar is approved.

We'll be on to the business calendar now. Item number 20 is the dissolution of five commissions as part of the fiscal year 26-27 budget. Do we need a staff presentation? Seeing none, let's prepare to vote. I'm sorry. Yes, are there any questions or comments? I apologize. Go ahead, Mayor Pro Tem.

Thank you, Mayor. I just wanted to... I had been... contemplating this item over the last couple of weeks. It's going through the budget process. And I know this has started with the Historic Resources Commission and the cost that we were seeing with that one and the city's movement to essentially get rid of all the commissions, but I keep thinking of just the history and pattern that we've had over the last numerous decades at this city, not just recently. And I mean, this goes on forever and ever, as long as I can remember as a lifetime resident of just the city constantly icing out members of the public, whether it's through public comment, whether it's reducing public comment, whether it's for the longest time ever, we had a 500 foot radius for notifications for public hearings. I mean, there's always an effort to minimize public input. And I think this is one of those ways where we could INCLUDE PUBLIC AS MUCH AS WE CAN. SO I WILL NOT BE SUPPORTING THIS, DISSOLVING THE VARIOUS COMMISSIONS. just because it gives an opportunity for our public to participate and be engaged and have that civic engagement. So I just wanted to voice Madam Mayor that I will not be supporting it. I am willing to look at the cost savings that might come from this and try to identify the monies to fund whatever money we would be saving from this from other areas. But those are the comments that I will be making, Madam Mayor, thank you.

Thank you, Council Member Fan.

Thank you, Mayor. Just a clarification question for city staff. Mr. City Manager, even though we are potentially dissolving these commissions, it doesn't mean that the activities done by these commissions, such as considering art grants, such as discussing parks and recs, such as discussing and approving Mills Act applications will go away, right?

That is correct.

So members of the public can still attend public meetings, can still call in, can still email, and can still participate in order to give their opinions and make their voices heard on these issues, correct? Yes. Thank you.

Thank you, Council Member Fan. You covered what I was gonna say because we have community that's involved in a lot of other ways. So thank you, Mayor Pro Tem, for your comments. There are no other comments. Let's prepare to vote, please.

We do need a motion and a second. I'll make a motion.

Second. Madam Mayor.

Yes, you have a comment.

I will just add that yes, members of the public do have the opportunity to come in in public and comment like my colleague agreed to, but two meetings ago she chose to reduce their speaking time from three minutes to one. So when we publicly state that public has the opportunity to come in and make public comment, let's support that and advocate for maintaining those times. So I will say that the city council has consistently gone against that and reduced her time to speak. So again, I will be voting against it. Thank you.

Well, I won't go back and forth with you, but there's only on occasion that I reduce time, so we're not here for five and a half hours of public comments. And we took a vote, and everybody agreed to it, except for you, I believe, and another councilman. I'm probably, just like everybody else up here, we want the community to be very involved and we love to hear the comments, but for five and a half hours to hear shame, shame, shame for five and a half hours, yes, it's important, but I'll be the first one to say, yes, as the mayor, I have cut down from three minutes to two minutes, and they still come and speak. So, yeah, I don't want to go back and forth on this, but the community, the city of Santa Ana has the ability to participate in so many ways. Let me use the example of our budget survey. We put it out there, and I think this year, correct me if I'm wrong, Kat, only 2,000 people participated, or Mr. City Manager, only 2,000 people took the survey.

We actually, yes. How many? That is correct, over 2,000.

Over 2,000, and there's almost.

And we actually had it 365 days. Yes. From the fiscal year initiation.

Yes, so the community has the ability. We invite everybody to our ribbon cuttings. We invite people to community meetings. The police department will be doing a drone presentation when we get the drones. You're actually doing a meeting, I think, or you just had one on Monday for a report. How many showed up, Chief?

I think it was approximately about 30 people.

Which is great. So we're not icing anybody out, if anything. And our social media has improved. Thank you so very much. We are on top of things. So with that, let's prepare to vote.

A motion by Mayor Mezquez, seconded by Councilmember Vazquez to introduce for first reading an ordinance of the City Council of the City of Santa Ana amending Article 4 of Chapter 2 of the Santa Ana Municipal Code to dissolve the Arts and Culture Commission, the Environmental and Transportation Advisory Commission, the Historic Resources Commission, the Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Commission, and the Youth Commission. and related amendments to chapter 30, chapter 33, and chapter 41 to reallocate commission powers and duties and to remove references to the dissolved commissions and to adopt a resolution of the City Council of the City of Santa Ana repealing resolution number 2023-093 and setting compensation for city boards and commissions. Council Member Becerra?

Yes.

Council Member Hernandez?

Yes.

Council Member Lopez? No. Council Member Phan? Yes. Council Member Vasquez?

Yes.

Mayor Pro Tempano-Lizzo?

No.

Mayor Meskwa? Yes. Vote is five ayes, two nays. Nays by Mayor Pro Tem Penalosa and Council Member Lopez. Motion carries.

Thank you. Item number 21 requested by Council Member Becerra. The floor is yours, sir.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. So we're very fortunate in this city. We have very safe and award-winning drinking water. You know, historically, when it comes to drinking water standards, Republican presidents, Republican congressional members, Democratic congressional members, all used to universally agree that drinking water is precious and that we should have the utmost standards when it comes to that commodity. So that's why it's really, it was shocking and disappointing when we saw that the EPA had released a proposed rule change to diminish the quality of our drinking water by reversing the previous administration's rules in regards to PFAS. PFAS, as many of you know, is the forever chemicals. There's probably a lot of it in us as we speak, but the goal is not to have more in us. And so the fact that this administration's EPA would be willing to to propose something just that a couple generations prior, you had bipartisan support and everybody agreed, yes, no matter what, drinking water standards should be upheld. Now, thankfully, we are in California where we do have remarkable drinking water standards. But with that being said, I think many folks knowing the history of drinking water standards in this nation, I don't think any of us saw this coming. I don't think any of us thought that something that was celebrated as a bipartisan accomplishment at one point in time would now be diminished this way. So that's why I'm asking my colleagues, I hope this is a very easy request, one, to submit a letter in opposition to the EPA's proposal to reduce the drinking water standards. And then also today, changes that are made to our city's drinking water standards, our cities, our local standards, can be made without any public notice, without any discussion up here on the dais. I don't think that's fair to anybody, especially our community. And so that's why my other ask tonight is for an ordinance, very simple, that would just require any change to our local drinking water standards would come before this council and be voted on in a public setting. So those are my two asks.

Thank you, Councillor Becerra. Let me just make a comment. I will be supporting your item, but I just want to make a comment. And I know I sit on the Orange County Water District Board and Council Member Phan sits on Metropolitan. The EPA's proposed action this summer is to rescind and revisit the regulatory limits that were previously set in April 2024 for the four PFAS compounds as you had indicated, Council Member Becerra. The EPA believes the previous regulatory limits set for these four compounds were established unlawfully and they could lose the current litigation challenging these limits. This proposed EPA action will have no impact on the quality of the city's water supplies. I'm talking the water here in Santa Ana. PFAS treatment facilities have and are being constructed for the city's wells to remove two other compounds and to meet their four parts per trillion MCL These limits were also established in April of 2024 and are not changing. So we've been very transparent. I would thank the Council before I was elected that you guys worked on this and we're going to continue to do that. The new treatment facilities are also effective at removing the four compounds, as I previously stated, that may have the regulatory limits rescinded. So particularly, there's really no impact to the quality of the city's groundwater supplies. As Councilman Becerra indicated, it's, you know, who's in Washington right now that's making these changes is gonna affect, but they want it to affect the city of Santa Ana's water, but it's not going to. The Orange County Water District is aware of the EPA's proposed action. And it's not, let me say it again, Santa Ana water will not change. It will not go, it will not be bad. If anything, we have one of the best tasting waters in the country. We win, I think it's our fourth year in a row that we have won. And we are very careful with PFAS. We manage it, we look at it, we control it, we test for it. We have an amazing water department that Rudy Russell oversees. Our city does a phenomenal job. We have two national water organizations, Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies and the American Water Works Association that we work closely with, and I'm going to support Councilman Becerra's item, but I just want to be really clear that when people hear this, that we don't think that there is anything wrong with our water. I think what you're asking for, Councilman Becerra, is just transparency and then notifying the community if there are any changes, and I really appreciate that. So I will be supporting the item, but I just want to be really clear that we have great water, clean water, and we are working and treating PFAS and managing it to the best of our ability.

Mayor, thank you for your comments, and I just want to say that this is meant to be purely preventive, not reactive, and you're absolutely right. That's correct. We have amazing drinking water. This is not in reaction to anything. This is to make sure that we further protect our water and to keep the process transparent.

Good. Like the transparency. Any other comments? Mayor Pro Tem.

Just wanted to state my support for this. Thank you, Council Member Becerra for bringing this item forward. Whatever we can do to be proactive moving forward is something that I'd be wholeheartedly supportive of. Thank you.

Any other comments? Council Member Hernandez.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. I'm supportive of the item and the ask. Thank you.

Thank you. Council Member Fann. Same. Thank you. Council Member Lopez.

Yeah no thank you and I appreciate hearing out loud the clarification that this isn't having any current impacts which is I think incredibly important and I believe that our water agencies our two representatives on this board would let us know and I know we've received communications to this entire body about PFAS and I really, I think on my end of course I'm gonna be supportive but this is a really great opportunity for our constituents to get involved because there are so many changes happening to the United States. environmental protection agency that are going to impact our quality of life, our quality of air, ultimately in many communities, the quality of water and so many other issues. And so, you know, the budget, the reductions in staffing and regulation are going to be felt throughout many, many communities. And so I really encourage all of our residents to get involved in whatever way you can. Thank you.

Thank you Council Member Lopez.

Council Member Vazquez. Thank you Mayor. I'll be supporting this item as well. Just so we know the state of California has more stringent standards than the national standards that we have and they're in place and they keep us accountable as well. We have our drinking water from the faucet that we drink at every meeting every time we go. We get it straight from the faucet and that's what they serve here at City Hall for the City Council Members and the Mayor.

we stand behind our water we appreciate the work uh being done and thank you for being at this item forward best water around the best water thank you councilman becerra mr city manager i think you have uh direction yes great thank you all right now let's move on to special housing we're going to recess the city council meeting and convene to the special housing authority meeting I hereby call the Housing Authority Special Meeting to order. Madam Secretary, please conduct a roll call.

Authority Member Becerra.

Here.

Authority Member Hernandez.

Here.

Authority Member Lopez. Here. Authority Member Phan. Here. Authority Member Vasquez.

Present.

Vice Chair Penalosa.

Present.

Chair Mesquite. Present. All seven members present. Thank you.

Madam Secretary, do we have any speakers for items within the Housing Authority, excuse me, Housing Agenda?

If there's anybody on Zoom who would like to speak on Housing Authority items only, Consent Calendars 1 through 3, please raise your hand now. Seeing none, we have no in-person speakers, no Zoom speakers, and there were no emails either.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Is there a motion and a second? I'll make a motion.

I'll second, Madam.

Thank you, Councilman Hernandez, Authority Member Hernandez. No comments? Seeing none, let's prepare to vote.

Motion by Chair Meskwa, seconded by Authority Member Hernandez to approve consent calendar items one through three. Authority Member Becerra? Yes. Authority Member Hernandez? Yes. Authority Member Lopez? Yes. Authority Member Phan? Yes. Authority Member Vasquez? Yes. Vice Chair Penalosa? Yes. Chair Meskwa? Yes. Vote is seven ayes, no nays, motion carries.

Thank you, the Housing Authority meeting is adjourned and we are going to reconvene to the City Council meeting. Mr. City Manager, let me start with your comments, please.

I just want to thank the Mayor, the City Council for passing this budget. We understand it to be a very difficult one, and I appreciate the endorsement, and I want to thank the secretary directors, particularly my assistant city managers, Mentai, Kat Downs, and of course our deputy city manager. Thank you, thank you. And we understand that it's going to be a little bit difficult and challenging, but we are going to have a very straightforward type of implementation of the budget, and so you'll see some positive gains, thank you.

Thank you, Mr. City Manager. Council Member Vasquez, please.

Oh, thank you. I'm just excited for summer has started and the library is full at work. If you guys could look them up on social media or our... pages on the city channel, you could find out all the work that they're doing. They have events at Delhi, Roosevelt Walker and Jerome, along other parts of the city. Great work, thank you for Parks and Rec for bringing back movies at the park, doing good work. The zoo is always a great place to visit, especially in the summer. It is a beautiful zoo. It's got shade. It's got places for people to sit, have fun, walk around. Amazing new exhibits. Thank you for all the work that's happening at the zoo. So enjoy it, families. Take care.

Thank you, Council Member Vazquez. Council Member Lopez.

Yeah, I want to start by wishing my mom a happy birthday. I just want to say publicly that I love you so much and I want to thank you for your support. And anyone that knows you agrees that you really are the best and I feel so incredibly lucky to have my mom by my side and always supporting me. And also I want to wish all the fathers of our community a happy Father's Day. particularly wishing my dad a happy Father's Day. And I also want to remind the community of two events that are happening within the next two weeks. We have our Juneteenth event city manager that the city has sponsored, and I really want to thank everybody for working on that, and I want to thank this council for continuing I think this important cultural event that many members in our community really identify with. And I also wanna invite members of our community to come out to the kickoff of Friday Night Lights, which is being held at El Salvador Park, if I'm not mistaken. And it's a really important event. It's an event that brings many members of our diverse community together with the goal of reducing gang violence in our city. And, you know, I want to thank Pastor Nati, his team and his family. They do really difficult work of engaging teenagers that sometimes, and I was a teenager myself, you know, feeling like I was invincible and we're not. And so we really have to be careful. We have to be aware of, I think, our environment and we have to work together to reduce gang violence in our community. And that's why I'm really proud to support the work that they do. And I encourage everyone to come to the kickoff of Friday Night Lights because it's an event that many people look forward to in our community during the summertime. So enjoy your summer and be safe. Thank you, everybody.

Thank you, Council Member Lopez. Council Member Phan.

Hi, everyone. I just want to say I'm super excited for the World Cup. Go Mexico, right? Well, they're playing South Korea on Thursday. I'll be in downtown Santa Ana. I hope everybody will be in downtown Santa Ana to eat, drink, party, watch the games, cheer on Mexico. Come on.

And not drink and drive, yeah?

Well, yeah, don't do that. But be safe out there. Have a great time. Support the local community. If you need a jersey, if you need a shirt, I was just at Vibes Boutique getting myself some gear, getting ready. It's just a super fun time. And it's great to see everybody come together and enjoy all this and learn more about all the amazing soccer players on all these different national teams, right? The men's World Cup, let's be clear. I also want to say happy birthday to my mommy. It was her birthday yesterday, and she's having a blast and a great time. I wouldn't be here without her. So with that, I hope everybody joins us for our 4th of July celebration on July 4th. It's going to be a wonderful time, just like we do every year. We're going to have fireworks. It's going to be great to see the community out and enjoying a Centennial Park. With that, have a good night, everyone.

Thank you. Council Member Becerra.

Thank you, Madam Mayor. My monthly office hours for July will take place on Saturday, July 11th, since the first Saturday of July is July 4th, and we'll all be at Centennial Park celebrating our 250th So with that, thank you to everybody who came out to Segerstrom Triangle Park this past Saturday to celebrate the activation of the new traffic signal at Segerstrom and Rosewood Avenue. I gotta tell you, I said this at the event, you know, traffic signals aren't sexy, right? There was a lot of folks that wanted to be there to see it turned on, and it was great because a lot of folks expressed their appreciation, the fact that you have folks that come across Sagerstrom Avenue to go to Saddleback High School and other schools and walk down Bristol, and just being able to utilize that intersection, and of course also for the folks that are trying to just get in and out of those neighborhoods during rush hour is amazing. Very difficult to say the least, but that signal is going to go a long way to making it a lot more safer. So thank you to everybody that came out to support that and celebrate that. I would like to ask my colleagues tonight to adjourn our meeting in the memory of Sandy Feinberg. She passed away on June 12th at the age of 96. Sandy was born in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. She moved to LA with her family at the age of 10. After earning her undergraduate degree from some school on the west side, she later received a better graduate degree in social work from USC. Let's not talk about eight claps. That sounds awful. No. Early in her career, she worked on Skid Row, assisting unwed mothers, and she later became a buyer of women's clothing for Wild Wild West stores, a family business. Sandy was an active volunteer and a community leader. She served as Girl Scout cookie chairperson and dedicated countless hours to Temple Beth Shalom right here in Santa Ana, as well as the Jewish Federation and numerous other organizations. Her generosity and commitment to service touched many lives and countless organizations benefited from her support and leadership. She will definitely be remembered for her generous heart, remarkable memory, kindness, and unwavering dedication for helping others. Her warmth, wisdom, and compassion enriched the lives of all who knew her. Her and her entire family have been so, they've contributed to so many causes here in Santa Ana, whether it's Santa Ana College, her husband when it came to downtown. truly a generous, generous heart. So she will definitely be missed. With that, good night, everybody.

Thank you, Council Member Becerra. Mayor Pro Tem, Penelosa, please.

Thank you, Mayor Mezcua. I wanted to thank Council Member Vazquez for highlighting our zoo, but he forgot to mention one important thing. They sell beer now, Council Member Vazquez. It's the best part of the zoo. Exactly. So, but with that, just also wanted to wish everybody a happy Father's Day. Father's Day is always bittersweet for me, having grown up without my dad, who passed when I was three years old, so it was always a sad day, but now it's exciting, because I got two little babies that get to celebrate me, so that's always fun. But happy Father's Day to everybody out there, and happy birthday to my nephew, who turns nine tomorrow, which is exciting. But with that, those are my comments. Mayor, thank you.

Thank you, I want to thank the council members Councillor Hernandez, did I call on you again? I don't know why I did that. I apologize. Go ahead. No, you usually wave at me, so go ahead. No problem, madam.

Sorry. Okay, I'll be brief. I just want to thank members of the public for tuning in to today's council meeting. I especially want to thank our staff for getting a balanced budget in front of us. I know it was not easy. Special shout out to Alex and Kat Downs, because you both were very important for all of us to lean on, so thank you. Just wanted to put that on the record. I also would like to congratulate my brother and my sister-in-law on bringing my niece, Sienna, into this world. She just recently turned one month, and so congratulations to my brother. I love you, and happy First Father's Day. You are raising the future, and that is the greatest privilege you could ever have, is to raise a daughter. So I know that you are going to shine on your first Father's Day. I also want to echo sentiments that my colleagues shared this weekend. We are going to have Juneteenth at Centennial Park. We're a city that is very proud of the diverse events that we have. I'd like to thank every one of my colleagues here for emphasizing the importance of continuing to support this event. This event will take place at the Centennial Park. It will include a number of churches from Santa Ana. Santa Ana is home to over 15 historical black churches in Santa Ana, many of which you will see them performing. Their choirs, their gospels are beautiful. And they also do a scholarship fund for students every single year. So Santa Ana students who are graduating who are in the black community often receive those scholarships upwards of $1,000 to about $5,000 to students exiting high school, going into college. Really wonderful program. Friday Night Lights as well will be taking place at El Salvador Park. We're really looking forward to seeing Neutral Ground come back home. And I just want to end my comments on a difficult note. I want to send my condolences to the family who recently lost their 16-year-old son. There was a 16-year-old who was tragically shot recently And we learned that this was an officer-involved shooting in our city. I don't know the details of this tragedy. I know that there is concurrent investigations taking place, as with any OIS. But I do want to emphasize to my colleagues and to the Santa Ana community that our children, God forbid, whenever they do fall through the cracks, That I hope that we as parents and as community have the tools to help them stand back up. And that I pray that should a parent ever be in a tragedy or in a crisis where they don't have the skills, that when they do call law enforcement, that law enforcement has the training to be able to safely help their child. I'm just very worried about what is happening in our city where we are seeing an increase in violence, where in May 28th, we saw an 18-year-old shot and killed in front of his daughter and his daughter's mother. This young man was armed at that time, but being armed is a misdemeanor. California was once an open carry state. That young man should have had a day in court. We should have deescalated that situation. That young man should have been arrested. What if that, I mean, that's important. The young man was shot and killed and called a gang member, like many young people who are shot and killed by law enforcement across the country. I shared this comment with the public because the 16 year old deserved to get help. The 16 year old deserved to be treated like a 16 year old. Not to be pointed a gun at or to be yelled at, but to be told everything's going to be all right. What do you need? Do you need to go outside? If we need 10 hours, do we need 15 hours? Whatever it takes, you treat that child like a child. I feel very fearful that we live in a city where we can shoot children. I want to see us prevent violence, and that means from our own employees as well. My heart goes out to the family. And my heart also goes out to the officers who were behind that gun. I hope that everybody involved gets the healing that they need. And I hope that we see a day in Santa Ana where this is not how we treat each other. I will respect the investigations that are going to play out. And I just ask that we give this young man the dignity and his family the same as well. God bless them. And I hope for better days. Thank you.

Thank you, Councilman Hernandez. I want to thank the council members that are up here that have stayed for the entire meeting and for all the comments. It's a sign of respect, so I really appreciate it. First of all, I'm having coffee with the mayor at fire station number 77 on Saturday at 2317 South Greenville. Did I get the right address? I think I did. 2317 South Greenville. Councilman Becerra, you're on fire, you should know. Fire Station 77, I hope to see you there from 10 to noon. It's always a big deal because the families love to come out and get on the fire trucks and talk to the firemen and take pictures, fire women. Yes, you can't come, Council Member Phan. Don't let her in. So see you from 10 to noon. Do not let her come in, D.C. Henry. I see you out there. Block the door. She will want to do, I don't know, get on the truck or something, I have no idea, but please do not let her in. Okay, Santa Ana Client of the Year. Congratulations, Rudy Rosas and your team. The Client of the Year Award, I was there, and it was an honor to be there with you, and you know, We're thought of so highly all over the place in all the projects that we do. So thank you to you and your staff for all the hard work. I hope you put that nice big award on your desk or on your wall somewhere. Also, I attended the US Conference of Mayors last week, I think it was, in Long Beach. Mr. City Manager, the mayor has his own beer. I want my own beer, okay, with a picture and everything. So... I'm joking, so nobody's going to take that out and make a blog about it. But the mayor had his own beer and tennis shoes, man. Rex, he gets down in Long Beach, I got to say. We do a better job with the homeless, but I just have to say that, you know. And it's okay if Rex hears this. He's a friend. Also, I went to the installation dinner of Rabbi Tim Gaylord at the Temple of Beth Shalom on Friday. It was a beautiful experience. And welcome, Rabbi Gaylord, to Santa Ana's temple. We appreciate you being here. Happy Father's Day to all the fathers. It's coming up to my big papa. I'm sure he's at home watching. So happy Father's Day, Dad. I call him Big Papa and so love him dearly. And I want to close by saying that this Thursday, On June 18th, I'll be having a special meeting with the neighborhood association leaders, with Councilman Becerra and Mayor Pro Tempanolosa joining me. Also, as you heard earlier, Congressman Correa will be joining us, and also Assemblyman Avelino Valencia, who wrote a support letter that he's asking the Board of Supervisors to suspend further advancement. of the proposed coordinated reentry center, formerly known as YGC, and conduct a comprehensive evaluation of alternative locations throughout Orange County. In other words, not in Santa Ana, and that's what we want. You know, also I want to thank Supervisor Sarmiento because at the board meeting, the last board meeting, he was the only supervisor that voted to put a halt to the funding until the community had an opportunity to meet and discuss this item. You know, I am a huge supporter of reentry. I've worked in it. I worked in it for 30 years, as I had indicated before. I believe in it. I work closely with agencies. You know, when people talk about Summer Night Lights, I was one of the first, along with Michelle Martinez and a few others who supported Summer Night Lights right from the get-go when I sat on the school board. Project Kinship. There's a lot of organization, Homeboy Industries, support them all. That's not the issue. The issue here is that As Congressman Correa's staff had indicated, he gave them money, and if you read the initial letter that he sent to the county, it was for a project in the city of Orange, not for the city of Santa Ana. And so I'm looking forward to the meeting on Thursday with the neighbourhood leaders that will be holding at the community policing room, the police community room. Excuse me. And it's a limited capacity. I wish I could invite many people, but it is a limited capacity. And so we've been meeting there every month with neighborhood leaders, but this meeting we will be talking about the reentry program that they would like to open at the Youth Guidance Center at 3030 Hesperian Way in Santa Ana. And we've also had conversation with the residents that live in those homes closest to the center. It would stretch our police department so thin with calls for service. We already are stretched very thin with our police department. And so we as a city would have to spend more money addressing the homeless issues and the criminal activity issues. I'm hoping that when the Board of Supervisors meeting takes place on the 23rd, we have community members that will be present to share how they feel about this. They said that they completed a comprehensive PR campaign. They put notification in one newspaper. Not quite sure which newspaper. I'm not even sure people read the newspaper anymore. I know they go online. So we will be meeting on Thursday to discuss this. And again, I want to thank our Congressman, Lou Correa, our Assemblyman, Avelino Valencia, our Supervisor, Vince Tarmento. And thank you, Councilman Becerra, Mayor Pro Tem, Penalosa for joining me on Thursday, along with our chief and our city manager and city staff to address this and to hear from the county and to look at, again, why is Santa Ana Why are they looking at Santa Ana? There's other places they can go to. So I look forward to coming back and reporting on what is the outcome and hopefully the Board of Supervisors will be paying attention to what our community wants because that's really what it's about. We don't need another halfway house. We don't need another shelter. We don't need another program where people can come and go. We don't need criminals under our bridge or homeless. We don't need any of that. want a reentry program, I'll 100% support it. But there are other places they can go to and not in the city of Santa Ana. And again, thank you to all my colleagues up here. We passed a balanced budget. Mr. City Manager, thank you to you and your staff. for the budget and we're tightening things up and every year we're gonna tighten up a little more and a little more, but we're still gonna provide good service to our constituents and I appreciate that you and your staff are thinking out of the box and are taking care of things that, as I have said before, that have been sitting on the shelf for a very long time. When I first got elected, we were having six splash pads that had been approved four or five years before I was elected. Nothing ever happened, and now we're gonna have a grand opening for a splash pad. Euclid Street. It's okay, we're gonna start with one, Mayor Pro Tem, but that's one we didn't have before. Euclid Street. Yes, you're invited. You can go. You can't wear a bathing suit, but you can go. Euclid Street will be, you know, improved. We're almost done with Bristol before Mayor Pro Tem's kids get out of diapers. Bristol will be completed. You know, we've got a park now in Bristol in Tolliver where, you know, Council Member Vasquez's And so there's so many good things that you've done, Mr. City Manager, with your team, with the chief, the fire department, all the city staff. We really, really appreciate it. And so I really just want to close with this. There's a lot of things that take place in our community that we have no control over as council members, as a mayor, as city manager, as police chiefs. We have no control over what our children do in the community. But you know who does? Our families, their families. And so I would ask that up here we talk sometimes about gang violence or activities for our youth and how do we keep them off the streets. This has been an issue since I was a very little girl, even before I was, I mean, as far back as I can remember. And what is the answer? Idle time is the devil's time, as we say. So to families, I would ask that you keep your children involved, whether it's church, sports. family outings, go for a walk, get them off their laptops or their phones, have them look up and look around, make friends, get to know your neighbors, so that our children, our young people don't have to go towards that lifestyle that may end up leading them down the wrong road. As policymakers, we are limited what we can do, But we are here to support our constituents in the best of our ability. And we have amazing staff in our city who do all the work, whether it's the city manager's office, Parks and Rec, you know, Rudy and his public works, Ali, Alex with funding, and the police department. And so we do a lot as a city. We just can't bear responsibility for everything. And I'm a mom, and so... And I'm a first grandchild, first daughter, first of everything. It's about families taking responsibility and getting involved with your children's lives. And with that, good night and have a nice evening.