Mayor's newsletter: January 2023

Dear community,

Welcome to my first newsletter as your Mayor. The purpose of this newsletter is to keep in touch with you all and share information and resources.

The new year has just begun and it has already been a busy start where I have been able to serve you in a variety of ways. I ended 2022 at downtown Santa Ana Tamalfest donating over 1,000 toys and addressed the graduates at the Southwest Carpenters graduation ceremony.

This year, I have connected with our community through meetings, events, and visits. At City Hall, I invited the Neighborhood Association leadership to share their ideas, thoughts, and concerns about Santa Ana and committed to meeting with them regularly. Stay tuned for neighborhood coffees and walks starting in March!

The U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C., was an important opportunity for me to represent the City of Santa Ana. I joined mayors from around our nation to discuss challenges, innovative solutions, and best practices to help our City secure critical federal and state funding to improve our infrastructure, ensure safer neighborhoods, build necessary housing, and protect our air and water quality.

Finally, I am excited to share I was recently appointed by the City Council to serve on the Orange County Water District Board of Directors. I look forward to sharing resources and upcoming events. Learn more about our water system here.

I am honored for the opportunity to serve as your new mayor and look forward to seeing you out in the community!

Sincerely,

Mayor Valerie Amezcua

vamezcua@santa-ana.org

City Hall

Santa Ana City Hall is located at 20 Civic Center Plaza and is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and every other Friday. The City Council normally meets the first and third Tuesdays of the month. Find meeting agendas here.

Upcoming Holiday and Closed Friday schedule (City Hall non-essential offices are closed on alternating Fridays throughout the year):

Friday, February 3, 2023 – City Hall closed

Friday, February 17, 2023 – City Hall closed

Monday, February 20, 2023 – Closed for Presidents Day

Friday, March 3, 2023 – City Hall closed

City resources

Homelessness aid:

Homeless Services: Addressing the needs of those experiencing homelessness while reducing the impacts on our neighborhoods is one of my top priorities.
- Find resources here: https://www.santa-ana.org/departments/homeless/
- Call the SMART program for non-emergency homeless-related issues: (714) 242-3706
- Report issues with the mySantaAna app.
- Or call the Mayor’s office at (714) 647-6900.
Project Hope Alliance: Homelessness support for families and children. https://projecthopealliance.org/

Trash pickup problems?

Contact Republic Services at (877) 328-2074 https://www.santa-ana.org/about-republic-services/

Who do I call at City Hall?

Important phone numbers:

- City Hall main line: (714) 647-5400
- Code Enforcement: (714) 667-2780
- Graffiti Hotline: (877) 786-7824
- Public Works dispatch (street sweeping, trees): (714) 647-3380

Find more phone numbers for all City services: https://www.santa-ana.org/who-do-i-call/

COVID-19 resources

HCA Self-Collection PCR Testing Kits Available to Order: https://occovid19.ochealthinfo.com/covid-19-testing
Stay updated with latest COVID-19 news: https://www.santa-ana.org/covid19
Get Digital Vaccine Record: https://ca.gov/agency/?item=california-department-of-public-health

Employment opportunities

City of Santa Ana

The City of Santa Ana is always hiring. Check out our job opportunities and see what we have to offer. If you find something you like, think you’re qualified and are a good fit, consider applying for a position! We’re currently recruiting for lifeguards, police officers, building maintenance technicians, accountants, library staff, and more.

City internships

The City of Santa Ana is looking for interns! If you’re a self-starter and want to help create a better community for current and future generations, Santa Ana City Hall is the perfect place for you. Learn more: https://www.santa-ana.org/intern-program/

Santa Ana Unified School District

Find job opportunities with the Santa Ana Unified School District: https://www.edjoin.org/sausd

Garden Grove Unified School District

Find job opportunities with the Garden Grove Unified School District: https://www.ggusd.us/departments/personnel-services/employment

Tustin Unified School District

Find job opportunities with the Tustin Unified School District:

https://www.tustin.k12.ca.us/departments/personnel/tusd-employment

Orange Unified School District

Find job opportunities with the Orange Unified School District:

https://www.orangeusd.org/departments/hr/employment-opportunities

Student resources

Free money for college! Apply for a scholarship from Santa Ana Public Schools Foundation: https://santaanapublicschoolsfoundation.org/scholarships/
Congressional internships: https://house.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/7/home/requisition/464?c=house

Things to do

Santa Ana Zoo: Residents receive free admission to the Zoo on the third Sunday of every month. Learn more: https://santaanazoo.org/
Discovery Cube: Residents receive up to 4 free tickets per family on the first Tuesday of every month at the Discovery Cube Science Center. Learn more: https://www.discoverycube.org/promotions/
The Santa Ana Public Library: Beginning Jan. 23, the expansion of TeenTime by SAPL will open at Garfield Community Center. Learn more: https://santa-ana.org/departments/libary/
Tianguis Farmers Market: A fun outdoor market filled with awesome vendors and food trucks. Learn more: https://www.santa-ana.org/cosas-newsletter-03-31-2022/tianguis-farmers-market/
Bowers Museum: This world class art museum offers free admission to Santa Ana residents every Sunday: https://www.bowers.org/
Youth Water Poster Contest: The City of Santa Ana’s Annual Youth Water Poster Contest is open to all youth, ages 5-18. The contest begins on Jan. 16 and all entries are due by 4 p.m. on March 30, 2023. Learn more details yere: Youth Water Poster Contest: http://santaanawater.org/contest/

Upcoming events

Stay tuned for upcoming Neighborhood Coffees and Neighborhood Walks with Mayor Amezcua.

March 4-5 – Santa Ana Zoo’s 71st Birthday Party.
April 8 – Egg-cellent Adventure egg hunt from Parks and Recreation
April 22 – Santa Ana Police Department open house.
April 22 – Fun Run 5K race
April 29 – Santa Ana Public Library’s Dia de los Niños and Dia de los Libros

Mayor on the move

Taking my oath of office

It was one of the greatest honors of my life to take the oath of office on Dec. 13 to serve as mayor of Santa Ana. Here is a video of the ceremony that I hope you will watch to share this joyous moment with me.

U.S. Conference of Mayors

Earlier this month, I attended the 91st annual U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C. This conference created a space for mayors across the country to gather at the U.S. Capitol and collaborate with Congress to find ways to strengthen our cities.

Neighborhood Associations Presidents meeting

I recently hosted my first meeting with the presidents of Santa Ana’s neighborhood associations at City Hall. Together, we reviewed issues and objectives, and set 2023 goals to improve our city. The next meeting will be Feb. 28. I’ll be sending an invitation to all of our neighborhood association presidents.

Bracken’s Kitchen tour

I took a tour of the nonprofit Bracken’s Kitchen to see the resources this community feeding program has been sharing. Bracken’s Kitchen is based in Garden Grove but has been distributing food to the Santa Ana community. This is a wonderful resource that is helping feed those in need!

OC World television interview

I was invited by Joone Lopez and the OC World media team for an interview co-produced with KLCS-TV, a PBS affiliate that broadcasts to 15.5 million households from Santa Barbara to San Diego. The interview will air later in February and will be available on OC World’s website.

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