Official newsletter of Santa Ana Mayor Valerie Amezcua.
Keeping the community informed about local events, City news, and resources.
Dear Neighbors,
I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and are feeling refreshed and ready for the year ahead!
In December, I closed out the year by collaborating with various community organizations to host my 2nd annual Toy Giveaway at the Downtown Santa Ana Tamalada event. Together we donated over 1,000 toys and had the pleasure of seeing all the children bursting with excitement when they selected their presents!
Moving into January, I plan on expanding my goal of creating a stronger connection between the mayor’s office and our community by engaging in more meetings, events, and visits. To kick off the new year, I invite you to join me at following events:
The 2024 Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast hosted by the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce. This event will be on Tuesday, January 30, 2024, from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at Templo Calvario Church, 2501 W. 5th St., Santa Ana. For more information, please visit the Chamber’s website.
Coffee with the Mayor on Saturday, January 27, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Santa Ana Senior Center, 424 W. 3rd St., Santa Ana.
As always, I am honored to serve as your mayor and look forward to all the things we will accomplish together in 2024.
Sincerely,
Mayor Valerie Amezcua
Email: vamezcua@santa-ana.org
Mayor in the News
Caribou Industries Pulls $5,600,000 in Building Permits and …
… Santa Ana Mayor Valerie Amezcua. “This high-caliber project will create hundreds of jobs, provide much-needed quality housing, and give an economic boost to…
The City of Santa Ana wins an award for their downpayment …
“I’m proud that the City has been recognized for this important program that is helping Santa Ana residents become homeowners,” Mayor Valerie Amezcua said.
Santa Ana awarded $4M to improve the train station and bus …
… Valerie Amezcua said. “We’re grateful to Caltrans for awarding this significant funding to the City of Santa Ana.” The four projects receiving grants are…
Santa Ana City Council approves $3.8 million homeless contract extension, but wants changes
Mayor Valerie Amezcua said she wants to hear “out of the box” ideas for how City Net can be better utilized. “I would not support going past a year without…
Mayor on the Move
La Academia Youth Winter Soccer Camp was a success with local legends, Frankie Amaya of NY Red Bulls and Maricarmen Reyes of Tigres Femenil, both proudly representing their deep roots in the city of Santa Ana!
Welcoming Perris Mayor Michael Vargas, Councilmember Malcolm Corona, and City of Perris staff to DTSA. We have a lot to be proud of in Downtown Santa Ana!
2nd Annual Mayor Toy Giveaway at the Tamale festival in DTSA. We were able to give away over 1,200 toys!
Love spending time at Franklin Elementary with the 3rd graders!
Hanukkah Celebration in Floral Park.
At Our Lady of Guadalupe procession, a beautiful Catholic tradition.
Floral Park Holiday Celebration!!
At the Cambodian Family Community Center for the Community Breakfast with Santa.
Winter Village Anaheim Ducks Day! Great to see all the smiling faces.
Kiwanis annual Shopping with Santa Claus event.
Riding in the Wilshire Square Christmas parade. What a beautiful event, and it was wonderful seeing everyone!
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHTS
Non-Profit Spotlight
La Academia is a non-profit whose mission is to empower the youth of Santa Ana through soccer, providing them with opportunities for educational attainment and social mobility. We believe that every child should have access to high-quality soccer coaching, regardless of their economic status, geographic location, or cultural background.
Small Business Spotlight
Elohim Crepes JD makes one of the best crepes in town. Come and support local small businesses. They are located at 200 W. Central Ave. Ste. 100.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
The City of Santa Ana Human Resources Department Talent Acquisition Division works with City agencies and departments to identify staffing needs and hire the best talent to serve the city. The City of Santa Ana is looking for individuals who are results-oriented, possess great attitude, demonstrate creativity and innovation, work efficiently, show a record of success, and have a passion for public service.
CITY NEWS AND RECOGNITIONS
Project-Based Voucher rental assistance waitlist now open
The City of Santa Ana Housing Authority has opened the waitlist for the Project-Based Voucher Program (PBV), which provides rental vouchers to help low-income families pay their rent at specific housing locations. Currently, the Housing Authority is accepting applications for two apartment projects, Andalucía and Crossroads at Washington, both reserved for large, low-income families.
PBV waiting lists are open for those who live or work in Santa Ana. Persons who live in unincorporated areas do not qualify for the live or work preference.
Project-Based Voucher information
Santa Ana awarded $4 million in Clean California grants for transit renovations and urban greening
The City of Santa Ana Public Works Agency has received over $4 million in Clean California grants that will be used to refurbish our iconic train station, improve bus stops and create an urban green space.
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) awarded the grants as part of the Clean California Local Grant Program and the Clean California Transit Partnership Program. Santa Ana’s total combined grant award is one of the largest of any city in California.
These grant programs were established by the state legislature under the $1.2 billion Clean California Program that is designed to remove litter, create jobs and beautify California.
Visit https://www.santa-ana.org/santa-ana-awarded-4-million-in-clean-california-grants/ for more information.
SAPD Mounted Enforcement Unit at the Rose Parade
We were excited and honored to start off 2024 with the Santa Ana Police Department’s Mounted Enforcement Unit (MEU)’s participation in the Tournament of Roses Parade together with various members of the Orange County Regional Mounted Unit on January 1, 2024!
City resources
City Hall main line
Code Enforcement
Emergency Water Services
Graffiti Hotline
mySantaAna app
Public Works dispatch (street sweeping, trees)
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Homeless Services
The city will offer down payment assistance loans to first-time home buyers to aid in the purchase of a home within the City of Santa Ana. Employment Opportunities |
Have you downloaded the mySantaAna app?
Report issues like:
- illegal dumping, graffiti removal
- homeless encampments
- trash and recycling missed pickups
- park issues
- potholes
- and more!
Community Resources
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Homelessness support for families and children. Provides assistance with housing placement. Free Drive Through Food Pantry
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Provides and ships nutritious, farm fresh produce to communities who need it most. Revive Santa Ana Business Program Open positions available at Irvine locations. LIHEAP is a federally funded program that helps low-income households pay for heating or cooling in their homes. |
Upcoming Community Events
International Festival of Chocolate – January 7
Enjoy a full day of fun for the entire family! Festival includes complimentary face painting, art projects, live performances, and more!
- Sunday, January 7
- 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
- Bowers Museum, 2002 N. Main St.
Santa Ana Fire Museum Open House – January 13
Explore the proud history of Santa Ana’s firefighters on a docent-guided tour of the Santa Ana Fire Museum. View vintage equipment and memorabilia dating back to the late 1800s alongside state-of-the-art contemporary fire trucks and equipment.
- Saturday, January 13
- 12-4 p.m.
- Santa Ana Fire Museum, 120 W. Walnut St.
Discovery Cube Santa Ana Resident Free Days
Santa Ana residents can get up to 4 free admission tickets per government-issued photo ID with address on the first Tuesday of every month.
Free Resident Day at Santa Ana Zoo – January 21
Santa Ana residents receive free admission to the Zoo on the third Sunday of every month. Proof of residency (such as ID or a utility bill) is required.
- Sunday, January 21, and February 18
- 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (last admission is at 4 p.m.)
- Santa Ana Zoo, 1801 E. Chestnut Ave.
Santa Ana Homeownership Workshop – January 25
This workshop will provide information and great resources on how to become a homeowner. Spanish translation will be provided.
- Thursday, January 25
- 6-7:30 p.m.
- El Salvador Community Center, 1825 W. Civic Center Drive
Tet Lunar New Year in Santa Ana – February 3
The inaugural Santa Ana Tết Festival, hosted by our Parks, Recreation & Community Services Agency and the Santa Ana Public Library, will take place on Saturday, February 3, 2024, at Centennial Park. Get ready to enjoy a day of cultural celebration featuring spectacular lion and dragon dances and fireworks!
- Saturday, February 3
- 2-7 p.m.
- Centennial Park, 3000 W. Edinger Ave.
Tet Lunar New Year Festival in Santa Ana
City Hall
Upcoming Holiday and Closed Friday schedule (City Hall non-essential offices are closed on alternating Fridays throughout the year):
- Friday, January 5, 2024 – City Hall closed.
- Monday, January 15, 2024 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – City Hall closed, no street sweeping.
- Friday, January 19, 2024 – City Hall closed.
The next City Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 16, at 5 p.m. at Santa Ana Council Chamber, 22 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana. Official City meetings are open to the public and I encourage you to participate. Council agendas and minutes may be accessed here.
City Council Meetings Highlights
In December, the Santa Ana City Council:
- Approved an appropriation adjustment to recognize Office of Traffic Safety Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety grant funds in the amount of $199,900 and an agreement with Charitable Ventures of Orange County, Inc., to provide bicycle safety education services for a one-year period.
- Approved a contract with Elecnor Belco Electric, Inc. in the amount of $676,386 for the ARPA Neighborhood Streetlights – Phase I project with an estimated cost of $845,483 for streetlights in the French Park Neighborhood and on Willits Street from Fairview Street to Nottingham Avenue. (Revive Santa Ana program)
- Approved a contract with Elecnor Belco Electric, Inc. for $2,288,087 for the Pedestrian and Mobility Improvements Phase II project with an estimated cost of $2,860,109, including the installation of a new traffic signal at Fairview Street and Highland Avenue, installation of new pedestrian hybrid beacons at Flower and 3rd streets, and 5th and Susan streets, and a traffic circle at Wilshire Avenue and Sycamore Street. (Revive Santa Ana program)
- Adopted a resolution authorizing the Executive Director of Public Works Agency to execute a grant agreement with the California Department of Transportation for the Walnut Street Urban Greening Project and for the Santa Ana bus stop facility improvements project.
- Adopted a resolution authorizing the ceremonial street naming of Lydia Romero-Cruz Way along Lincoln Avenue from Washington Avenue to Stafford Street and a resolution authorizing the ceremonial street naming of Josephine “Chepa” Andrade Way along Logan Street from Washington Avenue to Stafford Street.
- Approved an agreement of up to $3.8 million with City Net to provide street outreach and engagement services to address quality-of-life concerns from January 1 to December 31, 2024. This adds 18 additional hours per week to the City’s homeless outreach team schedule.
Subscribe here to receive City meeting agenda notifications. City Council meetings are typically held on the first and third Tuesdays of each month, with the closed session beginning at 5 p.m. or earlier. The open meeting session begins at 5:30 p.m. Meetings have both in-person and virtual participation and attendance and are live streamed on the City’s YouTube channel and our TV channel, CTV3 (channel 3 on Spectrum.) If you’d like to provide public comments on agenda and non-agenda items, you can email, attend in person, or join the Zoom webinar online or by phone.
Invite me
If you’d like to invite me to attend an event in your neighborhood or in connection with your organization, please feel free to make that request. Use this form to contact me.
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