[{"_1":2,"_74":-5,"_75":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":-5,"_68":69,"_70":-5,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6535709,"mediaKeyId","3339654-44383304a3f60f520eb1ec061cf99705","parentId",3339654,"title","Santa Ana reviews draft budget; council and residents press for safety, sidewalks, arts and Cypress fire station funding","audioSeconds",5256,"startMs",3656000,"endMs",8912000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3339654-44383304a3f60f520eb1ec061cf99705&start=3656&end=8912","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3339654-44383304a3f60f520eb1ec061cf99705/thumbnail_3656000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6535709/Santa-Ana-reviews-draft-budget-council-and-residents-press-for-safety-sidewalks-arts-and-Cypress-fire-station-funding","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6535709-f001791da9c8bb16c6a81d96567aab05/orig.mp4?Expires=1771168841&Signature=O81aqUY2KxIQqmVnqgjb3P2hxexQPtwXSmB13B0zXAn0s82lEokOm~5GCOS10PTd~g-hrZKD-AWR5xISXKJbIwewRqUgnAwjY5GAeUM5xsBMhPsQ-L4eWSRJV-KXBqSmnORhwbUI6tmOjVRe5ghJMJ7gcJDFUvXB3PFYLo3Ilnv4iA3UgXuUr4zjR4NDkg5JPLqkJz21VmrAab48nZ9fCslJruEHHJCtxgXrYzDicalEq-4VBlQYPavPlqBeIkxi-qtbU4kTIuu2bRzsaVx6o0uB~f6QiNqeFqBXMh-dBJz7e8nN4R4jKHRd9usZ0OXZdDZRgd4VFVVswJV7ppcu-g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Santa Ana, CA","date","2025-05-16T15:37:11Z","article","Santa Ana city staff presented a draft budget at a May 15 council workshop that proposes new staffing and one-time investments while council members and residents urged prioritizing public safety, sidewalk repairs, park lighting and funding for arts programs and the long-vacant Cypress fire station.

The draft projects modest revenue growth but recommends targeted one-time spending to address infrastructure and safety concerns ahead of a public hearing June 3 and a planned adoption vote later in June. Assistant finance staff said outreach to date included online promotion with “más de 212000 de alcance” and about 360 in-person participants, but emphasized overall survey completions were limited and staff will continue community engagement.

Councilmembers focused repeatedly on safety-related spending and basic maintenance. Proposed items in the general-fund draft include adding 7 new positions, funding to improve ambulance response times (roughly $900,000), about $845,000 for jail contract increases, funding for parks and recreation, and a one-time contribution to a pension stabilization trust. The capital program includes roughly $45.2 million in street improvements and nearly $7.0 million for traffic-safety projects; staff also described a proposed contribution for stadium improvements contingent on later analysis of returns.

Several residents and neighborhood leaders urged the council to allocate money for sidewalks and street repairs, citing trips and hazardous pavement. One resident said the city should contact Caltrans about badly cracked pavement at a major intersection. Multiple speakers from Pacific Park and Riverview asked the city to fund renovation of the Cypress fire station, which community members have advocated to convert into a community center. Celica Díaz, a Pacific Park resident, told the council, “Este edificio ha estado vacante por 9 años.” Councilmembers said they have set aside $1,000,000 for planning and initial work and staff referenced a current estimate of about $4,000,000 to complete renovation work; councilmembers and staff said they will pursue grants and other funding to supplement one-time city funds.

Arts advocates asked the council to restore or increase dedicated arts funding. Speakers and several councilmembers discussed two different figures cited during the meeting—community speakers urged $200,000 for artist programs while the draft shows arts and culture funding at $350,000—highlighting different expectations among residents and the staff proposal. Councilmembers emphasized the economic and cultural value of arts investments while also pressing staff to clarify program design and selection criteria if the city pursues a public art trust or set-aside.

Councilmembers and staff also discussed operational details and constraints: the city’s parking enterprise is running a deficit and staff reported the parking fund is projecting a roughly $2.08 million shortfall; as a result, some parking-enforcement costs were proposed to move to the general fund. Staff said parking meters and enforcement no longer fully cover program costs and further analysis will come back to council.

Traffic safety and lighting requests were frequent. Councilmembers asked staff to prioritize high-visibility pedestrian crossings, lights in major parks (Centennial was cited repeatedly), blue safety lights at select locations, and localized traffic studies (including requests for Washington Square and several Willard-area intersections). Public-works staff noted some grant or utility sources for undergrounding overhead lines have ended; for example, Southern California Edison’s Rule 20/21 credits are not currently available for new projects.

Staff outlined next steps: continued community outreach, detailed revenue and expenditure updates, and returning revised budget documents to the council for public hearing on June 3 and further council consideration on June 17. Councilmembers asked staff for quarterly updates on any facility rental plans intended to generate modest revenue without displacing existing senior and community programming.

Attendance and engagement at the workshop were substantial: dozens of residents spoke in person and by Zoom, councilmembers exchanged detailed line-item questions with staff, and council leaders directed staff to produce additional cost and implementation details for several items before the formal public hearing. The council did not take any final votes at the workshop; staff and council described the session as advisory and preparatory for the formal budget process.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Santa Ana City Council Meeting - May 15, 2025 (Spanish)","oneSentenceSummary","At a May 15 city council budget workshop, staff presented a draft budget that proposes new positions, capital investments and one-time allocations; council members and public speakers emphasized public safety, sidewalks, park lighting, arts funding and renovating the vacant Cypress fire station.","taxTitle","taxId",0,"location","headline","","shortSummary","actionData","errors"]

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Santa Ana reviews draft budget; council and residents press for safety, sidewalks, arts and Cypress fire station funding