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Santa Ana staff tables $5.4M in one‑time budget additions; council seeks more detail on Cypress fire station costs
Summary
City staff presented updates to the fiscal‑year 2025–26 draft budget, adding one‑time allocations for parks, Centennial Park lighting, and a $3.5M allocation for the Cypress fire station renovation; councilmembers asked for detailed breakdowns of previous design spending.
City staff presented an updated draft of the fiscal‑year 2025–26 general fund budget on May 20, adding roughly $5.4 million in proposed one‑time allocations and leaving recurring revenues and expenditures balanced.
Staff said the May 15–to‑May‑20 adjustments included funding for new courts and play areas at Bristol and Tolliver parks ($291,001 total, $176,000 from CDBG and $115,000 from acquisition/development funds), $200,000 for Lily King Park play equipment, $1.3 million for lighting at Centennial Park and play areas, $300,000 for blue lights and cameras, and $250,000 for a left‑turn signal at McArthur and Flower, with additional funding expected from Irvine and project savings.
Finance staff also proposed a $3.5 million one‑time general‑fund allocation for the Cypress fire station renovation, saying the figure reflects recent construction estimates. Deputy Public Works Director Mike Ortiz told the council that about $80,000 had been spent on hazardous‑material abatement and roughly $357,000 on design and preparation of bidding documents; the original allocation had been $1 million for the station, Ortiz said.
Councilmembers asked for more detail about past expenditures on the Cypress design work. Councilmember Jonathan Hernandez and others requested an itemized breakdown of design‑phase spending and the current status of plans; Ortiz said the city had paid consultants for environmental review, historic‑resource work and seismic retrofit design and that invoices were tied to milestones.
Staff also said the parking area fund is balanced and that staff will return with a phased ordinance updating meter rate and structure fees. The calendar for budget adoption was set: first reading of the budget ordinance June 3 and second reading and adoption June 17.
Council members praised staff for incorporating community requests but sought additional written detail on capital projects and allocations before final adoption.
