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Councilors seek updates to parks code to allow vendors, larger gatherings and modernized rules
Summary
Councilmember López proposed revising municipal code chapters governing parks to allow vendors (paleteros), raise permit thresholds for gatherings, and update rules for skate/scooter use; colleagues generally supported direction and requested staff refine language to address trash, capacity, reservation conflicts and safety.
Councilmember López introduced a proposal to modernize Santa Ana’s parks code (chapters 31 and 36) at the Feb. 17 meeting, asking colleagues to support code changes that remove outdated prohibitions, make park reservations and permit thresholds more workable for families, and better reflect contemporary uses such as scooters and skateparks.
López said the city’s park code contains rules adopted decades ago that now create barriers — for example, limits that restrict paleteros from operating in parks and low thresholds (permits required for relatively small gatherings). She proposed raising those limits, simplifying reservation and permitting processes, and ensuring operational and public‑safety reviews remain in place.
Councilmembers from multiple districts voiced support while raising operational concerns: managing trash during large gatherings, preventing overlapping reservations, ensuring access for people with disabilities, and clarifying enforcement. Councilmember Fan and other members asked staff to consider practical steps (e.g., additional trash receptacles, staffing resources) and to return with draft ordinance language.
The council’s discussion focused on balancing public access and cultural uses with the need for safety and orderly operations; staff and the city attorney were directed to prepare specific code amendments for future consideration.
