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Orange council directs manager to restore Old Town sidewalk steam cleaning using parking revenue
Summary
After extensive public comment about downtown cleanliness and merchant concerns, the council gave the city manager direction to reinstate once‑a‑month steam cleaning in the Old Town plaza and consider coverage of the parking structure, funded from parking meter revenue. Staff later clarified the annual cost at about $9,360 for once‑a‑month service.
The Orange City Council on Feb. 24 directed the city manager to restore sidewalk steam cleaning in Old Town, starting with once‑a‑month service and a plan to reassess frequency after a trial period.
Mayor Dan Slater introduced the measure as an effort to protect Old Town’s role as the city’s “front porch,” saying the cleaning would help preserve the area’s appeal and support revenue generated by recently implemented paid parking. “If people get the impression that it’s a ugly, stinky place, they’re gonna stay away,” Slater said.
Staff initially cited a figure that reflected a previous weekly contract but later clarified the cost for once‑a‑month service at roughly $780 per month, or about $9,360 per year, and described net parking revenue projections of approximately $1,000,000 annually (after enforcement contract costs). City Manager Matt Lorenzen told the council those preliminary numbers made the restoration feasible within the parking program’s revenues.
Council members debated optics and timing amid ongoing labor negotiations with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Council Member Gutierrez said she was sympathetic to merchants’ concerns but worried about “optics right now” given employee pay disputes. Other members — including Council Member Tavares and Council Member Demetrio — pressed to begin the service at either once or twice a month, with some members favoring a phased approach.
Business owners and merchants who testified during public comment urged immediate cleaning. Brandy Romero, speaking as a downtown merchant, described heavy foot traffic and sanitation problems and said the area “needs to be beautiful.” Several speakers asked the council to include the downtown parking structure in the cleaning scope, noting stairwells and enclosed areas had become problematic.
After discussion the council provided general direction to the city manager to restore sidewalk cleaning once a month for the plaza, give attention to the parking structure, and return in a few months with results and recommendations about whether to increase frequency.
The city manager said he would inspect the parking structure and work within his signing authority to restore operations.
Next steps: staff will implement once‑a‑month cleaning for the plaza, assess whether to add the parking structure to the contract, and report back to the council on costs and operational results.
