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Santa Ana council directs city to oppose county reentry center at former youth facility
Summary
After extended public comment and council debate about notice and neighborhood impacts, the Santa Ana City Council unanimously directed the city manager and city attorney to oppose the county's proposed reentry center at the former youth guidance center and to seek alternative sites and legal remedies.
The Santa Ana City Council voted unanimously July 12 to direct the city manager and city attorney to formally oppose a proposed Orange County coordinated reentry center at the former youth guidance center and to press the county to evaluate alternative locations elsewhere in the county.
Mayor Valerie Amezcua introduced the item and described county documents indicating the plan would place an 81‑bed residential reentry facility (70 men, 11 women) in Santa Ana. "We are not the stepchild. We're not the dumping ground," the mayor said as she urged the council to push the county for alternative siting and to explore legal avenues.
The item followed extensive public comment from neighborhood leaders and residents who said they had not received meaningful engagement about the facility. Several neighborhood speakers told the council they felt blindsided and requested the city push the county to share information and consider other sites such as the county's vacant Joplin Youth Center. "We were not notified," one neighborhood leader said, urging the city to demand better process and notice.
Council members split at times over tone but were unanimous in asking city staff and the city attorney to act. Council member Becerra thanked the community for mobilizing and said he did not support siting the center in Santa Ana. Council member Lopez said the disagreement was not about reentry services themselves but about lack of consultation: "This is not about opposing second chances — it's about being at the table when decisions affect our city." Chief Rodriguez, who said he was recently appointed to the county committee overseeing reentry planning, confirmed the committee is open to public comment but said he had only joined the commission about a month earlier.
The council's direction asks the city manager to draft a resolution opposing the site, to communicate the city's opposition to the Board of Supervisors and county CEO, to advocate for identification and evaluation of alternate locations, and to task the city attorney to evaluate legal and administrative remedies, including potential CEQA or procedural claims. The council vote was 7 ayes, no nays.
