New Personnel Services Director At the February 20, 2018 City Council Meeting, City Manager Raul Godinez II announced the City Council's confirmation of Steven Pham as City of Santa Ana's new Executive Director of the Personnel Services Agency. Pham has over 30 years of experience as the Human Resources Director of the City of Orange. Steven's first day with the City will be Monday, April 2, 2018. Update to the City of Santa Ana Down Payment Assistance Loan Program The City of Santa Ana is pleased to announce an update to the Down Payment Assistance Loan Program that provides special financing to purchase your first home. The Program offers zero percent, deferred payment loans of up to $80,000 for Low Income Households and up to $40,000 for Moderate Income Households. In addition, the new Returning Student Incentive offers $10,000 in loan forgiveness every five years up to $40,000 maximum loan forgiveness to 4-year college graduates who graduated from a high school located in Santa Ana. Eligibility Requirements: Must be a resident of Santa Ana and/or work in Santa Ana at least 32 hours per week for at least the last 6 months (except U.S. military veterans) Must be pre-qualified for a first mortgage from a private lender Must be a first time homebuyer (a person with no ownership interest in, or who has not held title to a principal residence during the three-year period preceding the purchase of the property) Must be able to make a down payment of at least 3% from buyer s own funds Must complete the 8-hour Homebuyer Counseling Program offered by a HUD Approved Housing Counseling Agency Home must be located in the City of Santa Ana Household income cannot exceed the moderate-income limits set by HUD To learn more about the Down Payment Assistance Loan Program, please visit www.ci.santa-ana.ca.us/cda/downpaymentassistanceprogram.asp or call (714) 667-2250. The next quarterly Homebuyer Informational Workshop will be held at the City of Santa Ana Council Chambers (22 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA) on Tuesday, April 10, 2018 from 6:00PM 8:00PM.
Wishing you and your loved ones a very Happy Easter Economic Development and Google The City in collaboration with the Google Digital Coaches Program, OC Small Business Development Center (SBDC), and Delhi Center are bringing a series of free Google Digital Marketing Tools for Business workshops in English and Spanish. The Google Digital Coaches program is designed to provide opportunity for business owners and entrepreneurs to grow and thrive online. Business owners, will receive guidance on improving web presence, learn how to reach new customers online, and grow the business using Google's online advertising platforms, with help from a Google Digital Coach. The first workshop was held on March 13th at the SBDC. On April 4th, Delhi Center will host a Spanish workshop at 4PM and an English workshop at 6PM. Mayor Pro Tem Martinez recognizes local women in honor of National Women's History Month at the March 6, 2018 City Council Meeting
UPDATE ON HOMELESSNESS The City of Santa Ana has been actively involved with both the County of Orange and Federal Judge Carter ensuring that all actions towards permanent relocation of homeless individuals from the Civic Center Campus continue moving forward. On March 27th, the Orange County Board of Supervisors held a Board meeting for Agenda revisions and Supplemental Item S14E to rescind the action that the Board approved at its special meeting on March 19th. This action was to add additional capacity of 400 beds for the homeless by opening up facilities on County-owned land in the cities of Irvine, Huntington Beach, and Laguna Niguel. The Board (Chairman Do was not present) opened the floor to public comment beginning with elected officials, and then to stakeholders and the general public. In response to the recent opposition to the proposed locations for the 400 beds, Supervisor Nelson and Bartlett encouraged city officials to provide solutions along with feedback. The City of Santa Ana was represented by Councilmember Villegas, Councilmember Solorio and City Manager Raul Godinez. In addition, Deputy City Manager Robert Cortez, Assistant to the City Manager, Jorge Garcia and Homeless Services Manager Hafsa Kaka, were also in attendance. After hours of public comment, the Board of Supervisors passed the item 4-0 to rescind the plan for the proposed 400 beds in the cities in Irvine, Huntington Beach and Laguna Niguel. Additional actions approved by the Board of Supervisors include: $70.5 million in Mental Health Service Act funds to remain committed to address homelessness; and Contract with American Family Housing for additional shelter 2ND ANNUAL PASSPORT DAY The OC Recorders Office will be hosting its 2nd Annual Passport Day here in the City of Santa Ana. This is a special Saturday opening, where only new passport applications will be processed. The event will be held on Saturday, April 14th at the Old County Courthouse, 211 Santa Ana Blvd., Room 201. For more information and to make an appointment, visit ocrecorder.com.
Affordable Housing Funds Policies and Procedures On March 20, 2018, the City Council adopted the Affordable Housing Funds Policies and Procedures. These policies and procedures have been developed to guide how affordable housing funds and land assets available to the City of Santa Ana are allocated, committed, loaned and monitored for multi-family affordable housing development in the City. The intent of these Policies and Procedures is to provide a transparent, open and fair process for developers, businesses, non-profit organizations, individuals and other entities interested in developing affordable housing. The Policies and Procedures apply to the following programs currently administered by the Housing Division of the City of Santa Ana and any other funds for housing purposes that become available: (1) Low and Moderate Income Housing Asset Fund (Housing Successor Agency Fund) including land assets owned by the Housing Successor Agency, (2) Inclusionary Housing Fund, (3) HOME Investment Partnerships Program, (4) Community Development Block Grant Program, and (5) Project-Based Voucher Program. Through the legislative process and in an environment of transparency and accountability, the draft Affordable Housing Funds Policies and Procedures were presented on November 13th to the Economic Development, Infrastructure, Budget and Technology (EDIBT) Committee on which I serve as the Chair. The EDIBT Committee provided direction to staff, requested more information on specific items and also requested staff to hold a stakeholder workshop. On December 19th, staff held a stakeholder workshop in which 15 stakeholders attended the meeting. Following the stakeholder meeting, staff integrated the feedback from the stakeholders and then brought back the revised Policies and Procedures to the EDIBT Committee a second time on January 8th. At our January 8th meeting, the EDIBT Committee requested additional revisions which were incorporated into the final draft approved by City Council on March 20th. The draft Policies and Procedures were also available on our City s website for three months for public review and comment prior to consideration by City Council. I am very pleased with the adoption of the Affordable Housing Funds Policies and Procedures. These policies will herald in a new era of transparency through an open and fair process for the allocation of our limited affordable housing funds and land assets. NEW BUSINESSES IN THE CITY OF SANTA ANA Since the beginning of the year, many new business licenses have been issued within the City of Santa Ana. Bringing economic growth and entrepreneurship to the community, the following establishments are now open for business. Furniture Ave Furniture Showroom - 1351 W. 17 th Jimmy John s Fast Food - 3930 S. Bristol Port City Tattoo Tattoo Shop 419 N Broadway, Downtown Santa Ana Doggie District and Company Pet Shop and Boarding 5015 W Edinger Macchiato Coffee Shop - 1935 E. 17 th Ponzu Sushi Bar 1945 E. 17 th
TAX DAY 2018 Taxpayers will get 2 extra days to file their taxes this year. Individual tax returns filed with the federal government are usually due by April 15th. Tax Day 2018 is on Tuesday, April 17, 2018. POLICY DECISIONS The City Council recently passed revisions to the City s Accessory Dwelling Unit (Granny Flats) Ordinance, which will allow the construction of additional affordable units throughout the City. The new ordinance, which will take effect in early May, will make it easier for owners of residential lots to construct an accessory residence on their property that is smaller than the primary residence. Provisions have been made to allow exceptions to standards related to parking and setbacks provided the project is designed to comply with State and City Codes. Also recently adopted by the City Council, an ordinance allowing commercial cannabis testing laboratories in the City of Santa Ana. The ordinance has allowed the City to begin accepting applications for commercial cannabis testing laboratories/facilities in Santa Ana. Pursuant to Proposition 64 and State law, all cannabis products must be quality-control tested beginning July 1, 2018. APRIL EVENTS Día De Los Niños/Día De Los Libros Saturday, April 21, 2018 10:30am - 2:00pm Santa Ana Public Library Celebrate the Day of the Child and Day of the Book. This family friendly event takes place outside of the City's main library. Special Earth Day Celebration as well! Afterschool Professionals Appreciation Week April 23rd through April 27th Observed by SAUSD A joint effort of community partners, afterschool programs, youth and child development workers and individuals who have committed to declaring the last full week of April as a time to recognize and appreciate those who work with youth during out-of-school hours.
APRIL 25th In recognition of Administrative Professionals Day, which recognizes the important role of administrative staff, I would like to call attention to the administrative support team of the City Clerk s Office and the City Manager s Office for the City of Santa Ana. The administrative professionals in these offices play a critical role in ensuring that the organization runs smoothly by providing a variety of support services for the Mayor, City Council, and key City staff. The positions within these offices include Executive Assistants, Deputy Clerks, Administrative Secretaries, and Interns. This small team has proven to be efficient and effective and deserve to be acknowledged for the extraordinary benefits that they provide to the individuals they support and organization as a whole. My Santa Ana App Residents with an iphone or Android can now download the mysantaana app for free, allowing them to point, click, and send photos of maintenance issues such as: Graffiti removal Illegal dumping Potholes Sidewalk defects Street signs Street sweeping Street light repair Storm drain Trees Water wasting Water pollution Weeds For more information, please visit: http://www.ci.santa-ana.ca.us/apps/mysantaana
City Council Agenda Notifications If you are interested in knowing about City Council meetings and would like to be notified when the agenda is posted, you can subscribe at : http://www.ci.santa-ana.ca.us/email-notifications City Council meetings are held the first and third Tuesday of the month and begin at 5:45 pm. City Council Special Event Sponsorship The City Council Special Event Sponsorship Policy supports eligible non-profit organizations and neighborhood associations with their special events. Depending on the type of organization and event, the City of Santa Ana will sponsor eligible organizations with onetime funds or credit for City services to help pay for services associated with their events. The Mayor and Councilmembers are able to allocate up to $10,000 per fiscal year to support these organizations. For more information, click here Donation Request or call the City of Santa Ana City Manager s Office at (714) 647-6900. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * PLACES TO VISIT If you are looking for something to do on the weekends, Santa Ana has a variety of exciting places to visit: Prentice Park/Santa Ana Zoo Discovery Cube Orange County Farmers' Market Downtown Santa Ana/Calle Cuatro The Old Orange County Courthouse Santa Ana Public Library Bowers Museum Heritage Museum of Orange County Howe Waffle House and Carriage House Main Place Mall Come experience Santa Ana!