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City Manager Office <br />www.santa-ana.org/cm <br />Item # 37 <br />City of Santa Ana <br />20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701 <br /> Staff Report <br />April 5, 2022 <br />TOPIC: City Charter <br />AGENDA TITLE: <br />Charter Review Ad Hoc Committee Informational Report <br />RECOMMENDED ACTION <br />Accept informational report and provide direction to staff. <br />DISCUSSION <br />Introduction <br />This report provides background information relating to recent proposals to amend the <br />City Charter (the “Charter”), share the Charter Review Ad Hoc Committee’s progress to <br />date, and create an opportunity for the City Council to discuss and provide direction to <br />staff for follow-up. <br />About the Charter <br />The City of Santa Ana is governed through a Charter authorized by the California <br />Constitution. The Charter is a vital document which establishes a degree of autonomy to <br />local governments and outlines certain authority and restrictions the City has over <br />municipal affairs. The Charter addresses important aspects of Santa Ana’s authority. The <br />original Charter of the City of Santa Ana was adopted by the voters on 1952. Modifications <br />to the original document have been approved by the voters on several occasions, with <br />the last major amendment occurring as part of the November 8, 2018 General Municipal <br />Election. <br />2020 Charter Review Ad Hoc Committee <br />From January to May 2020, an ad hoc committee of the City Council (the “2020 Ad Hoc <br />Committee”) met to explore proposals to amend the Charter. After a series of 11 <br />meetings, and based upon feedback from City staff and the public, the ad hoc committee <br />prepared 17 proposed Charter amendments (Exhibit 1). The proposed amendments <br />consisted of administrative clean-up items and various policy issues from the then-seated <br />members of the City Council. Ultimately, the City Council decided to not take any action.