HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda_2026-01-26Special City Council Meeting Agenda
January 26, 2026
OPEN MEETING – 5:00 PM
CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER
22 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, CA 92701
Valerie Amezcua
Mayor
Thai Viet Phan
Councilmember – Ward 1
Benjamin Vazquez
Councilmember Ward 2
Jessie Lopez
Councilmember Ward 3
Phil Bacerra
Councilmember Ward 4
Johnathan Ryan Hernandez
Councilmember Ward 5
David Penaloza
Mayor Pro Tem Ward 6
Mayor and Council telephone: 7146476900
Agenda item inquiries: 7146476520
Sonia R. Carvalho
City Attorney
Alvaro Nuñez
City Manager
Jennifer L. Hall
City Clerk
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), if you need special assistance to participate in this Meeting, contact
Michael Ortiz, City ADA Program Coordinator, at (714) 6475624. Notification 48 hours prior to the Meeting will enable the City to
make reasonable arrangements to assure accessibility to this meeting. The City Council agenda and supporting documentation can
be found on the City’s website – www.santaana.org/agendasandminutes
CITY VISION AND CODE OF ETHICS – The City of Santa Ana is committed to achieving a
shared vision for the organization and its community. The Vision, Mission and Guiding Principles
(Values) are the result of a thoughtful and inclusive process designed to set the City and
organization on a course that meets the challenges of today and tomorrow, as follows:
Vision The dynamic center of Orange County which is acclaimed for our: Investment in youth •
Safe and healthy community • Neighborhood pride • Thriving economic climate • Enriched and
diverse culture • Quality government services
Mission To deliver efficient public services in partnership with our community which ensures
public safety, a prosperous economic environment, opportunities for our youth, and a high quality
of life for residents.
Guiding Principles Collaboration • Efficiency • Equity • Excellence • Fiscal Responsibility •
Innovation • Transparency
Code of Ethics and Conduct At the Special Municipal Election held on February 5, 2008,
voters approved an amendment to the City Charter which established the Code of Ethics and
Conduct for elected officials and members of appointed boards, commissions, and committees
to assure public confidence. The following are the core values expressed: • Integrity • Honesty •
Responsibility • Fairness • Accountability • Respect • Efficiency
Members of the public may attend the City Council meeting inperson or join via Zoom. As a
courtesy to the public, the City Council meeting will occur live via teleconference Zoom webinar.
You may view the meeting from your computer, tablet, or smart phone via YouTube LiveStream at
www.youtube.com/user/SantaAnaLibrary or on CTV3, available on Spectrum channel 3.
PUBLIC COMMENTS – Members of the public who wish to address the City Council on closed
session items, items on the regular agenda, or on matters which are not on the agenda but are
within the subject matter jurisdiction of the City Council, may do so by one of the following ways:
MAILING OPTION written communications – Public comments may be mailed to: Office of
the City Clerk, 20 Civic Center Plaza M30, Santa Ana, CA 92701. All written
communications received via mail by 4:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting will be
distributed to the City Council and imaged into the City’s document archive system which
is available for public review.
SENDING EMAIL OPTION – Public comments may be sent via email to the City Clerk’s
office at eComment@santaana.org. Please note the agenda item you are commenting on
in the subject line of the email. All emails received two (2) hours before the scheduled
start of the meeting will be distributed to the City Council and imaged into the City’s
document archive system which is available for public review.
LIVE VIRTUAL OPTION – As a courtesy, members of the public may provide live
comments during the meeting by Zoom or Conference Call. To join by Zoom click on or
type the following address into your web browser
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/315965149. To join the Conference Call: Dial (669) 9009128
and enter MEETING ID: 315 965 149#. You will be prompted by the City Clerk when it is
time for a: i) special agenda item. You may request to speak by dialing *9 from your phone
or you may virtually raise your hand from Zoom. After the Clerk confirms the last three digits
of the caller’s phone number or Zoom ID and unmutes them, the caller must press *6 or
microphone icon to speak. Callers are encouraged, but not required, to identify themselves
by name. Each caller will be provided three (3) minutes to speak, unless due to the number
of speakers wanting to speak a decision is made to provide a different amount of time to
speak.
INPERSON OPTION Members of the public can provide inperson comments at the
podium in the Council Chamber. The Council Chamber will have seating available for
members of the public to attend the meeting inperson. Public comments are limited to
three (3) minutes per speaker, unless a different time is announced by the presiding chair.
Speakers who wish to address the Council must do so by submitting a “Request to
Speak” card by by 5:00 p.m. for the designated public comment period as listed
below. Cards will not be accepted after the Public Comment Session begins without the
permission of the presiding chair.
The following designated public comment period is:
1. LIVE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS ONLY – You can provide comments by
joining Zoom or the Conference Call as described in the LIVE or INPERSON PUBLIC
COMMENTS OPTION above. Speaker queue will open at 4:30 p.m. YOU MUST JOIN ZOOM
OR THE CONFERENCE CALL and raise your hand PRIOR TO 5:00 p.m. Speakers who are
not in the speaker queue with their hand raised by 5:00 p.m. will not be permitted to speak.
TRANSLATION SERVICES Spanish interpreting services are provided at City Council
meetings. Simultaneous Spanish interpretation is provided through the use of headsets
and consecutive interpretation (SpanishtoEnglish) in addition to those wishing to
address the City Council at the podium.
La ciudad provee servicios de interpretación al español en las juntas del Consejo. La
interpretación simultánea al español se ofrece por medio del uso de audífonos y la
interpretación consecutiva (español a inglés) también está disponible para cualquiera
que desee dirigirse al consejo municipal en el podio.
About the Agenda
To download or view the attachments (staff report and other supporting documentation) for each
agenda item, you must select the agenda item to see the attachments to either open in a new
link (the eyeball ) or download a pdf (the cloud symbol with the down arrow ).
SPECIAL OPEN MEETING
CALL TO ORDER
ATTENDANCE Council Members Phil Bacerra
Johnathan Ryan Hernandez
Jessie Lopez
Thai Viet Phan
Benjamin Vazquez
Mayor Pro Tem David Penaloza
Mayor Valerie Amezcua
City Manager Alvaro Nunez
City Attorney Sonia R. Carvalho
City Clerk Jennifer L. Hall
ROLL CALL
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor Amezcua
PUBLIC COMMENT – Public comments will be held during the beginning of the meeting for
ALL comments on agenda items ONLY.
WORK STUDY SESSION
1.Police Oversight Commission Ordinance Work Study Session
Department(s): City Manager’s Office
Recommended Action: Receive presentation on Police Oversight Commission
Ordinance options and provide direction to staff to:
1. Maintain the current ordinance while including clean up language to align with the City
Charter and have the Independent Oversight Director be appointed by the City Manager,
remain independent from the Police Department, and still vetted by the City Council.
2. Modify the existing ordinance to the staff recommended audit model.
3. Modify the existing ordinance to a hybrid audit/investigation model, reflecting input from
the Police Oversight Commission, and recommend that officer involved shootings and use
of force that cause great bodily harm are open to investigation at the direction of the
commission.
ADJOURNMENT – Adjourn the Special City Council meeting.
POSTING STATEMENT: On January 23, 2026, a true and correct copy of this agenda was posted at the entrance
to City Hall, 20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701. Internet Access to City Council, Agency, and Authority
agendas and related material is available prior to meetings at santaana.org/agendasandminutes.
Special City Council Meeting 1 01/26/2026
Special City Council Meeting AgendaJanuary 26, 2026OPEN MEETING – 5:00 PM CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER22 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, CA 92701Valerie AmezcuaMayorThai Viet PhanCouncilmember – Ward 1 Benjamin VazquezCouncilmember Ward 2Jessie LopezCouncilmember Ward 3 Phil BacerraCouncilmember Ward 4Johnathan Ryan HernandezCouncilmember Ward 5 David PenalozaMayor Pro Tem Ward 6Mayor and Council telephone: 7146476900Agenda item inquiries: 7146476520Sonia R. CarvalhoCity Attorney Alvaro NuñezCity Manager Jennifer L. HallCity Clerk
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), if you need special assistance to participate in this Meeting, contact
Michael Ortiz, City ADA Program Coordinator, at (714) 6475624. Notification 48 hours prior to the Meeting will enable the City to
make reasonable arrangements to assure accessibility to this meeting. The City Council agenda and supporting documentation can
be found on the City’s website – www.santaana.org/agendasandminutes
CITY VISION AND CODE OF ETHICS – The City of Santa Ana is committed to achieving a
shared vision for the organization and its community. The Vision, Mission and Guiding Principles
(Values) are the result of a thoughtful and inclusive process designed to set the City and
organization on a course that meets the challenges of today and tomorrow, as follows:
Vision The dynamic center of Orange County which is acclaimed for our: Investment in youth •
Safe and healthy community • Neighborhood pride • Thriving economic climate • Enriched and
diverse culture • Quality government services
Mission To deliver efficient public services in partnership with our community which ensures
public safety, a prosperous economic environment, opportunities for our youth, and a high quality
of life for residents.
Guiding Principles Collaboration • Efficiency • Equity • Excellence • Fiscal Responsibility •
Innovation • Transparency
Code of Ethics and Conduct At the Special Municipal Election held on February 5, 2008,
voters approved an amendment to the City Charter which established the Code of Ethics and
Conduct for elected officials and members of appointed boards, commissions, and committees
to assure public confidence. The following are the core values expressed: • Integrity • Honesty •
Responsibility • Fairness • Accountability • Respect • Efficiency
Members of the public may attend the City Council meeting inperson or join via Zoom. As a
courtesy to the public, the City Council meeting will occur live via teleconference Zoom webinar.
You may view the meeting from your computer, tablet, or smart phone via YouTube LiveStream at
www.youtube.com/user/SantaAnaLibrary or on CTV3, available on Spectrum channel 3.
PUBLIC COMMENTS – Members of the public who wish to address the City Council on closed
session items, items on the regular agenda, or on matters which are not on the agenda but are
within the subject matter jurisdiction of the City Council, may do so by one of the following ways:
MAILING OPTION written communications – Public comments may be mailed to: Office of
the City Clerk, 20 Civic Center Plaza M30, Santa Ana, CA 92701. All written
communications received via mail by 4:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting will be
distributed to the City Council and imaged into the City’s document archive system which
is available for public review.
SENDING EMAIL OPTION – Public comments may be sent via email to the City Clerk’s
office at eComment@santaana.org. Please note the agenda item you are commenting on
in the subject line of the email. All emails received two (2) hours before the scheduled
start of the meeting will be distributed to the City Council and imaged into the City’s
document archive system which is available for public review.
LIVE VIRTUAL OPTION – As a courtesy, members of the public may provide live
comments during the meeting by Zoom or Conference Call. To join by Zoom click on or
type the following address into your web browser
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/315965149. To join the Conference Call: Dial (669) 9009128
and enter MEETING ID: 315 965 149#. You will be prompted by the City Clerk when it is
time for a: i) special agenda item. You may request to speak by dialing *9 from your phone
or you may virtually raise your hand from Zoom. After the Clerk confirms the last three digits
of the caller’s phone number or Zoom ID and unmutes them, the caller must press *6 or
microphone icon to speak. Callers are encouraged, but not required, to identify themselves
by name. Each caller will be provided three (3) minutes to speak, unless due to the number
of speakers wanting to speak a decision is made to provide a different amount of time to
speak.
INPERSON OPTION Members of the public can provide inperson comments at the
podium in the Council Chamber. The Council Chamber will have seating available for
members of the public to attend the meeting inperson. Public comments are limited to
three (3) minutes per speaker, unless a different time is announced by the presiding chair.
Speakers who wish to address the Council must do so by submitting a “Request to
Speak” card by by 5:00 p.m. for the designated public comment period as listed
below. Cards will not be accepted after the Public Comment Session begins without the
permission of the presiding chair.
The following designated public comment period is:
1. LIVE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS ONLY – You can provide comments by
joining Zoom or the Conference Call as described in the LIVE or INPERSON PUBLIC
COMMENTS OPTION above. Speaker queue will open at 4:30 p.m. YOU MUST JOIN ZOOM
OR THE CONFERENCE CALL and raise your hand PRIOR TO 5:00 p.m. Speakers who are
not in the speaker queue with their hand raised by 5:00 p.m. will not be permitted to speak.
TRANSLATION SERVICES Spanish interpreting services are provided at City Council
meetings. Simultaneous Spanish interpretation is provided through the use of headsets
and consecutive interpretation (SpanishtoEnglish) in addition to those wishing to
address the City Council at the podium.
La ciudad provee servicios de interpretación al español en las juntas del Consejo. La
interpretación simultánea al español se ofrece por medio del uso de audífonos y la
interpretación consecutiva (español a inglés) también está disponible para cualquiera
que desee dirigirse al consejo municipal en el podio.
About the Agenda
To download or view the attachments (staff report and other supporting documentation) for each
agenda item, you must select the agenda item to see the attachments to either open in a new
link (the eyeball ) or download a pdf (the cloud symbol with the down arrow ).
SPECIAL OPEN MEETING
CALL TO ORDER
ATTENDANCE Council Members Phil Bacerra
Johnathan Ryan Hernandez
Jessie Lopez
Thai Viet Phan
Benjamin Vazquez
Mayor Pro Tem David Penaloza
Mayor Valerie Amezcua
City Manager Alvaro Nunez
City Attorney Sonia R. Carvalho
City Clerk Jennifer L. Hall
ROLL CALL
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor Amezcua
PUBLIC COMMENT – Public comments will be held during the beginning of the meeting for
ALL comments on agenda items ONLY.
WORK STUDY SESSION
1.Police Oversight Commission Ordinance Work Study Session
Department(s): City Manager’s Office
Recommended Action: Receive presentation on Police Oversight Commission
Ordinance options and provide direction to staff to:
1. Maintain the current ordinance while including clean up language to align with the City
Charter and have the Independent Oversight Director be appointed by the City Manager,
remain independent from the Police Department, and still vetted by the City Council.
2. Modify the existing ordinance to the staff recommended audit model.
3. Modify the existing ordinance to a hybrid audit/investigation model, reflecting input from
the Police Oversight Commission, and recommend that officer involved shootings and use
of force that cause great bodily harm are open to investigation at the direction of the
commission.
ADJOURNMENT – Adjourn the Special City Council meeting.
POSTING STATEMENT: On January 23, 2026, a true and correct copy of this agenda was posted at the entrance
to City Hall, 20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701. Internet Access to City Council, Agency, and Authority
agendas and related material is available prior to meetings at santaana.org/agendasandminutes.
Special City Council Meeting 2 01/26/2026
Special City Council Meeting AgendaJanuary 26, 2026OPEN MEETING – 5:00 PM CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER22 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, CA 92701Valerie AmezcuaMayorThai Viet PhanCouncilmember – Ward 1 Benjamin VazquezCouncilmember Ward 2Jessie LopezCouncilmember Ward 3 Phil BacerraCouncilmember Ward 4Johnathan Ryan HernandezCouncilmember Ward 5 David PenalozaMayor Pro Tem Ward 6Mayor and Council telephone: 7146476900Agenda item inquiries: 7146476520Sonia R. CarvalhoCity Attorney Alvaro NuñezCity Manager Jennifer L. HallCity ClerkIn compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), if you need special assistance to participate in this Meeting, contactMichael Ortiz, City ADA Program Coordinator, at (714) 6475624. Notification 48 hours prior to the Meeting will enable the City tomake reasonable arrangements to assure accessibility to this meeting. The City Council agenda and supporting documentation canbe found on the City’s website – www.santaana.org/agendasandminutesCITY VISION AND CODE OF ETHICS – The City of Santa Ana is committed to achieving ashared vision for the organization and its community. The Vision, Mission and Guiding Principles(Values) are the result of a thoughtful and inclusive process designed to set the City andorganization on a course that meets the challenges of today and tomorrow, as follows:Vision The dynamic center of Orange County which is acclaimed for our: Investment in youth •Safe and healthy community • Neighborhood pride • Thriving economic climate • Enriched anddiverse culture • Quality government servicesMission To deliver efficient public services in partnership with our community which ensurespublic safety, a prosperous economic environment, opportunities for our youth, and a high qualityof life for residents.Guiding Principles Collaboration • Efficiency • Equity • Excellence • Fiscal Responsibility •Innovation • TransparencyCode of Ethics and Conduct At the Special Municipal Election held on February 5, 2008,voters approved an amendment to the City Charter which established the Code of Ethics and
Conduct for elected officials and members of appointed boards, commissions, and committees
to assure public confidence. The following are the core values expressed: • Integrity • Honesty •
Responsibility • Fairness • Accountability • Respect • Efficiency
Members of the public may attend the City Council meeting inperson or join via Zoom. As a
courtesy to the public, the City Council meeting will occur live via teleconference Zoom webinar.
You may view the meeting from your computer, tablet, or smart phone via YouTube LiveStream at
www.youtube.com/user/SantaAnaLibrary or on CTV3, available on Spectrum channel 3.
PUBLIC COMMENTS – Members of the public who wish to address the City Council on closed
session items, items on the regular agenda, or on matters which are not on the agenda but are
within the subject matter jurisdiction of the City Council, may do so by one of the following ways:
MAILING OPTION written communications – Public comments may be mailed to: Office of
the City Clerk, 20 Civic Center Plaza M30, Santa Ana, CA 92701. All written
communications received via mail by 4:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting will be
distributed to the City Council and imaged into the City’s document archive system which
is available for public review.
SENDING EMAIL OPTION – Public comments may be sent via email to the City Clerk’s
office at eComment@santaana.org. Please note the agenda item you are commenting on
in the subject line of the email. All emails received two (2) hours before the scheduled
start of the meeting will be distributed to the City Council and imaged into the City’s
document archive system which is available for public review.
LIVE VIRTUAL OPTION – As a courtesy, members of the public may provide live
comments during the meeting by Zoom or Conference Call. To join by Zoom click on or
type the following address into your web browser
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/315965149. To join the Conference Call: Dial (669) 9009128
and enter MEETING ID: 315 965 149#. You will be prompted by the City Clerk when it is
time for a: i) special agenda item. You may request to speak by dialing *9 from your phone
or you may virtually raise your hand from Zoom. After the Clerk confirms the last three digits
of the caller’s phone number or Zoom ID and unmutes them, the caller must press *6 or
microphone icon to speak. Callers are encouraged, but not required, to identify themselves
by name. Each caller will be provided three (3) minutes to speak, unless due to the number
of speakers wanting to speak a decision is made to provide a different amount of time to
speak.
INPERSON OPTION Members of the public can provide inperson comments at the
podium in the Council Chamber. The Council Chamber will have seating available for
members of the public to attend the meeting inperson. Public comments are limited to
three (3) minutes per speaker, unless a different time is announced by the presiding chair.
Speakers who wish to address the Council must do so by submitting a “Request to
Speak” card by by 5:00 p.m. for the designated public comment period as listed
below. Cards will not be accepted after the Public Comment Session begins without the
permission of the presiding chair.
The following designated public comment period is:
1. LIVE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS ONLY – You can provide comments by
joining Zoom or the Conference Call as described in the LIVE or INPERSON PUBLIC
COMMENTS OPTION above. Speaker queue will open at 4:30 p.m. YOU MUST JOIN ZOOM
OR THE CONFERENCE CALL and raise your hand PRIOR TO 5:00 p.m. Speakers who are
not in the speaker queue with their hand raised by 5:00 p.m. will not be permitted to speak.
TRANSLATION SERVICES Spanish interpreting services are provided at City Council
meetings. Simultaneous Spanish interpretation is provided through the use of headsets
and consecutive interpretation (SpanishtoEnglish) in addition to those wishing to
address the City Council at the podium.
La ciudad provee servicios de interpretación al español en las juntas del Consejo. La
interpretación simultánea al español se ofrece por medio del uso de audífonos y la
interpretación consecutiva (español a inglés) también está disponible para cualquiera
que desee dirigirse al consejo municipal en el podio.
About the Agenda
To download or view the attachments (staff report and other supporting documentation) for each
agenda item, you must select the agenda item to see the attachments to either open in a new
link (the eyeball ) or download a pdf (the cloud symbol with the down arrow ).
SPECIAL OPEN MEETING
CALL TO ORDER
ATTENDANCE Council Members Phil Bacerra
Johnathan Ryan Hernandez
Jessie Lopez
Thai Viet Phan
Benjamin Vazquez
Mayor Pro Tem David Penaloza
Mayor Valerie Amezcua
City Manager Alvaro Nunez
City Attorney Sonia R. Carvalho
City Clerk Jennifer L. Hall
ROLL CALL
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor Amezcua
PUBLIC COMMENT – Public comments will be held during the beginning of the meeting for
ALL comments on agenda items ONLY.
WORK STUDY SESSION
1.Police Oversight Commission Ordinance Work Study Session
Department(s): City Manager’s Office
Recommended Action: Receive presentation on Police Oversight Commission
Ordinance options and provide direction to staff to:
1. Maintain the current ordinance while including clean up language to align with the City
Charter and have the Independent Oversight Director be appointed by the City Manager,
remain independent from the Police Department, and still vetted by the City Council.
2. Modify the existing ordinance to the staff recommended audit model.
3. Modify the existing ordinance to a hybrid audit/investigation model, reflecting input from
the Police Oversight Commission, and recommend that officer involved shootings and use
of force that cause great bodily harm are open to investigation at the direction of the
commission.
ADJOURNMENT – Adjourn the Special City Council meeting.
POSTING STATEMENT: On January 23, 2026, a true and correct copy of this agenda was posted at the entrance
to City Hall, 20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701. Internet Access to City Council, Agency, and Authority
agendas and related material is available prior to meetings at santaana.org/agendasandminutes.
Special City Council Meeting 3 01/26/2026
Special City Council Meeting AgendaJanuary 26, 2026OPEN MEETING – 5:00 PM CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER22 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, CA 92701Valerie AmezcuaMayorThai Viet PhanCouncilmember – Ward 1 Benjamin VazquezCouncilmember Ward 2Jessie LopezCouncilmember Ward 3 Phil BacerraCouncilmember Ward 4Johnathan Ryan HernandezCouncilmember Ward 5 David PenalozaMayor Pro Tem Ward 6Mayor and Council telephone: 7146476900Agenda item inquiries: 7146476520Sonia R. CarvalhoCity Attorney Alvaro NuñezCity Manager Jennifer L. HallCity ClerkIn compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), if you need special assistance to participate in this Meeting, contactMichael Ortiz, City ADA Program Coordinator, at (714) 6475624. Notification 48 hours prior to the Meeting will enable the City tomake reasonable arrangements to assure accessibility to this meeting. The City Council agenda and supporting documentation canbe found on the City’s website – www.santaana.org/agendasandminutesCITY VISION AND CODE OF ETHICS – The City of Santa Ana is committed to achieving ashared vision for the organization and its community. The Vision, Mission and Guiding Principles(Values) are the result of a thoughtful and inclusive process designed to set the City andorganization on a course that meets the challenges of today and tomorrow, as follows:Vision The dynamic center of Orange County which is acclaimed for our: Investment in youth •Safe and healthy community • Neighborhood pride • Thriving economic climate • Enriched anddiverse culture • Quality government servicesMission To deliver efficient public services in partnership with our community which ensurespublic safety, a prosperous economic environment, opportunities for our youth, and a high qualityof life for residents.Guiding Principles Collaboration • Efficiency • Equity • Excellence • Fiscal Responsibility •Innovation • TransparencyCode of Ethics and Conduct At the Special Municipal Election held on February 5, 2008,voters approved an amendment to the City Charter which established the Code of Ethics andConduct for elected officials and members of appointed boards, commissions, and committeesto assure public confidence. The following are the core values expressed: • Integrity • Honesty •Responsibility • Fairness • Accountability • Respect • EfficiencyMembers of the public may attend the City Council meeting inperson or join via Zoom. As acourtesy to the public, the City Council meeting will occur live via teleconference Zoom webinar.You may view the meeting from your computer, tablet, or smart phone via YouTube LiveStream atwww.youtube.com/user/SantaAnaLibrary or on CTV3, available on Spectrum channel 3.PUBLIC COMMENTS – Members of the public who wish to address the City Council on closedsession items, items on the regular agenda, or on matters which are not on the agenda but arewithin the subject matter jurisdiction of the City Council, may do so by one of the following ways: MAILING OPTION written communications – Public comments may be mailed to: Office ofthe City Clerk, 20 Civic Center Plaza M30, Santa Ana, CA 92701. All writtencommunications received via mail by 4:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting will bedistributed to the City Council and imaged into the City’s document archive system whichis available for public review.SENDING EMAIL OPTION – Public comments may be sent via email to the City Clerk’soffice at eComment@santaana.org. Please note the agenda item you are commenting onin the subject line of the email. All emails received two (2) hours before the scheduledstart of the meeting will be distributed to the City Council and imaged into the City’sdocument archive system which is available for public review.LIVE VIRTUAL OPTION – As a courtesy, members of the public may provide livecomments during the meeting by Zoom or Conference Call. To join by Zoom click on ortype the following address into your web browserhttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/315965149. To join the Conference Call: Dial (669) 9009128and enter MEETING ID: 315 965 149#. You will be prompted by the City Clerk when it istime for a: i) special agenda item. You may request to speak by dialing *9 from your phoneor you may virtually raise your hand from Zoom. After the Clerk confirms the last three digitsof the caller’s phone number or Zoom ID and unmutes them, the caller must press *6 ormicrophone icon to speak. Callers are encouraged, but not required, to identify themselvesby name. Each caller will be provided three (3) minutes to speak, unless due to the numberof speakers wanting to speak a decision is made to provide a different amount of time tospeak.INPERSON OPTION Members of the public can provide inperson comments at thepodium in the Council Chamber. The Council Chamber will have seating available formembers of the public to attend the meeting inperson. Public comments are limited tothree (3) minutes per speaker, unless a different time is announced by the presiding chair.Speakers who wish to address the Council must do so by submitting a “Request to
Speak” card by by 5:00 p.m. for the designated public comment period as listed
below. Cards will not be accepted after the Public Comment Session begins without the
permission of the presiding chair.
The following designated public comment period is:
1. LIVE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS ONLY – You can provide comments by
joining Zoom or the Conference Call as described in the LIVE or INPERSON PUBLIC
COMMENTS OPTION above. Speaker queue will open at 4:30 p.m. YOU MUST JOIN ZOOM
OR THE CONFERENCE CALL and raise your hand PRIOR TO 5:00 p.m. Speakers who are
not in the speaker queue with their hand raised by 5:00 p.m. will not be permitted to speak.
TRANSLATION SERVICES Spanish interpreting services are provided at City Council
meetings. Simultaneous Spanish interpretation is provided through the use of headsets
and consecutive interpretation (SpanishtoEnglish) in addition to those wishing to
address the City Council at the podium.
La ciudad provee servicios de interpretación al español en las juntas del Consejo. La
interpretación simultánea al español se ofrece por medio del uso de audífonos y la
interpretación consecutiva (español a inglés) también está disponible para cualquiera
que desee dirigirse al consejo municipal en el podio.
About the Agenda
To download or view the attachments (staff report and other supporting documentation) for each
agenda item, you must select the agenda item to see the attachments to either open in a new
link (the eyeball ) or download a pdf (the cloud symbol with the down arrow ).
SPECIAL OPEN MEETING
CALL TO ORDER
ATTENDANCE Council Members Phil Bacerra
Johnathan Ryan Hernandez
Jessie Lopez
Thai Viet Phan
Benjamin Vazquez
Mayor Pro Tem David Penaloza
Mayor Valerie Amezcua
City Manager Alvaro Nunez
City Attorney Sonia R. Carvalho
City Clerk Jennifer L. Hall
ROLL CALL
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor Amezcua
PUBLIC COMMENT – Public comments will be held during the beginning of the meeting for
ALL comments on agenda items ONLY.
WORK STUDY SESSION
1.Police Oversight Commission Ordinance Work Study Session
Department(s): City Manager’s Office
Recommended Action: Receive presentation on Police Oversight Commission
Ordinance options and provide direction to staff to:
1. Maintain the current ordinance while including clean up language to align with the City
Charter and have the Independent Oversight Director be appointed by the City Manager,
remain independent from the Police Department, and still vetted by the City Council.
2. Modify the existing ordinance to the staff recommended audit model.
3. Modify the existing ordinance to a hybrid audit/investigation model, reflecting input from
the Police Oversight Commission, and recommend that officer involved shootings and use
of force that cause great bodily harm are open to investigation at the direction of the
commission.
ADJOURNMENT – Adjourn the Special City Council meeting.
POSTING STATEMENT: On January 23, 2026, a true and correct copy of this agenda was posted at the entrance
to City Hall, 20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701. Internet Access to City Council, Agency, and Authority
agendas and related material is available prior to meetings at santaana.org/agendasandminutes.
Special City Council Meeting 4 01/26/2026
Special City Council Meeting AgendaJanuary 26, 2026OPEN MEETING – 5:00 PM CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER22 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, CA 92701Valerie AmezcuaMayorThai Viet PhanCouncilmember – Ward 1 Benjamin VazquezCouncilmember Ward 2Jessie LopezCouncilmember Ward 3 Phil BacerraCouncilmember Ward 4Johnathan Ryan HernandezCouncilmember Ward 5 David PenalozaMayor Pro Tem Ward 6Mayor and Council telephone: 7146476900Agenda item inquiries: 7146476520Sonia R. CarvalhoCity Attorney Alvaro NuñezCity Manager Jennifer L. HallCity ClerkIn compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), if you need special assistance to participate in this Meeting, contactMichael Ortiz, City ADA Program Coordinator, at (714) 6475624. Notification 48 hours prior to the Meeting will enable the City tomake reasonable arrangements to assure accessibility to this meeting. The City Council agenda and supporting documentation canbe found on the City’s website – www.santaana.org/agendasandminutesCITY VISION AND CODE OF ETHICS – The City of Santa Ana is committed to achieving ashared vision for the organization and its community. The Vision, Mission and Guiding Principles(Values) are the result of a thoughtful and inclusive process designed to set the City andorganization on a course that meets the challenges of today and tomorrow, as follows:Vision The dynamic center of Orange County which is acclaimed for our: Investment in youth •Safe and healthy community • Neighborhood pride • Thriving economic climate • Enriched anddiverse culture • Quality government servicesMission To deliver efficient public services in partnership with our community which ensurespublic safety, a prosperous economic environment, opportunities for our youth, and a high qualityof life for residents.Guiding Principles Collaboration • Efficiency • Equity • Excellence • Fiscal Responsibility •Innovation • TransparencyCode of Ethics and Conduct At the Special Municipal Election held on February 5, 2008,voters approved an amendment to the City Charter which established the Code of Ethics andConduct for elected officials and members of appointed boards, commissions, and committeesto assure public confidence. The following are the core values expressed: • Integrity • Honesty •Responsibility • Fairness • Accountability • Respect • EfficiencyMembers of the public may attend the City Council meeting inperson or join via Zoom. As acourtesy to the public, the City Council meeting will occur live via teleconference Zoom webinar.You may view the meeting from your computer, tablet, or smart phone via YouTube LiveStream atwww.youtube.com/user/SantaAnaLibrary or on CTV3, available on Spectrum channel 3.PUBLIC COMMENTS – Members of the public who wish to address the City Council on closedsession items, items on the regular agenda, or on matters which are not on the agenda but arewithin the subject matter jurisdiction of the City Council, may do so by one of the following ways: MAILING OPTION written communications – Public comments may be mailed to: Office ofthe City Clerk, 20 Civic Center Plaza M30, Santa Ana, CA 92701. All writtencommunications received via mail by 4:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting will bedistributed to the City Council and imaged into the City’s document archive system whichis available for public review.SENDING EMAIL OPTION – Public comments may be sent via email to the City Clerk’soffice at eComment@santaana.org. Please note the agenda item you are commenting onin the subject line of the email. All emails received two (2) hours before the scheduledstart of the meeting will be distributed to the City Council and imaged into the City’sdocument archive system which is available for public review.LIVE VIRTUAL OPTION – As a courtesy, members of the public may provide livecomments during the meeting by Zoom or Conference Call. To join by Zoom click on ortype the following address into your web browserhttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/315965149. To join the Conference Call: Dial (669) 9009128and enter MEETING ID: 315 965 149#. You will be prompted by the City Clerk when it istime for a: i) special agenda item. You may request to speak by dialing *9 from your phoneor you may virtually raise your hand from Zoom. After the Clerk confirms the last three digitsof the caller’s phone number or Zoom ID and unmutes them, the caller must press *6 ormicrophone icon to speak. Callers are encouraged, but not required, to identify themselvesby name. Each caller will be provided three (3) minutes to speak, unless due to the numberof speakers wanting to speak a decision is made to provide a different amount of time tospeak.INPERSON OPTION Members of the public can provide inperson comments at thepodium in the Council Chamber. The Council Chamber will have seating available formembers of the public to attend the meeting inperson. Public comments are limited tothree (3) minutes per speaker, unless a different time is announced by the presiding chair.Speakers who wish to address the Council must do so by submitting a “Request toSpeak” card by by 5:00 p.m. for the designated public comment period as listedbelow. Cards will not be accepted after the Public Comment Session begins without thepermission of the presiding chair.The following designated public comment period is:1. LIVE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS ONLY – You can provide comments byjoining Zoom or the Conference Call as described in the LIVE or INPERSON PUBLICCOMMENTS OPTION above. Speaker queue will open at 4:30 p.m. YOU MUST JOIN ZOOMOR THE CONFERENCE CALL and raise your hand PRIOR TO 5:00 p.m. Speakers who arenot in the speaker queue with their hand raised by 5:00 p.m. will not be permitted to speak.TRANSLATION SERVICES Spanish interpreting services are provided at City Councilmeetings. Simultaneous Spanish interpretation is provided through the use of headsetsand consecutive interpretation (SpanishtoEnglish) in addition to those wishing toaddress the City Council at the podium. La ciudad provee servicios de interpretación al español en las juntas del Consejo. Lainterpretación simultánea al español se ofrece por medio del uso de audífonos y lainterpretación consecutiva (español a inglés) también está disponible para cualquieraque desee dirigirse al consejo municipal en el podio.About the Agenda
To download or view the attachments (staff report and other supporting documentation) for each
agenda item, you must select the agenda item to see the attachments to either open in a new
link (the eyeball ) or download a pdf (the cloud symbol with the down arrow ).
SPECIAL OPEN MEETING
CALL TO ORDER
ATTENDANCE Council Members Phil Bacerra
Johnathan Ryan Hernandez
Jessie Lopez
Thai Viet Phan
Benjamin Vazquez
Mayor Pro Tem David Penaloza
Mayor Valerie Amezcua
City Manager Alvaro Nunez
City Attorney Sonia R. Carvalho
City Clerk Jennifer L. Hall
ROLL CALL
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor Amezcua
PUBLIC COMMENT – Public comments will be held during the beginning of the meeting for
ALL comments on agenda items ONLY.
WORK STUDY SESSION
1.Police Oversight Commission Ordinance Work Study Session
Department(s): City Manager’s Office
Recommended Action: Receive presentation on Police Oversight Commission
Ordinance options and provide direction to staff to:
1. Maintain the current ordinance while including clean up language to align with the City
Charter and have the Independent Oversight Director be appointed by the City Manager,
remain independent from the Police Department, and still vetted by the City Council.
2. Modify the existing ordinance to the staff recommended audit model.
3. Modify the existing ordinance to a hybrid audit/investigation model, reflecting input from
the Police Oversight Commission, and recommend that officer involved shootings and use
of force that cause great bodily harm are open to investigation at the direction of the
commission.
ADJOURNMENT – Adjourn the Special City Council meeting.
POSTING STATEMENT: On January 23, 2026, a true and correct copy of this agenda was posted at the entrance
to City Hall, 20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701. Internet Access to City Council, Agency, and Authority
agendas and related material is available prior to meetings at santaana.org/agendasandminutes.
Special City Council Meeting 5 01/26/2026
Special City Council Meeting AgendaJanuary 26, 2026OPEN MEETING – 5:00 PM CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER22 Civic Center Plaza Santa Ana, CA 92701Valerie AmezcuaMayorThai Viet PhanCouncilmember – Ward 1 Benjamin VazquezCouncilmember Ward 2Jessie LopezCouncilmember Ward 3 Phil BacerraCouncilmember Ward 4Johnathan Ryan HernandezCouncilmember Ward 5 David PenalozaMayor Pro Tem Ward 6Mayor and Council telephone: 7146476900Agenda item inquiries: 7146476520Sonia R. CarvalhoCity Attorney Alvaro NuñezCity Manager Jennifer L. HallCity ClerkIn compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), if you need special assistance to participate in this Meeting, contactMichael Ortiz, City ADA Program Coordinator, at (714) 6475624. Notification 48 hours prior to the Meeting will enable the City tomake reasonable arrangements to assure accessibility to this meeting. The City Council agenda and supporting documentation canbe found on the City’s website – www.santaana.org/agendasandminutesCITY VISION AND CODE OF ETHICS – The City of Santa Ana is committed to achieving ashared vision for the organization and its community. The Vision, Mission and Guiding Principles(Values) are the result of a thoughtful and inclusive process designed to set the City andorganization on a course that meets the challenges of today and tomorrow, as follows:Vision The dynamic center of Orange County which is acclaimed for our: Investment in youth •Safe and healthy community • Neighborhood pride • Thriving economic climate • Enriched anddiverse culture • Quality government servicesMission To deliver efficient public services in partnership with our community which ensurespublic safety, a prosperous economic environment, opportunities for our youth, and a high qualityof life for residents.Guiding Principles Collaboration • Efficiency • Equity • Excellence • Fiscal Responsibility •Innovation • TransparencyCode of Ethics and Conduct At the Special Municipal Election held on February 5, 2008,voters approved an amendment to the City Charter which established the Code of Ethics andConduct for elected officials and members of appointed boards, commissions, and committeesto assure public confidence. The following are the core values expressed: • Integrity • Honesty •Responsibility • Fairness • Accountability • Respect • EfficiencyMembers of the public may attend the City Council meeting inperson or join via Zoom. As acourtesy to the public, the City Council meeting will occur live via teleconference Zoom webinar.You may view the meeting from your computer, tablet, or smart phone via YouTube LiveStream atwww.youtube.com/user/SantaAnaLibrary or on CTV3, available on Spectrum channel 3.PUBLIC COMMENTS – Members of the public who wish to address the City Council on closedsession items, items on the regular agenda, or on matters which are not on the agenda but arewithin the subject matter jurisdiction of the City Council, may do so by one of the following ways: MAILING OPTION written communications – Public comments may be mailed to: Office ofthe City Clerk, 20 Civic Center Plaza M30, Santa Ana, CA 92701. All writtencommunications received via mail by 4:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting will bedistributed to the City Council and imaged into the City’s document archive system whichis available for public review.SENDING EMAIL OPTION – Public comments may be sent via email to the City Clerk’soffice at eComment@santaana.org. Please note the agenda item you are commenting onin the subject line of the email. All emails received two (2) hours before the scheduledstart of the meeting will be distributed to the City Council and imaged into the City’sdocument archive system which is available for public review.LIVE VIRTUAL OPTION – As a courtesy, members of the public may provide livecomments during the meeting by Zoom or Conference Call. To join by Zoom click on ortype the following address into your web browserhttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/315965149. To join the Conference Call: Dial (669) 9009128and enter MEETING ID: 315 965 149#. You will be prompted by the City Clerk when it istime for a: i) special agenda item. You may request to speak by dialing *9 from your phoneor you may virtually raise your hand from Zoom. After the Clerk confirms the last three digitsof the caller’s phone number or Zoom ID and unmutes them, the caller must press *6 ormicrophone icon to speak. Callers are encouraged, but not required, to identify themselvesby name. Each caller will be provided three (3) minutes to speak, unless due to the numberof speakers wanting to speak a decision is made to provide a different amount of time tospeak.INPERSON OPTION Members of the public can provide inperson comments at thepodium in the Council Chamber. The Council Chamber will have seating available formembers of the public to attend the meeting inperson. Public comments are limited tothree (3) minutes per speaker, unless a different time is announced by the presiding chair.Speakers who wish to address the Council must do so by submitting a “Request toSpeak” card by by 5:00 p.m. for the designated public comment period as listedbelow. Cards will not be accepted after the Public Comment Session begins without thepermission of the presiding chair.The following designated public comment period is:1. LIVE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS ONLY – You can provide comments byjoining Zoom or the Conference Call as described in the LIVE or INPERSON PUBLICCOMMENTS OPTION above. Speaker queue will open at 4:30 p.m. YOU MUST JOIN ZOOMOR THE CONFERENCE CALL and raise your hand PRIOR TO 5:00 p.m. Speakers who arenot in the speaker queue with their hand raised by 5:00 p.m. will not be permitted to speak.TRANSLATION SERVICES Spanish interpreting services are provided at City Councilmeetings. Simultaneous Spanish interpretation is provided through the use of headsetsand consecutive interpretation (SpanishtoEnglish) in addition to those wishing toaddress the City Council at the podium. La ciudad provee servicios de interpretación al español en las juntas del Consejo. Lainterpretación simultánea al español se ofrece por medio del uso de audífonos y lainterpretación consecutiva (español a inglés) también está disponible para cualquieraque desee dirigirse al consejo municipal en el podio.About the AgendaTo download or view the attachments (staff report and other supporting documentation) for eachagenda item, you must select the agenda item to see the attachments to either open in a newlink (the eyeball ) or download a pdf (the cloud symbol with the down arrow ).SPECIAL OPEN MEETINGCALL TO ORDERATTENDANCE Council Members Phil BacerraJohnathan Ryan HernandezJessie LopezThai Viet PhanBenjamin VazquezMayor Pro Tem David PenalozaMayorValerie AmezcuaCity Manager Alvaro NunezCity Attorney Sonia R. CarvalhoCity Clerk Jennifer L. HallROLL CALLPLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor AmezcuaPUBLIC COMMENT – Public comments will be held during the beginning of the meeting forALL comments on agenda items ONLY.WORK STUDY SESSION1.Police Oversight Commission Ordinance Work Study SessionDepartment(s): City Manager’s OfficeRecommended Action: Receive presentation on Police Oversight CommissionOrdinance options and provide direction to staff to:1. Maintain the current ordinance while including clean up language to align with the CityCharter and have the Independent Oversight Director be appointed by the City Manager,remain independent from the Police Department, and still vetted by the City Council.2. Modify the existing ordinance to the staff recommended audit model.3. Modify the existing ordinance to a hybrid audit/investigation model, reflecting input fromthe Police Oversight Commission, and recommend that officer involved shootings and useof force that cause great bodily harm are open to investigation at the direction of thecommission.ADJOURNMENT – Adjourn the Special City Council meeting.POSTING STATEMENT: On January 23, 2026, a true and correct copy of this agenda was posted at the entranceto City Hall, 20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701. Internet Access to City Council, Agency, and Authority
agendas and related material is available prior to meetings at santaana.org/agendasandminutes.
Special City Council Meeting 6 01/26/2026