City Council Recap: Jan. 20, 2026
Here's your recap of the Santa Ana City Council meeting held on Jan. 20, 2026 with added disclosure by co-founder Daniel Diaz.
City discusses 8 lawsuits, settles on one and files appeal on Rita case
CL-2] The Santa Ana City Council spent an extended time in closed session discussing eight lawsuits facing the City. City Attorney Sonia Carvahlo said the Council took action on two of the cases.
One involves Irma De La Cruz, who sued the City, Caltrans, and SoCalGas after she said she was injured in a Sept. 21, 2022 trip-and-fall on Civic Center Drive, blaming an uneven sidewalk around utility boxes. The Council unanimously voted for the City to settle the case in the amount of $135,000 and is expected to be closed in February.
The other is Rita Ramirez v. City of Santa Ana, in which a former police department manager alleged retaliation and gender discrimination after refusing to take sides in internal department conflicts. A jury awarded Ramirez about $2.9 million, but the Council voted in closed session 6-1 (Hernandez no vote, see to the right) to direct the City to appeal the verdict.
Water & sewer rate increase process begins
OS-8] The Santa Ana City Council is beginning the formal Proposition 218 process that would allow the City to later approve water and sewer rate increases, but no rates are being adopted at this meeting yet.
The Council’s action is to authorize staff to prepare and mail required notices to property owners and schedule a future public hearing on or after March 17, 2026, where the rate changes would actually be considered.
City staff says rates haven’t been adjusted since 2023, while costs have risen faster than revenues, leaving the water and sewer enterprise funds at “unacceptable” levels. The report cites rising wholesale water costs, major infrastructure needs, and new regulatory requirements like PFAS treatment, and warns delaying increases could require a bigger hike later and potentially risk the City’s credit rating.
If the recommended rates are eventually approved, the City estimates a typical single-family household would see about a $7 per month increase in their combined water and sewer bill.
Council approves new police ammunition contracts
OS-10] Santa Ana City Council approved a new purchase order contracts for police ammunition with Dooley Enterprises (Anaheim), Miwall Corporation (Grass Valley), and San Diego Police Equipment Co. for an as-needed total not-to-exceed $825,000 under the General Fund, starting with a one-year term through Jan. 19, 2027, with options to renew for up to four additional years.
SAPD says the ammunition supports day-to-day duty needs, mandatory training and monthly firearms qualifications, police academy recruit training, and forensic work like evidentiary test-firing and ballistic analysis (including NIBIN entry). The report notes the City received 4 responsive bids, and the recommended vendors were chosen based on availability and lead times. Staff estimates Year 1 costs at about $165,000 split between training and forensic services accounts, while the overall multi-year contract cap remains $825,000.
The bid list includes handgun ammunition (9mm/.40/.45/.380), patrol rifle rounds (5.56/.223), and shotgun shells (12-gauge buckshot and slugs).
Council accepts $1.66M CalOES UASI public safety grant
OS-12] Santa Ana City Council considered and approved an appropriation adjustment to formally accept and budget $1,655,974in FY 2024 Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant funding to support public safety and emergency preparedness efforts.
The UASI program provided funding for local first responders for activities such as training, planning, equipment, exercises, and technical assistance focused on preventing, responding to, and recovering from terrorism-related incidents.
SAPD noted that the Council had previously authorized the UASI agreement in December 2025 and approved related purchases, including a video surveillance system upgrade and vehicle mitigation mobile barrier kits.
This action allocated the grant funding into the appropriate City accounts so the approved projects could move forward. The funding was planned across two fiscal years, with $993,585 in FY 2025–26 and $662,389 reserved for FY 2026–27, and any unused balance was expected to return to Council later for carryover approval. The item passed on a 5–2 vote.
Council approves $1.1 million agreement for DTSA Clean & Safe program
OS-16] The Santa Ana City Council voted uninamiously to approve a contract aimed at keeping Downtown Santa Ana cleaner and more welcoming. City staff recommended a deal with Romo Enterprises Inc., doing business as DTSA Services, to run the city’s Downtown Santa Ana Clean & Safe Program for one year starting March 1, 2026, at a cost not to exceed $1.11 million.
The agreement would cover day-to-day work like trash pickup, power washing, alley cleanups, emptying dozens of public trash cans multiple times a day, cleaning benches and street furniture, and handling cleanup and street closures during special events. The agreement will also add “security guard overisight.” The contract includes options for two additional one-year extensions, bringing the maximum potential total to about $3.5 million over three years.
See the City’s press release here.
Council approves several construction projects
OS-21 to 25] The Santa Ana City Council voted unanimously to approve several construction projects, including more lighting at Centennial Park’s play area.
The Council approved a $765,625 alleyway improvements project and awarded a $612,500 construction contract to Cali State Paving, Inc. to upgrade city alleys.
Separately, the Council approved $842,630 for the Fire Station 74 Fuel Station Replacement and awarded a $674,104 contract to GEMS Environmental Management Services, Inc. to complete the work.
Finally, the Council approved $2,467,500 for the Portola Park Splash Pad Project and awarded a $1,974,000 construction contract to Golden Gate Steel, Inc. to build a new splash pad facility for the community. In addition to the construction items, the Council also approved Item 25, authorizing an agreement with 1st Choice Pool & Spa Solutions for pool, outdoor fountain, and splash pad maintenance and repair services in an amount not-to-exceed $553,930 for the year.
Penaloza to be 2026 Mayor Pro Tem
OS-26] The Santa Ana City Council voted 4-3 to choose Ward 6 Councilmember David Penaloza to be this year’s Mayor Pro Tempore (basically the presiding chair during meetings in the absence of Mayor Amezcua).
Under procedural rules, the first nomination was put to a vote. A second nomination (Hernandez) was also voted on, but with a 4–3 majority in favor of Penaloza and a 3–4 vote for Hernandez, the title has now passed from Ward 2 Councilmember Benjamin Vazquez to Penaloza.
Lopez selected as alternate representative to SCAG
OS-27] The Santa Ana City Council voted unaminously to appoint Ward 3 Councilmember Jessie Lopez as an alternate represetative to the (it’s a long title so care with us) Southern California Association of Governments General Assembly Business Meeting (SCAGGABM).
Council advances ordinance to streamline vehicle purchasing
OS-28] Council reviewed and advanced Item 28, a proposed ordinance amending Santa Ana Municipal Code Section 2-748 to streamline the City’s procurement process for vehicles and vehicle-related equipment, including heavy machinery like loaders, backhoes, sweepers, and utility trucks.
The ordinance would have allowed the City Council to pre-authorize an annual vehicle/ equipment purchasing plan with a not-to-exceed budget, which would have given the City Manager authority to execute purchases more quickly after competitive bidding (or through justified cooperative purchasing methods), while still maintaining Council budget oversight and quarterly contract reporting.
The purpose of the change was to reduce delays caused by bringing individual vehicle purchases to Council throughout the year and to improve the City’s ability to respond to limited inventory and time-sensitive pricing opportunities. The City Council approved the first reading unanimously.
Disclosure on Recap from Co-Founder Daniel Diaz
At Tuesday’s city council meeting, Mayor Valerie Amezcua spontaneously asked me from the dais to lead the chamber in the Pledge of Allegiance.
After a brief moment of confusion and surprise, I stood up, walked to the podium and recited the pledge. I attend city council meetings in my official capacity as a journalist.
That ask created a situation where my role as press—and as a neutral observer—could be perceived as a breach of The Santanero’s journalistic Code of Ethics. Specifically the clause stating that we "are not affiliated with any governing bodies or officials. Ever."
The following day, I spoke with Mayor Amezcua to reiterate that when I am present wearing my blue Santanero polo or with press badge, I am there to do my job as press, and a clear boundary between city officials and the press must continue to be respected.
Mayor Amezcua confirmed that she typically selects audience members she recognizes to lead the pledge and that people are not notified ahead of time. She also stated exceptions may occur when someone volunteers in advance and the pledge is coordinated beforehand.
Mayor Amezcua apologized for any offense caused (none taken) and noted that moving forward, she will be more mindful of maintaining clear boundaries between city officials and the press.
Council Tardiness and Behavior Chart
The Santa Ana City Council was 58 minutes late to this meeting. Averages and tardiness history is unavailable due to resetting for the new year.
All the members of the city council kept their behavior in check this meeting.
