City Council Recap: Oct. 6, 2026

[reporting: Santa Ana City Hall]

Good day! It's Thursday, Oct. 8, and here's The Santanero's recap of Tuesday's Santa Ana City Council meeting.

A record-breaking late start yields unanimous action on recorded police beating

The Santa Ana City Council began its Oct. 6 meeting at 7:39 PM, more than two hours after its scheduled 5:30 PM start.

The 129-minute delay was the longest recorded since The Santanero began tracking council tardiness in August 2023, surpassing the previous record of 97 minutes set at the first meeting in the tracker.

The delay was partly due to an  emergency closed session added last-minute concerning the police use-of-force incident involving Florentino Lopez, which resulted in unanimous council agreements addressing the incident and the city's potential legal liability.

Click here to see The Santanero's Behavior Chart.

What the council motioned at Tuesday’s meeting

The council approved most of its consent calendar in a 6-0-1 vote, with Lopez absent during the vote. Items 7 through 25 passed, except item 17, which was continued to Oct. 20.

Several other issues that have drawn significant public interest, including the city's automated license plate reader (ALPR) program and a proposed parking study, were postponed to future meetings, most likely returning Oct. 20.

Councilmember Thai Viet Phan recused herself from item 11 because Home Depot, one of the vendors involved, is a client of her employer, Rutan & Tucker. That item passed 5-0-2, with Phan recused and Lopez absent.

City adopts restrictions on employees working for ICE

Under item 24, the council approved the second reading and adoption of an ordinance prohibiting city employees from taking outside jobs involving civil immigration enforcement, including work with or on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The ordinance had received its first reading on Sept. 15 before returning for final adoption on Oct. 6.

The measure addresses outside employment by city workers rather than changing federal immigration law or preventing federal officers from operating in Santa Ana, going a step further than Assembly Bill 1537 would have done.

Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed the bill. Any efforts to enact such legislation would require a redo during the next state legislative calendar session.

Library funding redirected to Cypress Center

Under item 9, the council approved transferring $225,000 in construction funding from the Newhope Library renovation project to the Cypress Center PAAL+ restoration project.

The approval also amended the city's capital improvement budget to reflect the transfer, shifting funding toward improvements at the Cypress Center.

New sports lighting at El Salvador Park

Under item 20, the council approved a $754,119 project to install LED sports lighting at El Salvador Park.

The agreement with Musco Sports Lighting includes $708,883 for the project and $45,236 for unforeseen work. The contract runs through June 17, 2027.

More funding for First Street as transportation debate continues

Under item 21, the council approved additional funding and consulting services for the First Street Multimodal Boulevard Study, which examines transportation improvements along the corridor.

The agreement with the Orange County Transportation Authority increases grant funding to approximately $4.68 million. The council also approved another $600,489 for HDR Engineering, bringing its consulting agreement to approximately $4.47 million.

The additional work includes technical studies, right-of-way engineering and coordination with utility providers. But the approval was connected to a larger transportation debate elsewhere on the agenda.

Under item 31, Mayor Pro Tem David Penaloza proposed directing city staff to halt further planning, design and implementation of protected bicycle lanes and reductions in vehicle travel lanes throughout Santa Ana, including projects along First Street and Raitt Street. However, the item was postponed to Oct. 20.

This sort of comes in relation to item 25.

City strengthens on-site notices for development projects

Under item 25, the council adopted an amendment to Santa Ana's Sunshine Ordinance restoring the requirement to post public notices at development sites, which had been inadvertently omitted from an earlier amendment.

The ordinance requires public hearing notices posted at project sites to use fluorescent-yellow signs measuring at least 11 by 17 inches, with a prominent heading in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Khmer.

However, the amendment does not expand the existing 2,000-foot notification radius, extend the minimum 10-day notice period or require additional community meetings. Qualifying projects remain subject to two community meetings, and notices must still be mailed to property owners and at least one occupant per tenant space with a valid mailing address within the notification area.

While the changes may make proposed developments more visible to people passing by, concerns raised during public comment about whether residents receive sufficient advance notice and meaningful opportunities to influence projects remain, as the amendment does not expand existing notification timelines or community meeting requirements.

The ordinance is scheduled to take effect Nov. 5, 2026.

Police policy contract postponed amid questions about oversight

Under item 17, the council was scheduled to consider a three-year, $175,908 agreement with Lexipol, LLC, a private company that provides the Santa Ana Police Department with policy manuals, updates and officer training.

Lexipol's role has raised questions about how much influence a private company should have over police policies and how residents can participate in shaping them.

According to the city's Oct. 6 staff report, SAPD has used Lexipol for more than a decade and has customized approximately half of its policy content to reflect local needs and community input. The city's Police Oversight Commission has also recommended changes to department policies, including those involving military equipment and U-Visa certifications.

Financing for PFAS treatment at Walnut Pump Station

Under item 22, the council authorized the city to pursue financing through the State Water Resources Control Board for a PFAS treatment system at the Walnut Pump Station.

PFAS are a group of persistent chemicals that can contaminate drinking-water supplies.

The financing would support planning, design and construction of a treatment system intended to address that contamination.

Meeting Almanac

The Oct. 6 meeting set a new record in The Santanero's tardiness tracker, with the council beginning 129 minutes late.

The meeting was called to order at 7:39 PM and adjourned at 11:23 PM.

Since The Santanero began keeping records on Aug. 1, 2023, the council has accumulated 2,558 minutes of delayed starts across 74 recorded meetings, averaging approximately 35 minutes late per meeting.

Excluding special meetings, the council has accumulated 2,490 minutes of delays across 66 meetings, averaging approximately 38 minutes late.

The next scheduled City Council meeting will be held at the Council Chambers on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026 at 5:30 PM.

Verdict: Behavior Chart

All councilmembers received green ratings on The Santanero's Behavior Chart for the Oct. 6 meeting.

The council responded to the police use-of-force incident involving Florentino Lopez, largely in response to potential litigation while confronting broader concerns about public trust, transparency and accountability that extend beyond one incident or generation of Santaneros.

The discussion highlighted the structure of the investigative process and the frustration of residents seeking answers. Some councilmembers expressed personal reactions, and although there were mentions of raised voices, The Santanero viewed them as part of a difficult but necessary conversation that is more than anything, far from over.

Despite the tensions, councilmembers navigated their responsibilities as electeds while recognizing the differing perspectives of Santaneros, from those calling for greater police accountability to those who continue to express trust and support for law enforcement.

Verdict is slang in The Santanero's handbook for editorial commentary directly from Daniel Diaz.