Official newsletter of Santa Ana Mayor Valerie Amezcua.
Keeping the community informed about local events, City news, and resources.
Mayor’s Message: January Reflections and February Events
I hope you had a fantastic start to the year! January was a month filled with meaningful events. One of the highlights was attending the 2025 U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C. The conference brought together over 250 bipartisan mayors from across the country to discuss solutions to critical issues facing our cities, including affordable housing, public safety, immigration, and infrastructure investment. It was an inspiring and productive event, and I’m excited to bring back the ideas and energy to Santa Ana.
Chúc Mừng Năm Mới! (Happy Lunar New Year!)
The 2nd Annual Santa Ana Tết Festival at Centennial Park was a truly special event that celebrated family, community, and culture. I was also honored to ride in the 2025 Tết Parade in Westminster. It was heartwarming to see so many families come together to honor traditions and welcome the Lunar New Year. It’s always inspiring to witness our community uniting in celebration, embracing our heritage, and strengthening our bonds.
Santa Ana: A Welcoming City
I want to reaffirm Santa Ana’s unwavering commitment to ensuring the well-being and safety of all our residents. Our city will always be a welcoming city — not only through our ordinances, but through the inclusive and community-driven spirit we embody.
The City has created a Know Your Rights information page offering resources and guidance. We believe it is crucial that everyone, whether a friend, family member, or neighbor, know their rights.
If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office. I am grateful to our City leadership for implementing this initiative, and I look forward to continuing our work in making Santa Ana a safe and welcoming place for all.
As we move into February, I would like to invite you to join me for two exciting upcoming events:
- 2025 Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast – Hosted by the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce.
Tuesday, February 11
7:30 – 9 a.m.
Templo Calvario Church, 2501 W. 5th St., Santa Ana
For more details and to RSVP, please visit this page. - Coffee with the Mayor – A casual and open opportunity for residents to meet with me, ask questions, and discuss issues affecting our community.
Saturday, February 22
10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Historic French Park, 901 N. French St.
I look forward to seeing you at all the fun upcoming community events and activities and wish you and your family a lovely February.
Sincerely,
Mayor Valerie Amezcua
Contact My Office
I am here to listen to you and your concerns. If you have any comments, concerns or ideas please send them to my office. Click here for contact information for my office.
MAYOR ON THE MOVE
I am always happy to be invited to join in all the wonderful events happening in our city. I invite you to follow me on social media for daily updates! Please connect with me, and stay tuned for upcoming news, meetings, and events in our community!
Here are a few January highlights:
I had a wonderful time celebrating our 2nd annual Tết Festival and riding in the City of Westminster’s 2025 Lunar New Year Tết Parade! I’m always proud to represent our beautiful city.
I was honored to speak at the Oath of Office and Promotion Ceremony for our new Santa Ana Police Chief, Robert Rodriguez. Congratulations as well to Deputy Chiefs C. Elms, R. Andrade, and J. Gonzalez on their well-deserved promotions!
Congratulations to the Santa Ana Family Justice Center (SAFJC) on its fifth anniversary! It’s truly inspiring to see the dedication and commitment SAFJC has shown to the Santa Ana community since opening its doors on January 28, 2020, inside of the Santa Ana Police Department.
Participated in the quarterly Santa Ana Business Leadership Forum, uniting dozens of prominent businesses, organizations, and community partners to foster positive change and innovation in our local business sector.
Gerardo Mouet Park Grand Opening. My favorite moment was seeing all the children running around
I had the honor to speak Words of Encouragement at the OC Ministers Conference and OC Heritage Council MLK Jr. Day Celebration at the Gospel Light Church of God in Christ.
The 2025 U.S. Conference of Mayors. I was joined by our City Manager and Deputy City Manager, we attended seminars and met with state leaders, including Sen. Alex Padilla and Sen. Adam Schiff. Our goal was to pursue funding for our city’s needs and showcase Santa Ana’s positive developments.
Thank you to Habitat for Humanity OC for inviting me to sign the Jimmy Carter Memorial Door at the Bowers Museum. It was a privilege to honor and pay my respects to President Carter.
Attending the swearing-in ceremony for Supervisor Janet Nguyen. It was inspiring to witness her commitment and leadership as she embarks on this new chapter of service.
Thank you, OCSA, for inviting me to speak at your Community Connects Arts Festival! It was wonderful to see parents, students, and community partners come together in support of our children.
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHTS
The Santa Ana Work Center
The Santa Ana WORK Center is committed to connecting you to services, resources and opportunities available. Whether you are a job seeker looking to find work or transition careers, a youth looking to thrive in the workforce, or a business looking to build a strong workforce to support your growth, the Santa Ana WORK Center is here to help.
I invite you to learn more here: https://www.santa-ana.org/departments/santa-ana-work-center/
Non-Profit Spotlight: UCI Health Family Health Center
UCI Health Family Health Center, located at 800 N. Main St. in Santa Ana, offers a wide range of services aimed at enhancing the health and well-being of patients across all age groups. From newborns to older adults, the center provides high-quality care with a commitment to diversity. The center also offers bilingual staff and on-site interpreter assistance in all languages including Spanish, Vietnamese, and Farsi, ensuring accessible care for a wide range of patients.
- Family Healthcare: Diagnosis and treatment of conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, arthritis, Immunizations, same-day appointments, dental care, laboratory tests, nutritional counseling, pharmacy, social services, mental and behavioral health services, acupuncture, psychiatry.
- Children’s Healthcare: Well-childcare, school physicals, diagnosis and treatment of infections, and care for children with special needs.
- Healthcare for Women: Including prenatal care, pap smear tests, and other women’s health services.
I invite you to learn more here: https://www.ucihealth.org/locations/santa-ana/family-health-center-santa-ana
CITY RESOURCES
MY SANTA ANA APP: Download the mySantaAna mobile app to quickly and easily report issues such as potholes, graffiti, downed trees and much more.
Report issues like:
- Illegal dumping
- Graffiti removal
- Homeless encampments
- Trash and recycling missed pickups
- Park issues
- Potholes
- and more through the app!
Request for City Services: Is there a pothole in front of your house? Do you need a tree trimmed or other services? It’s easy! Use the “Request for Service” function on our website to submit your requests for City services.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- City Hall Main line: (714) 647-5400
- Code Enforcement: (714) 667-2780
- Emergency Water Services: (714) 953-8026
- Graffiti Hotline: (877) 786-7824
- Homeless Services: (714) 242-3706 or report it online via the mySantaAna app.
- Project Food Box: Provides and ships nutritious, farm fresh produce to communities who need it most.
- Public Works dispatch: street sweeping, trees: (714) 647-3380
Do you need help with:
Are you starting a small business?
Do you need help with Utility bills?
- Southern CA Edison: 800-447-6620
- Southern CA Gas: 800-207-8567
- Trash pickup: 877-328-2074
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
City of Santa Ana jobs and internships links:
From internships to part-time jobs to full-time positions, the City of Santa Ana offers a range of opportunities to help you grow and advance your career.
Access the full listings and to view all current job openings
Community Resources
As a board member of both the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) and the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), I am excited to collaborate with these organizations and share their valuable resources with our community.
Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG)
SCAG is pleased to announce that applications are now available for the 2025 SCAG Scholarship Program!
The SCAG Scholarship Program, in partnership with the California Transportation Foundation, provides nine $4,000 scholarship awards for high school or community college students from the SCAG region. Students of any field of study are invited to apply; however, preference is given to applications that demonstrate a commitment to community planning, regional planning, urban planning, civil engineering, political science, public administration, sustainable development, or other related fields.
I invite you to learn more here
OCTA Youth Bus Program is a Year-Round Success
Youth Bus Program
Though many use the free pass to travel to school, it can also be used to access jobs, libraries and summer activities. Learn more here.
New Year, New Way to Commute with Vanpools
The OC Vanpool Program offers commuters an alternative to driving alone along with monthly subsidies and assistance in forming these super carpools.
Learn more here
CITY NEWS AND RECOGNITIONS
Meet our new Assistant City Managers
City Manager Alvaro Nuñez is pleased to announce the appointments of Minh Thai and Kathryn “Kat” Downs to the position of Assistant City Manager for the City of Santa Ana, effective February 3, 2025. Both Mrs. Downs and Mr. Thai bring a wealth of expertise and experience that will significantly contribute to the continued success and development of our city.
Since 2018, Mr. Thai has served as the Executive Director of the Planning and Building Agency, and Mrs. Downs has served as the City’s Executive Director of Finance and Management Services Agency.
Read more about the new Assistant City Managers
10th annual Youth Water Poster Contest now open
We are thrilled to announce the launch of our 10th annual Youth Water Poster Contest! Open to all youth ages 5-18 who live or attend school in Santa Ana, this year’s contest encourages participants to explore the theme, “Everyone Has A Role: Save Water,” through their creativity. Sponsored by the City of Santa Ana’s Water Resources Division, this annual contest serves as a fun and educational initiative to teach young residents about important water-related topics.
Participants will have the chance to win exciting prizes, including top items like a PS5 or MacBook Air. One Grand Prize winner and two finalists will be selected in each of the following age categories:
- Ages 5–8
- Ages 9–12
- Ages 13–14
- Ages 15–18
For contest rules, parental forms, and submission details, visit the link below.
Sponsor a Hometown Heroes military banner
The City of Santa Ana is proud to recognize Santa Ana’s military heroes for their service through the City’s Hometown Heroes military banner program. Family members and loved ones may nominate an active duty service member from any branch of the military to be honored with a street banner with the service member’s name and photo. The banner will be prominently displayed on one of the City’s streetlight poles along MacArthur Boulevard or Civic Center Drive. Additionally, businesses are invited to sponsor these banners to show their support for our service members.
Hometown Heroes Business Sponsorship
Shape Santa Ana’s future
Dive into a virtual, self-guided, community workshop hosted by the Planning and Building Agency for the City’s Comprehensive Zoning Code Update. The Zoning Code is the City’s tool for preserving and enhancing existing neighborhoods and fostering places where businesses thrive. Your input will inform regulations that determine what property owners can build, how investors can develop land, what types of businesses owners can open, and how commercial and industrial uses can operate.
The virtual self-guided community workshop mirrors the Round One Community Workshops and is an opportunity for those who were unable to attend or to share more for those who did attend.
Your input matters! Click on one of the links below to participate.
English Spanish Vietnamese Khmer
Join our business start-up workshops
he City of Santa Ana’s Economic Development Division hosts monthly Business Start-Up Workshops at Santa Ana City Hall (Room 1600) on the 2nd Wednesday of each month from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The next workshop is Feb. 12.
This workshop benefits anyone interested in starting a new business or expanding an existing one in Santa Ana. You’ll learn about the resources available to help entrepreneurs and have the opportunity to get your questions answered by city staff as you begin your business journey. The workshop will be offered in English and Spanish.
Please click here to register. For more information, please call the Business Hotline at (714) 647-5477 or email at econdev@santa-ana.org.
Santa Ana’s development renaissance captures national attention
Western City Magazine recently highlighted the amazing progress happening in Santa Ana! Not only are we leading Orange County in creating affordable housing, but also we are moving at a record pace to add a variety of new business, mixed-use, industrial and other developments. Our business-friendly, responsible approach to development is revitalizing and repurposing aging shopping centers, offices and industrial buildings, as well as bringing new jobs to the community, creating more green space, and building future tax revenue to provide services for all Santa Ana residents.
Upcoming Community Events
UCI Collaboration Celebration – February 6
Join UC Irvine’s School of Education, in partnership with the City of Santa Ana’s Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Agency and the Santa Ana Early Learning Initiative, to unveil new playful learning installations!
These installations are designed to transform public spaces into playful learning environments, sparking conversations about science and math while promoting family engagement and informal STEM education.
- Thursday, Feb. 6
- 3-5 p.m.
- Madison Park, 1528 S. Standard St.
Parking is available onsite at Madison Park, near the intersection of Edinger and Standard avenues.
Learn more about this collaboration project.
Free Tax Preparation at Santa Ana Zoo – February 16 & March 16
In partnership with Haven Neighborhood Services, VITA free tax preparation services will be available at the Santa Ana Zoo by appointment only for qualifying individuals.
- Sunday, Feb. 16, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Sunday, March 16, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Santa Ana Zoo, 1801 E. Chestnut Ave.
Don’t miss out on this free opportunity to get expert tax assistance. Appointments are required.
Learn if you qualify for free tax prep and register
America Connects Heart & Home National Mural Mosaic unveiling – February 19
Our Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Agency (PRCSA) will unveil a mural through a collaboration with Mural Mosaic’s Global Roots Project. This mural showcases the creative collaboration of hundreds of individual artists from across the United States and around the world.
- Wednesday, Feb. 19
- 1:30-3 p.m.
- Jerome Center, 726 S. Center St.
Discovery Cube Santa Ana Resident Free Days
Valid on the first Tuesday of every month, FOUR free tickets per government issued photo ID with address.
Free Resident Day at Santa Ana Zoo
On Resident Free Day, the third Sunday of each month, residents of Santa Ana may visit our Zoo for free. Proof of residency (driver’s license, utility bill) will be required upon arrival. Not valid to schools or business addresses.
The Bowers Museum
Offers free general admission to all Santa Ana residents on Sundays through a generous donation in memory of Dorothy Goerl and courtesy of the Lockhart Family. Santa Ana residents will need to provide proof of residency through an ID, driver’s license or utility bill.
City Hall
Upcoming Holiday and Closed Friday schedule: (City Hall non-essential offices are closed on alternating Fridays throughout the year)
- Friday, February 14, 2025 – City Hall closed
- Monday, February 17, 2025 – City Hall closed (Observance of Presidents Day)
- Friday, February 28, 2025 – City Hall closed
The next City Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. (open session) at Santa Ana Council Chamber, 22 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana. Official City meetings are open to the public and I encourage you to participate. Council agendas and minutes may be accessed here.
Invite me
If you’d like to invite me to attend an event in your neighborhood or in connection with your organization, please feel free to make that request via email: vamezcua@santa-ana.org
For more City news, please follow City of Santa on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and share my newsletter with friends and family.