What Santa Ana is about to decide

A closed session opens at 5:00 PM and the regular open meeting begins at 5:30 PM, immediately following it, in the City Council Chamber at 22 Civic Center Plaza. The consent calendar runs items 2 through 23; five ordinances are up on the business calendar, three public hearings follow, and a councilmember-requested item on data centers closes the night. These are pending decisions from the posted agenda — not outcomes. Every item links to the official record.

Source: official agenda · city meetings portal

💰 Contracts, grants and purchases on consent

• Jail health care: a second amendment with California Forensic Medical Group, Inc. and Wellpath "to continue providing health care services to inmates and arrestees housed at the Santa Ana Jail," exercising the second one-year renewal option through September 30, 2027, at $3,664,243 a year for a total aggregate not to exceed $17,507,799. Item 11
• Memory Lane and Flower Street improvements: award of a construction contract to Legion Contractors, Inc., "the lowest responsible bidder," at a base bid of $4,806,808. Staff also asks the council to recognize $4,550,000 in Active Transportation Program state grant funds, amend the FY 2026-2027 Capital Improvement Program by the same amount, and approve a project cost analysis with a total estimated construction delivery cost of $6,008,510 — $4,806,808 for construction, $721,021 for contract administration, inspection and testing, and $480,681 for unanticipated or unforeseen work. Item 13
• Bristol Street signal synchronization: a cooperative agreement with the cities of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach running through December 31, 2031, and a design-build agreement with Iteris, Inc. not to exceed $4,178,657 for a term beginning September 15, 2026 and ending September 15, 2029. The two partner cities contribute $394,118 in matching funds; total estimated delivery cost is $4,218,657, including $40,000 for in-kind staff support. Item 15
• Fuel supply: a first amendment with AAA Oil, Inc. adding $900,000 for fuel delivery and supply services, bringing the total contracted amount to a not-to-exceed $7,400,000 for a remaining term expiring December 19, 2027, plus a $450,000 appropriation adjustment in the City Yard gas and diesel accounts. Item 14
• Safe Routes to Parks: an agreement with KTU&A for a Safe Routes to Parks and Wheelchair Assessment Plan in an amount of $813,854, running September 15, 2026 to March 14, 2028 with one six-month extension option, supported by an $83,486 Measure M2 Local Fair Share appropriation. Item 16
• Cabrillo Park restrooms: a design-build agreement with Bruce Anderson Enterprises, Inc. DBA A's Construction for the Cabrillo Park Restroom and Concession Building Improvement Project, not to exceed $650,000, through December 31, 2027. Item 19
• SARTC Bike Center: an architectural design agreement with Gensler, Inc. not to exceed $107,600 for one year, alongside recognition of $2,625,000 in Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program grant funding. Item 17
• Cell tower leases — revenue in: ten-year ground licenses at two existing tower sites, each with three five-year extension options — CCTM1 LLC, a Crown Castle subsidiary, at Madison Park, 1528 ½ S. Standard Avenue, for total revenue including all extensions of $2,106,682; and T-Mobile West Tower LLC at Riverview Park, 1817 W. 21st Street, for $2,163,571. Item 18
• Grants: $768,000 from the California Highway Patrol Cannabis Tax Fund Grant Program for DUI education, prevention and enforcement for the year beginning July 1, 2026, appropriated to police salaries overtime Item 12; $250,000 from the Governor's Office of Emergency Services for water system cybersecurity upgrades Item 20; and a $297,104 appropriation adjustment from California State Library Building Forward grant interest for the Main Library and Newhope Library projects Item 9. The grant appropriations are marked "Requires five affirmative votes."

🏘️ Housing, land use and two bond hearings

• 274 units at 2101 East Fourth Street: a resolution approving Density Bonus Agreement No. 2026-01 and authorization for the City Manager to execute it with Think Together, a California nonprofit corporation, for a 55-year covenant term covering "a mixed-use residential development consisting of 274 residential units, including fourteen (14) units designated as affordable to extremely low-income households, and approximately 20,714 square feet of ground-floor commercial space." Item 21
• 1200 Main Apartments — public hearing: a Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act hearing on tax-exempt bond financing by the California Municipal Finance Authority on behalf of 1200 Main GP, LLC, followed by a resolution approving revenue bonds not to exceed $50,000,000 to finance or refinance a multifamily rental housing project at 1200 North Main Street. Item 29
• Garden Court Apartments — public hearing: a second TEFRA hearing, for Garden Court Santa Ana LP, and a resolution approving exempt facility bonds not to exceed $45,000,000 for the acquisition, rehabilitation, improvement and equipping of the multifamily rental housing project at 300 East Santa Ana Boulevard. Item 30
• Federal housing report — public hearing: authorization to submit the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report for Fiscal Year 2025-26 to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Item 31
• Airport land use consistency: a resolution authorizing the Planning Division to notify the Orange County Airport Land Use Commission and Caltrans Aeronautics of the council's potential to overrule, by a two-thirds vote, the ALUC's determination that the city's Comprehensive Zoning Code Update and related General Plan amendment are inconsistent with the Airport Environs Land Use Plan for John Wayne Airport. The notice would go out at least 45 days before a future public hearing on the overrule. Item 22
• Historic properties: second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. NS-3098, amending Chapter 30 on modification of historic properties, demolition by neglect, historic property transfer disclosure and administrative amendments. First reading was at the August 4, 2026 meeting. Item 23

📜 Five ordinances on the business calendar

• Immigration enforcement and outside employment: first reading of an ordinance amending Section 9-16 of the municipal code "to Update and Prohibit City Employees from Engaging in Outside Employment Involving Civil Immigration Enforcement, Including with or on Behalf of U.S. Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement." Brought by Human Resources. Item 26
• Transport reporting: introduction for first reading and adoption of an ordinance adding Article XV to Chapter 10 "to Establish Reporting of Transport of Persons Who Lack a Fixed, Regular, and Adequate Nighttime Residence." Brought by the City Manager's Office. The agenda text does not describe who would be required to report. Item 25
• E-bikes and scooters: first reading of an ordinance amending Chapter 36 to add regulations on "the Operation of Electric Bicycles, Electrically Motorized Boards, Low-Speed Vehicles, and Motorized Scooters; Authorizing Safekeeping, Removal, and Impounding in Certain Circumstances and Prescribing Penalties for Violation." Brought by the Police Department. Item 27
• Community meetings for development projects: first reading of Ordinance Amendment No. 2026-03, amending Section 2-153 "relating to public input through community meetings" — noticing, meeting format and transparency measures for certain development projects. Item 28
• Military leave: a resolution continuing partially paid temporary military leave for city employees called to active duty, and first reading of an ordinance amending the Civil Service chapter to expand that paid leave. Item 24

🗳️ Data centers, closed session and also on the agenda

• Data center moratorium — councilmember requested: Councilmember Jessie Lopez asks the council to direct the City Manager to have staff "(1) Evaluate the Need for and Prepare a Temporary Moratorium on the Acceptance and Processing of Data Center Use Applications Within the City of Santa Ana Pursuant to Government Code Section 65858 to Allow Time to Study Appropriate Long-Term Regulatory Standards; and (2) Report Back to the City Council on the Number, Location, and Permitting and Approval History of Existing Data Center Facilities Currently Operating within City Limits and Whether the City has Received any Pending Applications for New Data Center Development." This is a direction-to-staff item; no moratorium is before the council on September 15. Item 32
• Closed session: one item — "POTENTIAL INITIATION OF LITIGATION pursuant to Paragraph (4) of subdivision (d) of Government Code Section 54956.9: One (1) Case – 201 West Third Street, Santa Ana, CA 92701." The City Attorney will report any action when the council reconvenes.
• PFAS in drinking water: the council is asked to receive and file the Orange County Grand Jury's report "PFAS and Public Awareness: A Closer Look at Orange County Drinking Water," approve the city's response to Findings F2, F4, F6 and F8 and Recommendations R2, R4 and R5, and authorize the City Manager to submit it to the Presiding Judge of the Orange County Superior Court. Item 8
• Routine consent: excused absences Item 2, minutes of the August 4, 2026 regular meeting Item 3, a batch of commission minutes Item 4, the boards and commissions biannual attendance report for January through June 2026 Item 5, the FPPC 2026 Local Agency Biennial Notice on the Conflict of Interest Code Item 6, the quarterly report of investments as of June 30, 2026 Item 7, and a Park Host Agreement with Katie Rivero for Thornton Park Item 10.
• Certificates of Recognition are to be presented by Councilmember Phan and Councilmember Vazquez to Sabil USA. Words of inspiration by Pastor Jeff Schlieder, Cross of Grace Santa Ana.
• Listed on the agenda: Mayor Valerie Amezcua, Mayor Pro Tem David Penaloza (Ward 6), and Council Members Thai Viet Phan (Ward 1), Benjamin Vazquez (Ward 2), Jessie Lopez (Ward 3), Phil Bacerra (Ward 4) and Johnathan Ryan Hernandez (Ward 5). The agenda lists two future items: the Comprehensive Zoning Code Update and Density Bonus Agreement No. 2026-03 for the Watermarke Sandpointe mixed-use development. The agenda was posted September 8, 2026 at the entrance to City Hall.

Council Brief summaries are produced from official public records by our automated newsroom and reviewed before publication. Items are described as posted; the council may amend, continue, or remove items at the meeting. Spot an error? hello@councilbrief.com — we publish corrections.