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The Santa Ana City Manager’s latest homelessness update noted that there were 81 arrests/citations in Nov.

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The Santa Ana City Manager, Kristine Ridge, gave an update on the homelessness issue at the last City Council meeting, as seen in the embedded video above.

Ridge said during her presentation that there were 81 arrests/citations involving homeless suspects in Santa Ana in November, 2021. That was an increase from the 49 arrests/citations involving Santa Ana’s homeless in October of this year.

Ridge also said that Santa Ana has a SMART Team (Santa Ana Multi-Disciplinary Homeless Response Team) that you can call at 714-242-3706 to report issues involving the homeless.

In her presentation Ridge also touched on the upcoming Point-in-Time homeless count, which was skipped last year due to COVID-19. This is an annual countywide effort to count all of the homeless people in each city so the County can better assess the situation and deploy needed resources.

In 2019 the Point-in-Time count showed that there were 1,769 homeless people in Santa Ana. How many do you figure are here now? There were 1,000 homeless people in Santa Ana back in 2017. There were also 189 cleanups of homeless encampments/sites in Santa Ana in November of this year. A total of 62 homeless individuals were also referred to shelters in November. Ridge noted that the city has 437 housing units available for the homeless.

The next Point-in-Time count is set for Jan. 25 and volunteers are needed. Click here for more info.

Donations support the coordination efforts of the 2022 Everyone Counts OC Point In Time Count event. Contributions will be distributed to event participants and individuals and families experiencing homelessness encountered during the 2022 Point In Time for participating in a survey.

Items needed for the 2022 Point In Time Count include:

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) supplies

  • 5,000 snack kits
  • Cases of water bottles
  • 200 $25 gift cards to grocery stores
  • 5,000 $5 gift cards to food establishments or grocery stores

Learn more about how the City of Santa Ana is addressing homelessness in our community by visiting the Homeless Services Data Dashboard.

How the City of Santa Ana will spend $150M to recover from COVID-19

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SANTA ANA, Calif. – City Manager Kristine Ridge on Tuesday presented the Santa Ana City Council with a proposal for a $150 million pandemic recovery initiative called Revive Santa Ana, which will be funded through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

Funding for the program includes $128.4 million from the federal legislation, known as ARPA, and additional expected federal housing allocations of $21.5 million.

“This ambitious and comprehensive initiative is designed to provide a range of economic, financial, educational and health support to residents and businesses, while also allowing the City to reimagine the services, infrastructure and programming it provides,” City Manager Kristine Ridge said. “Through this effort, we will not only help our community recover from the pandemic today, but also create a safer, healthier and more equitable future.”

The proposal, presented during a City Council budget workshop on Tuesday, follows the announcement last week by the federal government of updated funding allocations and new guidelines on how that money may be used.

In preparing the Revive Santa Ana proposal, the City has been actively seeking public feedback over the past month at community meetings, during a virtual town hall last week, and through an online and paper survey that received over 1,500 responses.

Tuesday’s presentation outlined a plan for using the first half – $75 million – of the total expected federal funds. The City is required to spend all $150 million by the end of 2026. The plan includes five key areas of focus:

Recovery from the Pandemic – $6 million

  • Further vaccination/education collaboration
  • Expansion of critical city communication tools (digital boards, text alerts system, multilingual)
  • Sanitization and disease prevention
  • Public health equity, including feasibility study for City-operated public health department

Direct Assistance Programs – $16 million

  • Financial stimulus for residents
  • Reopening assistance to businesses
  • Youth violence/sexual assault intervention programs
  • After-school programs
  • Early childhood education programs
  • Digital literacy education
  • Support food distribution efforts
  • Emergency rental assistance and housing for the homeless

Public Health and Safety – $14 million

  • Additional public green space
  • Healthy food accessibility
  • Increased homeless services by nonprofits
  • Allowed improvements to existing parks, community centers and libraries
  • Public restroom improvements to mitigate and prevent spread of virus
  • Facilities to support child education, social health and mental health

Critical Infrastructure – $24 million

  • Broadband infrastructure and affordable access
  • Infrastructure improvements for safe and clean drinking water
  • Sewer infrastructure improvements
  • Facilities to reduce/filter storm water runoff
  • Cyber security for critical infrastructure
  • Ventilation improvements to public facilities

City Fiscal Health – $15 million

  • Recover revenue losses to fund government services
  • Restore staffing to pre-pandemic levels

Revive Santa Ana will continue to evolve as additional guidance from the federal government is received and priorities change. The City Council will consider a detailed spending plan at a future meeting. On Tuesday, Councilmembers requested to schedule a special meeting in the coming weeks to further discuss Revive Santa Ana and the City budget.

Learn more at www.santa-ana.org/revive-santa-ana.

The Santa Ana Chamber GROW 2021 virtual conference will feature Kristine Ridge

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Santa Ana City Manager Kristine Ridge is among the featured speakers at the 7th annual GROW Conference presented by the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce and the City of Santa Ana!

The virtual event is on Wednesday, April 7, at 2:30 p.m. Cost is $35 for general admission and $25 for Chamber members.

Hear about exciting new developments, city initiatives for tourism, and resources for businesses as they recover from the pandemic.

Learn more and register at: https://santaanachamber.com/events/details/2021-virtual-grow-economic-development-conference-3382

The Santa Ana City Manager and Director of Finance will speak at the virtual Com-Link meeting on 3/25

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The Board of the Santa Ana Communication Linkage Forum (Com-Link) invites you to participate at their next Virtual General Meeting on Thursday, March 25, 2021 at 7:00 PM.

Main Presentation followed by questions and answers: City of Santa Ana Strategic Plan Goals and City Budget Presentation and Discussion with City Manager Kristine Ridge and Kathryn Downs, Executive Director of Finance and Management Services

Join Us for a virtual meeting from your desktop/laptop/tablet/ or smartphone by clicking on the Zoom hyperlink https://zoom.us/j/99224779565 or dial in on your phone at: +1 669 900 9128 and enter Meeting ID: 992 2477 9565

English to Spanish Interpreting services will be available. Be sure to download the Zoom app on your phone to access this feature.

Members of the public will also have an opportunity to view this meeting live on the City’s YouTube Channel and on CTV Channel 3.

For more information click here to view the flyer.

El Foro de Enlace Comunicativo Junta General Virtual el Jueves, 25 de Marzo del 2021

La Mesa Directive del Foro de Enlace Comunicativo (“Com-Link”) le invita a participar en su próxima Junta General Virtual el jueves 25 de marzo de 2021 a las 7:00 PM

Presentación Principal seguida por preguntas y respuestas: Metas del Plan Estratégico de la Ciudad de Santa Ana y Presentación del Presupuesto de la Ciudad y discusión con la Gerente Municipal Kristine Ridge and Kathryn Downs, Directora Ejecutiva de Finanzas y Servicios de Gestión

Acompáñenos en una reunión virtual a través de la plataforma Zoom desde su computadora / laptop/ tableta/ o cel. Para ver el seminario, haga clic en: https://zoom.us/j/99224779565 o para escuchar la reunión en Ingles desde su teléfono, marque el número gratuito 1(669) 900-9128 e ingrese el ID:992 2477 9565

Los servicios de interpretación de inglés a español estarán disponibles. Asegúrese de descargar la aplicación Zoom en su teléfono para acceder a esta función.

Los miembros del público también tendrán la oportunidad de ver esta reunión en directo por el Canal YouTube de la Ciudad y en CTV Canal 3. Para más información haga clic aquí.

The City of Santa Ana has hired Kristine Ridge as their new City Manager

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City of Santa Ana Hires New City Manager Kristine Ridge Brings 30 Years of Public Service Experience to New Role

SANTA ANA, CA – On Friday, March 22, 2019, the City of Santa Ana City Council voted to appoint Kristine Ridge to the position of City Manager. As City Manager, she will provide leadership for all City business operations and the 1,400 City employees who serve the residents and businesses of Santa Ana. Ms. Ridge’s prior work experience includes the Cities of Laguna Niguel and Anaheim, where she has overseen finance, human resources, treasury and internal audits.

“I am so pleased that the City Council made the decision to appoint Kristine Ridge as our City Manager,” said Mayor Miguel Pulido. “She is uniquely qualified to lead us into a prosperous future.”

“I am truly honored to be appointed by the City Council to lead this organization and be a part of the community,” said Ridge. “I look forward to putting my 30 years of experience to work for Santa Ana, under the Council’s leadership, to usher in a new future for what is truly the heart of Orange County.”

Ms. Ridge has a 30-year distinguished public service career. She currently serves as the City Manager for the City of Laguna Niguel where she oversees all aspects of a municipal government with an emphasis on prudent fiscal practices and customer service. Prior to that she spent 24 years holding multiple executive level positions in the City of Anaheim, where she demonstrated success in managing complex programs, extensive understanding of fiscal management, ability to manage large projects, and commitment to transparent government and continuous improvement. Additionally, as Assistant City Manager, she was responsible for coordination of many municipal initiatives and serving as a liaison for all major developments while overseeing strategic planning.

Ms. Ridge began her career as a financial auditor and CPA. She possesses a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Arizona State University and a Masters in Organizational Leadership from Chapman University and is a past recipient of the “Emery E. Olson” Achievement Ward in Public Administration. Very active in the community, Ms. Ridge serves on a number of boards and commissions, including the County of Orange’s Commission to End Homelessness, Anaheim Boys & Girls Club, and Orange County Credit Union’s Advisory Committee.

The term of the Agreement with the City Manager shall be for three years, commencing on May 1, 2019. For more information about the Agreement, please refer to the Staff Report included in the March 19, 2019 Council Agenda.

About City of Santa Ana

Santa Ana is downtown for the world famous Orange County, California. As the County Seat, home to a vibrant evening scene and one of the most diverse communities in California, Santa Ana is gaining national attention for its efforts to innovate and address a changing County. Over 1,200 City employees work hard every day to deliver efficient public services in partnership with our community to ensure public safety, a prosperous economic environment, opportunities for our youth, and a high quality of life for residents. Learn more at http://www.santa-ana.org.