The City of Santa Ana began outreach efforts in the fall of 2015 with a kick-off meeting and one-on-one meetings with City Council. By late 2016, the City had conducted 40 meetings and engaged 485 diverse community members through various in-person workshops and public events.
Community workshops were held with local service organizations, youth representatives, seniors, the business community, and neighborhood leaders. In addition to these focus groups, outreach meetings were held in each of the six City Council Wards.
As part of the City’s commitment to local engagement, over 162 Santa Ana youth participated in a summer outreach effort to gather feedback and encourage youth involvement in the update of the Santa Ana General Plan. Their input resulted in the creation of an easy to understand infographic, the establishment of a social media campaign utilizing a customized hashtag (#SantaAnaGeneralPlan), and a series of pop-up events throughout Santa Ana.
In organizing and reviewing community comments, a number of reoccurring topics or themes were identified. These themes and related comments shared by the community are provided below.
- Arts and Culture
- Housing & Neighborhoods
- Business & Economic Development
- Human Services & Social Justice
- Community Facilities & Programs
- Mobility
- Community Safety
- Visual Character & Design
- Health & Sustainability
- Youth Development