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CITY ATTORNEY <br />Sonia R. Carvalho <br />CITY MANAGER <br />Alvaro Nuñez <br />CITY CLERK <br />Jennifer L. Hall <br />20 CIVIC CENTER PLAZA - P.O. BOX 1988, M31 - SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA 92702 <br />TELEPHONE (714) 647-6900 - FAX (714) 647-6954 - www.santa-ana.org <br />Vending in City Parks <br />Allowing vending in City parks supports local businesses, promotes free-market <br />economic activity, and helps activate public spaces for community use. Parks are <br />places where residents gather, socialize, and spend time, and limited access to goods <br />and services can reduce the overall park experience. <br />A modernized approach could allow roaming vending in City parks, subject to City <br />permitting requirements and clear, objective operational standards that address public <br />safety, pedestrian access, sanitation, and park operations. This approach would <br />encourage small-scale entrepreneurship, increase economic activity in and around <br />parks, and provide park users with convenient access to food and other goods, while <br />maintaining appropriate safeguards to ensure parks remain safe, accessible, and well- <br />managed. <br />Coordinated amendments to Chapter 26 (Pushcarts) are necessary to ensure <br />consistency across the SAMC and to avoid conflicting provisions that would <br />unintentionally prohibit park vending despite any City Council policy direction that may <br />originate from this agenda item. <br />Park Reservations and Permit Requirements <br />Current permit requirements can create unnecessary barriers for families and <br />community groups seeking to use parks for casual gatherings. Requiring permits for <br />activities that do not involve exclusive use of space or significant operational impacts <br />can discourage positive park use and strain staff resources. Updating attendance <br />thresholds and clarifying when permits are required would allow staff to focus on <br />managing uses that truly affect park operations, such as exclusive reservations, <br />amplified sound, temporary structures, or organized events, while reducing friction for <br />everyday park users. <br />Skate Park Use <br />Recreation trends have evolved, and many skate parks now accommodate a wider <br />range of self-propelled, non-motorized wheeled transportation apparatus used by youth <br />and community members. Allowing self-propelled, non-motorized wheeled <br />transportation apparatuses in City skate parks would expand access, reflect modern <br />recreation practices, and make skate parks more inclusive for a broader range of users. <br />Under this approach, motorized devices would continue to be prohibited, and existing <br />safety equipment and operational requirements would remain in place. This update <br />balances expanded access with safety considerations and recognizes how skate parks <br />are commonly used today. <br />RECOMMENDATION <br />Discuss and consider directing the City Manager, in coordination with the City Attorney <br />and appropriate departments, to direct staff as follows: <br />1. Allow picnicking in City parks by preparing amendments to Santa Ana Municipal <br />Code section 31-2.11 to permit picnicking and casual food consumption by <br />default, with targeted restrictions where necessary for safety, fire prevention, <br />resource protection, or permitted and reserved uses.