Coming out of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, Orange County is gearing up for another week of civic action.

Here’s a rundown of the main issues we’re tracking.

To stay updated on civic action throughout Orange County, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Fullerton Cop Wants His Job Back

Many local residents are furious over the acquittal of police officers in the Kelly Thomas beating, with well over 150 people attending a weekend protest in which 14 people were arrested.

Now, one of the involved officers — Jay Cicinelli, who was cleared of manslaughter charges — wants his job back.

A big turnout for public comment is expected at the Fullerton City Council meeting, which starts Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.

Controversial Housing Project in Brea

Local activists are up in arms over the Madrona project, which calls for building 165 homes on rural hills next to Chino Hills State Park.

They point to the area as a historic fire corridor and are urging council members to reject the project, which is up for approval on Tuesday.

City staff, meanwhile, says that the project is “not in absolute conformity with the General Plan and Carbon Canyon Specific Plan” but can still be approved by the council.

The meeting starts Tuesday at 7 p.m. at City Hall. The staff report starts on page 11 of the city’s large agenda document.

No Vote on Santa Ana Mayoral Primaries?

Last year it looked as if the Santa Ana City Council majority was going to put mayoral primaries on the ballot, potentially making it harder for Mayor Miguel Pulido to be re-elected.

But the entire issue is set to be tabled this week, according to the council agenda.

The meeting starts Tuesday at some point after a 5:45 p.m. closed session.

‘Modernizing’ Santa Ana’s Utility Users Tax

Voters would decide in November on updating their utility users tax, if council members move forward on Tuesday.

The 6-percent tax on electricity, phone, water and gas service currently costs an average of $73 per resident each year, or $323 per average household of 4.43 people.

The exact changes aren’t explained in the staff report.

Online Access to Santa Ana Disclosure Forms

Santa Ana City Council members could join Anaheim, Irvine, Costa Mesa and Los Alamitos in making their campaign and financial disclosures available online.

The city is currently the largest in Orange County that doesn’t post any of the records, known as Forms 460 and 700.

Santa Ana’s program, however, would be voluntary for each council member until they opt in.

The program is up for a vote on Tuesday, with the staff report available here.

Major Meetings This Week:

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

See something interesting in the agendas? Let us know!

Adam Elmahrek contributed to this post.

You can reach Nick Gerda at ngerda@gmail.com, and follow him on Twitter: @nicholasgerda.

Since you've made it this far,

You are obviously connected to your community and value good journalism. As an independent and local nonprofit, our news is accessible to all, regardless of what they can afford. Our newsroom centers on Orange County’s civic and cultural life, not ad-driven clickbait. Our reporters hold powerful interests accountable to protect your quality of life. But it’s not free to produce. It depends on donors like you.
Make a tax-deductible donation

About Voice of OC: Mission | Editorial Policies | Contact Us | Funding | Privacy Policy

Join the conversation: In lieu of comments, we encourage readers to engage with us across a variety of mediums. Join our Facebook discussion. Message us via our website or staff page. Send us a secure tip. Share your thoughts in a community opinion piece.