2018 - 2019 Performance Report

January 13, 2020

Honorable Mayor and City Council Members:

I am pleased to present the City of Garden Grove’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2018-2019 Performance Report. This report highlights the most notable accomplishments of each City department during the last fiscal year. The report is intended to assist in the evaluation of the City’s short and long-term goals, and to demonstrate our commitment to providing the highest quality of service as efficiently and effectively as possible.

On an organization-wide basis, the City continued its focus on implementing the Community Vision and made great strides in strengthening the City’s financial position, providing quality services and completing projects outlined in the City’s FY 2018-19 Action Plan to achieve City Council priorities. Primary areas of emphasis centered on financial sustainability, public safety staffing and infrastructure, economic development to grow City revenues, community engagement, and effective and transparent government.

On November 6, 2018, Garden Grove voters passed Measure O – Garden Grove Public Safety/9-1-1 and Vital City Services Measure providing a reliable source of locally-controlled revenue for Garden Grove’s public safety and quality-of-life services. This allowed the City to roll out its new Measure O Public Safety Plan in December 2018 adding 16 additional police and police support personnel, the addition of one full-time police officer to the police department’s Special Resources Team homeless task force and creation of a request for proposal for long-term police facility improvements. We are now fully funded for 182 sworn police officer positions, the greatest number of officers that our staff can remember. The additional police officers and civilian personnel will allow the Department to keep up with the growing needs of the City’s nearly 180,000 residents and to be more effective with confronting increased crime rates and addressing the City’s increasing homeless population.

Accomplishments in the Fire Department included completion of the new Fire Station 6 and adjacent community building and park playground. This facility is the first new fire station in more than 45 years and will meet the needs of the community, including the Grove District – Anaheim Resort, for the next 50 years. The City’s transition to the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) in August 2019 also occurred smoothly, thanks to the tremendous amount of analysis and preparation undertaken by City staff. Going forward OCFA will provide enhanced fire and paramedic services that meet or exceed industry standards to the residents, businesses and visitors of Garden Grove.

Our community and economic development efforts continued to pay off, as revenue in most of our sectors held steady or saw increases and SteelCraft came to life! We couldn’t be more pleased to see SteelCraft add its one-of-a-kind vibe to our re-imagined downtown. The new 20,000 square foot urban eatery, comprised of 22 repurposed shipping containers, has created a community within a community. Artisans in a shared space serve thoughtful and creative food, beer, coffee and dessert. This exciting new urban eatery has added fresh new faces to the Civic Center and is helping to energize the City’s downtown and bridge the gap between Main Street and the upcoming Cottage Industries project.

Additional State funding allowed the Public Works Department to make accelerated headway with rehabilitation of more city streets. Major street improvements were completed on Chapman Avenue, Westminster Avenue, Fairview Street and on a variety of residential streets including Sapphire Street, Santa Rita Avenue, Wild Goose Street and Healy Avenue. Several City facilities also saw major improvements. At the Garden Grove Sports Complex, a new state-of-the-art hardwood floor was installed in the gymnasium and the north side activity room received a new kitchen, flooring and fresh paint. Energy management improvements were also made at City facilities and parks to achieve clean energy savings. As part of these improvements, 85% of the facilities fixtures were upgraded to LED and failing heating and air conditioning units were replaced with new energy-efficient equipment.

Finally, the Community Services Department continued to provide Garden Grove residents with many wonderful community events and programs including the Summer Concert Series, movies in the park, Re:Imagine Art in the Park event and an inaugural Winter in the Grove event at Village Green Park. Winter in the Grove combined the best of the City’s Winterfest and Christmas Tree Lighting Celebrations into one exciting new event – Winter in the Grove! Over 5,000 participants enjoyed free seasonal refreshments, crafts, letters to Santa, a holiday craft boutique, eight real snow slides comprised of 40 tons of snow, inflatable attractions, a visit by Santa and Mrs. Clause, performances by local music and dance groups and an unforgettable tree lighting ceremony.

The accomplishments highlighted in this report demonstrate both the City Council’s and staff’s strong commitment to the City’s mission and vision. The leadership of the City Council and the commitment of our employees continue to enrich the quality of life for the residents of Garden Grove.

Sincerely,
Scott C. Stiles
City Manager