Community Link Newsletter: Safest City | Dispose your Prescriptions | Serve your City

 

Community Link Newsletter

October 19, 2023 | Edition 144

Welcome to the Community Link Newsletter

Our weekly newsletter aims to keep residents and businesses connected to us and all that is going on in and throughout the City. You can connect with us and learn more about our community, cultural events and celebrations, and news of interest by reading this newsletter, visiting our website at cityofirvine.org, and following us on our social media channels listed at the bottom of this email. We look forward to connecting with you. 

 

Irvine is the Safest City of Its Size 

Safest City

For the 18th consecutive year, Irvine is the safest city of its size for violent crime when compared to FBI data released for the calendar year 2022.

 

Based on information released this week by the FBI, Irvine has the lowest per capita violent crime rate of any city in the nation with a population of 250,000 or more. View Irvine's violent crime data compared to FBI data of similar-sized cities nationwide.

 

The FBI mandates crime data be reported using a new and more detailed standard, the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). The FBI defines violent crime as murder, non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Every participating jurisdiction in California reports its crime data to the California Department of Justice, which then forwards the data to the FBI.

 

Help us Preserve and Enhance Irvine’s Quality of Life

General Plan Update

The City of Irvine is preparing an update to its General Plan, a state-required document representing its vision for the next 25 years and beyond.

 

The 2045 General Plan Update will include goals and policies to help the City reach its long-term vision of preserving and enhancing Irvine’s high quality of life as the City matures. 

 

Join us at three upcoming workshops to learn more about the Update as we focus on the land use, circulation, and safety and noise elements.

 

The workshops will take place at the following times and locations:

 

 

 

For more details about the information session and for translation service, please contact Principal Planner Alyssa Matheus at 949-724-6581 or email gpupdate2045@cityofirvine.org. For more information about the General Plan Update, visit irvine2045.org.

 
Great Park Library

Share your Thoughts about the Great Park Library

As part of the Great Park Framework Plan, the City of Irvine is planning a new library at the Great Park. This will be the most versatile library in our City and serve the Great Park Neighborhoods, the larger northeast Irvine area, and beyond. 

 

Community engagement and input are crucial as we shape the vision and future of our new facility. Join the City of Irvine at two upcoming community town halls to help shape a space that reflects the needs and aspirations of our vibrant City.  

 

Community Listening and Feedback Town Hall
Wednesday, October 25, 2023, at 6 p.m.
Portola Springs Community Center 

900 Tomato Springs, Irvine 

 

Review and Discussion of Design Options Town Hall  
Thursday, November 16, 2023, at 6 p.m.
Lakeview Senior Center
20 Lake Road, Irvine 

 

Please visit the Project Updates webpage at cityofirvine.org/GreatParkLibrary for more information about the upcoming meetings and the City’s plans for the future library. You can also share your feedback by emailing LibrariesFeedback@cityofirvine.org

 
Drug Take Back Day

Safely Dispose of Unwanted Medication

Do you have unwanted medication in your home? Properly dispose of it during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Saturday, October 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

 

Community members can anonymously discard prescription medications in the City of Irvine at the following locations:

  • Irvine Police Department: 1 Civic Center Plaza, Irvine

  • Hoag Health Center: 16405 Sand Canyon Avenue, Irvine

This free service addresses a vital public safety and health issue and helps eliminate the potential for misuse, abuse, or accidental poisoning.  

 

Additional information regarding the Drug Enforcement Administration’s national campaign, including other local collection sites, is available at deadiversion.usdoj.gov/.

 
Switch is On

Make the Switch to Electric!

On a sunny day, California is powered by as much as 94% renewable energy sources, and the majority of the state’s overall power mix is composed of non-fossil fuels.

 

When our appliances are connected to electricity instead of gas, we rely on an increasingly renewable energy supply. Join the City of Irvine in the Switch is On campaign to swap out gas-powered appliances for electric ones. Doing this is one of the most effective and important actions you can do for a better energy future.

 

Irvine residents can meet with one-on-one advisors, find vetted contractors, access shortcuts to incentive programs and rebates, and learn about more ways you can support climate action efforts on a grassroots level. 

Visit switchison.org for more resources on going electric.

 
SR-55 Ramp Closure

SR-55 Dyer Road Ramp Closure to Impact Traffic

As part of the SR-55 (I-405 to I-5 Freeways) Improvement Project, crews are scheduled to reconstruct the Dyer Road on-ramp along southbound SR-55, and perform drainage work underneath the on-ramp to accommodate the freeway improvements. 

 

This work will require a 30-day closure so crews can safely access the work area. The southbound Dyer Road on-ramp is expected to close Monday, October 23 at midnight and reopen to motorists Tuesday, November 21.

 

 If you have questions regarding this work, please contact the Orange County Transportation Authority at 888-371-2555 or email SR55Info@octa.net.

 
Love Irvine Citywide Serve Day

Serve Your City November 4

The City of Irvine has partnered with Love Irvine for the third annual Citywide Serve Day Saturday, November 4, 2023, from 7:30 a.m. to noon. This partnership connects people who want to help those in need with volunteer opportunities at various nonprofit service providers, faith-based organizations, government entities, and schools.

As part of Love Irvine’s 2023 Citywide Serve Day, the City of Irvine and Love Irvine will host multiple volunteer opportunities, including Harvest Solutions Farm, supporting our environment, saving the lives of books for our youth, making welcome home gift blankets for the 2/11 Marines Battalion, and much more.

To view and register for these and other Citywide Serve Day projects, visit loveirvine.org

 

This Week in DE&I  

There are many cultural and religious holidays celebrated and recognized throughout our community this month. Learn about some of the significant dates being observed in Irvine below and on our DE&I calendar.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Global Diversity Awareness Month

Global Diversity Awareness Month pays tribute to the diverse minds and beliefs held by all cultures around the world. We live in a multicultural society and embracing the values of various cultures only strengthens our understanding and appreciation of the world.

 

Recently, the City of Irvine celebrated our diverse community through our 22nd annual Global Village Festival at the Great Park. The City of Irvine is taking steps to ensure we embrace and celebrate diversity in all aspects of our community and foster an environment that is inclusive of all cultures, backgrounds, races, and ethnicities. In October, several heritages are celebrated, including Polish-Americans, Filipino-Americans, German-Americans, and Italian-Americans.

 

Visit cityofirvine.org/weareirvine to learn more about how we are working towards our goals of inclusion for all. 

 

 

Upcoming Meetings & Events 

October 20 | 5 p.m.

Irvine Nights

 

October 24 | 2 & 4 p.m.

Great Park and City Council Meetings

October 26 | 5 p.m.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Meeting 

View the City Calendar 

We Are Irvine