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| Volume 2 | Issue 14 |
April 15, 2022 |
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Protecting our Neighborhoods
Dear Neighbor:
For the first time since 1991, the observance of Ramadan, Good Friday and Passover aligned. For all three religions — Islam, Christianity and Judaism — the holidays represent a time of reflection. I wish you a beautiful weekend with lots of love, faith & time with family.
Helping people get off the streets and into housing remains one of my top priorities. When I discovered that thousands of emergency housing vouchers were going unused, I brought together local experts to discuss how we can make sure we are able to help the most vulnerable get into housing. Watch our important briefing in our newsletter, below, and discover the many benefits for landlords who rent to voucher recipients.
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We must do everything we can to support our small businesses. Long time local Latino businesses on 4th Street in Santa Ana continue to lose significant revenue and customers as a result of the construction of the OC Streetcar. On Monday, I called on OCTA to offer direct financial assistance to those businesses and will continue to fight for them. I support improvements to our public transportation system, but we must plan for and build into the expense the cost of business interruption grants as other communities do. Watch it: Here Read about it: Here
On Tuesday, my nominee Chase Wickersham was appointed unanimously to the Orange County Behavioral Health Board. Chase is a decorated Vietnam combat Veteran with a distinguished career as a Veteran advocate. He will address critical issues including mental health and substance abuse within the County’s homeless population. Chase contributes on my internal Veteran’s Advisory Team and this year we’ve worked on a pilot program to reduce Veterans suicide. I look forward to Chase's work to assist socially isolated Veterans and stop the increase in suicide arising for older veterans. I applaud Chase's continued willingness to serve!
On April 12, 2022, our Board also recognized Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, National Arab American Heritage Month, Child Abuse Prevention Month, DMV/Donate Life Month, National Financial Literacy Month, and Distracted Driving Awareness Month with resolutions.
Last week, we hosted our monthly meeting of the Mayors and City Managers to discuss Countywide issues, understand each city's needs, and explore our community and commonalities. We toured the Old Orange County Courthouse with our Orange County Parks docent & saw presentations by our County archivists. We also heard presentations about resources from our Clerk-Recorder Department office.
On Wednesday, our Fly Friendly Working group met. As you may know, I started this project immediately upon taking office last year. We are waiting on final FAA approval of a new quieter departure to launch the program. We heard good news that final approval seems likely soon … potentially in the next few weeks.
Our County is strengthened by its local nonprofits, and I recently attended the Tustin Community Foundation's 2022 Paper Football Challenge Football event at Columbus Tustin Middle School. Don’t let the paper football fool you, this event is volunteer-run, attracts passionate fans, and 100% of the profits are passed on to local charities. This year, 50 Tustin area nonprofit organizations and school groups competed in the tournament to raise funds.
One recent highlight is the 53-47 confirmation vote for Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, making her the first Black woman ever confirmed to sit on the nation’s highest court. This was a historic moment for America and I’m so proud of our country. Congratulations to Justice Jackson!
Last Friday, I spoke at the California State University, Fullerton student-led Town Hall Meeting with the Political Science Department. As a keynote speaker, I addressed an audience of 300 people including students, faculty, community leaders, and elected officials. The topics discussed included lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic on how to quickly mobilize, educate, and deploy a strong public health system. We also tackled the subjects of voting rights and the benefits to our economy when we tackle inequity and poverty. Students engaged in the Q&A that followed.
This week, I provided an update to the CdM Chamber and listened to Gary Sherwin from Visit Newport recap the pandemic year, and share about all of the amazing luxury hotel and restaurant projects advancing this year! It’s great to see tourism returning.
Today, I joined Supervisor Bartlett in San Juan Capistrano for an update about the 5th District. We also heard from locals about an amazing equestrian, aquatics complex, and a surf wave lagoon. It was fun to hear from Professional Skateboarder Ryan Sheckler about his support for the project as a local. I’ll be following this one, as the city considers which project to select for this community amenities project.
Read our newsletter to learn more about our upcoming live concert series, our investigative hearing on homelessness, my recent radio show discussion, and how we are honoring Ukraine. If you have a concern that you would like me to address, please email: Katrina.Foley@ocgov.com
Happy Easter,
 Katrina Foley
Supervisor
County of Orange
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In This Edition
Read more about our District and County Initiatives in your community, along with
health and
community news.
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OC Live Concert Series
Live music is back!
Last summer & fall we supported local musicians, cities, school music and arts programs, and arts venues with grants to help them through the pandemic.
The musicians are playing community concerts this spring to thank the community for its support! Your $5 ticket will support additional music grants. Join us!
Investigative Hearing on Homelessness
Join us on Wednesday, April 20, 2022, at 9 a.m. for a live, virtual hearing or attend in person at our Hall of Administration in Santa Ana.
See the flyer for more details!
Submit a comment: Here
Board of Supervisors Meeting
- Please attend our Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, April 26, 2022 at 9:30 a.m.
Watch our April 12, 2022 meeting: Here
View the agenda: Here
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View a list of all 2022 Orange County #BOS meetings (link) or learn more about what’s happening in your community in our recent District Update (link).
Agenda Updates
Agenda Item 15 – The Board approved contracts for AB 109 Residential Treatment services. I expressed my concerns for this contract. I appreciate HCA’s important provisions including good neighbor policies, discharge procedures, licensing compliance and more to protect the health and safety of those in recovery and the surrounding community. I’ve asked for a full review of these policies to ensure that we are in line with a best practices approach and preventing abuse by unscrupulous operators.
Agenda Items 16 & 17 – Our Board approved two important contracts to support Veterans. First, Working Wardrobes for a New Start for Veteran behavioral health peer support services … as well as the United States Veterans Initiatives for early intervention services for Veteran college students.
Agenda Item 19 – We approved a contract with The Priority Center to provide services from the Generational Cycle of Trauma, Inc. for school readiness services and help with behavioral issues. Now, more than ever, it’s critical that we make investments in our youth by addressing behavioral health issues early in life.
Agenda Item 21 – We approved a one-year contract with 2-1-1 for professional and technical support. By using 2-1-1, residents access a virtual front door and coordinated entry system that is ADA compliant and provides referrals to resources for housing, nutrition, and so much more.
Agenda Item 23 – Our Board approved contracts with the Friendship Shelter and Colette’s Children’s Home for Homeless Bridge Housing services to reduce homelessness and provide support to the unhoused.
Agenda Item 40 – We approved grant applications/awards submitted by Sheriff-Coroner, District Attorney, Health Care Agency, Social Services Agency and OC Community Resources, and ratified a grant application/award submitted by Sheriff-Coroner that will improve our tsunami response system.
Agenda Item S42E: At last week's Board of Supervisors meeting, we approved agenda Item S42E which extends the initial term for 43 project-based vouchers for the Crossroad at Washington project in Santa Ana. I want to commend the County and the city for working together to bring 86 permanent supportive housing units to Orange County. We continue to work to build 2700 permanent supportive housing units by 2025.
Upcoming – Agenda Item 47: On April 26, 2022, the Board of Supervisors will consider Supervisor Foley’s proposal (Agenda Item 47) to prohibit the purchase and use of Expanded Polystyrene (“Styrofoam”) Food Service Products within County Facilities.
The environmental impacts of Expanded Polystyrene (“EPS”) are significant. As a non-recyclable and non-biodegradable plastic, Expanded Polystyrene can persist in the environment for thousands of years. Expanded Polystyrene fractures into microplastics, which enter streets, wilderness, waterways, oceans, and other precious natural resources. This leads to devastating environmental impacts including:
· Illness/death for birds and marine animals who mistake the Styrofoam as food
· Litter and visual blight that negatively impact residents and tourists
· Obstruction of public drainage systems
At a recent community cleanup at the Back Bay, we observed thousands of tiny particles in the protected marsh that are nearly impossible to remove.
As the steward of our precious County beaches, parks, open spaces, and trails, we have a responsibility to protect our vital natural resources. Prohibiting the purchase of Expanded Polystyrene food service products at County facilities is a common-sense intervention to ensure that our environment can be protected and preserved for future generations.
Read the full proposal for Agenda Item 47: Here.
Voice your opinion for upcoming Board meeting agenda items or provide general public comments by emailing response@ocgov.com. All comments submitted before the start of Board meetings will be distributed to the Board members for their consideration and all comments will be added to the administrative record of the meeting.
Supervisor Katrina Foley Hosts Briefing on Emergency Housing Vouchers
Last July, the Orange County Housing Authority received 557 Emergency Housing Vouchers. These vouchers offer an unprecedented opportunity for Orange County to help individuals experiencing homelessness secure housing, but only 16% of these vouchers are currently utilized. Without available housing units, these vouchers are set to expire on December 31, 2022.
To encourage landlord participation in the program, our virtual briefing educated landlords & community members about the many benefits of leasing units to Emergency Housing Voucher recipients. Landlords and housing providers who accept vouchers receive financial incentives including a sign on bonus, direct deposit rent, and a support network that includes damage mitigation funds.
Panelists: Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley; Julia Bidwell, Director of Orange County Housing & Community Development; Doug Becht, Director of Orange County Office of Care Coordination; Becks Heyhoe, Executive Director of United to End Homelessness, Orange County United Way; Nikki Buckstead, Executive Director of Family Solutions Collaborative; David Cordero, Executive Director of Apartment Association of Orange County
Watch the briefing: Here
Read more from the LA Times: O.C. housing agencies face hurdles fulfilling ‘unprecedented’ number of housing vouchers before they expire
Carpenter's Training Center Tour
Alex Rounaghi, Policy Advisor
Supervisor Foley and I recently toured the Carpenter’s Training Center in Buena Park. We were joined by representatives from Probation, the Juvenile Court, Public Defender’s Office, Orangewood, OC Workforce Development, and Mayor Sarmiento. We learned about the high-quality, high-paying apprenticeships that are available for Orange County youth. All of the participants were impressed by the training center and the opportunities we learned about.
Promoting pathways to high-quality union careers is a top priority for Supervisor Foley. And, as a member of the Orange County Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council, Supervisor Foley is focused on improving re-entry and workforce development paths for the county’s most vulnerable youth.
We are grateful to Matt Dunphy for providing the tour and sharing his insights and to John Hanna for setting it up.
OC Talk Radio
Supervisor Katrna Foley and OC Talk Radio host, Barry Saywitz discuss important issues that impact Orange County, including housing. Be sure to listen, as this conversation received great feedback from those who tuned into the event!
Listen: Here
Old Orange County Courthouse
At my request, the Old Orange County Courthouse is now illuminated blue and yellow each night. This represents the colors of the Ukrainian flag in recognition of those suffering as a result of the war. I will work with the Board of Supervisors and our County’s Social Services Agency to provide resources for refugees, as needed.
Team Foley In the News This Week
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O.C. housing agencies struggle with ‘unprecedented’ number of housing vouchers about to expire
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New OC Live Concert Series Debuts In Orange County To Support The Local Music Scene, May 10-15
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Orange County tries to sell landlords on housing vouchers
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OC streetcar line construction frustrating Santa Ana businesses
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Letter to the Editor: Transitioning to Cleaner Energy is the Best Way to Reduce the Financial Impacts of Rising Gas Prices
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Downtown Santa Ana businesses push OCTA for funds amid streetcar construction
LA Times
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Grocery Store Quality Food or Rotten Bologna? State Inspects Food Conditions in OC Jails
Voice of OC
Supervisor Katrina Foley issued the following statement regarding the United States Senate’s confirmation of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court of the United States on April 7, 2022.
“I join our county and nation in celebrating Justice Jackson’s historic confirmation as the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. The bipartisan support of her confirmation to the Senate shatters the glass ceiling and shows young people that equality, inclusivity, and justice are their birthright and the future of our Country. Justice Jackson’s confirmation inspires us all and reminds us that the best days for the United States lie ahead.” – Supervisor Foley
Airport Commission Report
Submitted by: Sue Dvorak
Meeting Date: 4/6/2022
Submitted: 4/8/2022
Agenda Item #2: Approve Job Order Contract for Pavement Maintenance and Repair Services
The Airport Commission voted unanimously to approve the Job Order Contract (JOC) with Sully-Miller Contracting Company for Pavement Maintenance and Repair Services at John Wayne Airport effective through May 24, 2023 in an amount not-to-exceed $5,000,000.
$4.2m is anticipated to be used for necessary projects, but $5m is being requested for any non-planned or emergency work that may arise. This JOC will ensure passenger safety by allowing JWA to effectively rehabilitate and prolong the lifetime of pavements.
What’s a Job Order Contract (JOC)?
The JOC program is an extension of the available workforce to maintain and repair County assets without incurring the full-time burden of employing individual companies and personnel. Job Order Contractors are not guaranteed or assured work, but respond to the needs of the County on an on-call basis.
Agenda Item #3: Orange County Airport Commission Revised Bylaws Discussion
The proposed Airport Commission Bylaws revision is a response to policy direction from the Board of Supervisors for all boards, commissions, and committees subject to the Board of Supervisors’ jurisdiction to align their bylaws with an approved Bylaws Template.
County Counsel will incorporate revisions put forth by the Airport Commission and present the revised bylaws to the Commission for their approval at a later date. Following Commission approval, the revised bylaws will move on to the Board of Supervisors for final approval and official adoption.
Special thanks to Jim Mosher for the helpful comments he submitted to the Airport Commission on this subject matter.
Link to the Airport Commission meeting audio recording: Here
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Constituent Services Manager
Please reach out to me at any time with questions or concerns: Manuel.Chavez@ocgov.com
Representing Garden Grove and Santa Ana.
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OCTA Updates and More
OCTA: At our Monday OCTA Board Meeting, Supervisor Foley and Mayor Sarmiento spearheaded an effort to assist the business being impacted by the OC Streetcar project on 4th Street in Downtown Santa. After a lengthy discussion, Supervisor Foley and Mayor Sarmiento directed OCTA staff to return with an improved plan on how to assist the 4th street businesses as soon as possible. While the streetcar project intends to improve access to our local businesses in the long term, our office will continue to advocate and fight for every business impacted by the current construction.
OCC Kinesiology & Athletics Building: On Tuesday, I attended a Ribbon Cutting and dedication for the Orange Coast College Kinesiology and Athletic Building. This facility will provide Orange County residents who attend the college with a state-of-the-art space to train, recover, and connect with the supportive staff. A modernized pool will also elevate training and competition. I love seeing the investments being made in our County’s great community colleges.
Join us today, April 16, 2022, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the United Across Borders Community Fair at Prentice Park at 1801 E. Chestnut Ave. Santa Ana CA 92701.. There will be food and diaper distribution, information booths, and performances. Stop by and join us there!
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Constituent Services Manager
Please reach out to me at any time with questions or concerns: Kalvin.Alvarez@ocgov.com
Representing Anaheim, Orange, Tustin, Animal Services.
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Philanthropy and Football
As the Supervisor mentioned, we attended the Tustin Community Foundation's 2022 Paper Football Challenge in support of local charities. The community spirit behind this event made it incredibly fun for participants, including us. We hope to participate in the competition next year, so keep an eye out for our team!
We also attended the Women's Philanthropy of the Jewish Federation of Orange County's Women Voices event, which honored Ann Moskowitz, a long-time community activist and philanthropist. Ann was the former chair of the Jewish Federation's Grants & Allocations Committee, where she championed funding for Jewish day schools, congregations, and communal institutions. The federation donated more than $1.4 million in Passport grants for students, thanks to Ann's leadership. It was a pleasure meeting such an amazing community leader.
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Stephanie Wade – District Director & Policy Advisor
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This week, I want to highlight two non-profits and how we are collaborating to build a more equitable County. Since joining Supervisor Foley’s office, I’ve had several conversations with the Director of the LGBTQ Center OC, Peg Corley, about homelessness among Transitional Age Youth or TAY.
TAY is defined as residents between the ages of 16-25 and Peg and I discussed the possibility of interim housing for queer kids. Anyone who is gay or trans knows that many of our homeless youth are abandoned by their families for being queer and face tremendous discrimination in the housing and job market. While this is commonly known, anecdotally, Peg explained that there is no County-specific data regarding this unfortunate phenomenon. Our County’s Social Service Agency did not previously collect data on Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity (SOGI) and we’ve relied almost exclusively on state or national statistics.
However, expanded data is important when applying for grants and this conversation with Peg sent me in search of a data partner. As it happens, I found one! Karen Williams, the CEO of our County’s information and referral line 2-1-1, and her team are getting ready to launch a new model of care, GetHelpOC, that creates a dashboard of relevant, caller-specific social data. The GetHelpOC 2-1-1 system will launch online, next month, and callers will be able to apply for multiple services over the phone. The data collected is stored and shared with participating government and private social welfare agencies. This will help those in need get help faster and reduce the need to provide repeat information each time they apply for a new service. By consolidating data about who needs help, including who is lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, we will help those who need it most. By connecting the CEOs of both organizations, we are now facilitating a collaborative process to train 2-1-1 operators on cultural sensitivity that will build trust and rapport with LGBTQ callers. I’m thankful for the impact this small change will create.
As to the big stuff, I want to remind anyone who is looking for employment that Supervisor Foley’s free Career Fair is on Thursday, April 21, 2022, at the Santa Ana Discovery Cube from 10:30 AM to 2:00 PM. Veterans arrive beginning at 10:00 AM. Whether you’re seeking employment or hiring for your business, learn more: Here
More than 100 vendors will be hiring in the fields of hospitality, education, public safety, banking, and other fields. I hope to see many of you there and remember to bring your resume.
Health Updates
COVID-19 Updates
 The FDA authorized a second booster dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or the Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for older people and certain immunocompromised individuals.
Read the Press Release.
With the second COVID-19 mRNA booster dose approved for some people, CDPH has an updated vaccine eligibility chart to help you figure out which vaccine you can receive depending on how old you are & which primary or booster dose you are eligible for. View it: Here
FDA Authorizes First COVID-19 Breath Test
On Thursday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization for the first COVID-19 diagnostic test that detects chemical compounds in breath samples associated with a COVID-19 infection.
Read the Press Release: Here
If you have children, watch OC Health Care Agency’s recommended video on what children ages 5 to 11-years-old need to recover from COVID-19 Pandemic: Here
As of April 15, 2022, 2,286,755 Orange County residents are fully vaccinated and 1,244,133 received their 4th shot or booster doses. The 7-day average positivity rate (4/15/22) in our County is 2.3%. This equals out to 4.5 daily positive COVID cases per 100k residents or 711 positive PCR tests received per day.
Vaccine Clinics
Please call (714) 834-2000 to schedule an appointment. at one of our mobile vaccine clinics. Walkins are also welcome! Find a mobile vaccine clinic: Here
Pet of the Week
 Animal ID #: A1738925
As soon as Emmett arrived as a stray at OC Animal Care back in October, the staff learned that he absolutely LOVES toys! This handsome 3-year-old Pit Bull loves to take his favorite stuffed animal out on walks, to the play yard, to the vet for checkups …and, really, anywhere that he goes! While Emmett loves to play, his happy and energetic personality really shines through when he rolls around on the grass with his toys! Emmett is a silly boy who loves to chase his tail, roll around on the grass, zoom around the play yard, and, of course, be affectionate with his human friend. Emmett is a joyful pup that loves making friends with every staff member and volunteer here at the shelter. If you’re looking for a best friend who loves to play almost as much as he adores his stuffed animals, Emmett may be the pet for you! Emmett is looking for an adult-only home where he will be the only pet.
Interested in adopting Emmett? Call (714) 935-6848 to schedule an adoption appointment today! Angel is looking for an adult-only home where he will be the only pet. Animal ID #: A1738925
Not ready to get a dog but want to help Emmett find a home? Share this flyer on social media!
Everything You Need to Know About OC Animal Care’s Adoption Process
1. OC Animal care has an appointment system, as adopting a pet is an important decision that should not be made on impulse.
2. Adoption-by-appointment allows trained and experienced staff to offer a concierge-style adoption experience from the time someone calls to make an appointment until they leave with their new best friend.
3. The adoption-by-appointment-based model helps decrease impulse adoptions and prioritizes matching pet-to-family as evidenced by the return rate for dogs decreasing by 23.8% from 2020 to 2019 and 18.6% from 2021 to 2019.
4. Euthanasia has not increased since implementing the appointment system, despite taking in some of the most challenging pets.
5. Another benefit of an adoption appointment is that it reduces wait times and promotes a positive adoption experience that minimizes stress on animals and lets staff see an animal’s true personality. It also provides staff more time to know the animals in-shelter and care for them
Orange County Business Council
On April 7th, approximately 800 business executives, academic leaders and elected officials attended the OC Business Council's Annual Dinner at the Grand Ballroom in the Disneyland Hotel.
This year's theme of Embracing Change was on full display as the Business Council introduced Jeff Ball as its new President and CEO while also swearing in the 2022 Board and this year’s Board Chair, Dave Bartlett of Brookfield Properties. We look forward to the Council promoting excellence in our County, state and nation!
OC Clerk-Recorder
Did you know that you can download old photos of Orange County and obtain historical data as well as obtain a Marriage License and Passport services all in the same location? Learn more: Here
Be Well OC
Join Be Well OC and Orange County's Community Suicide Prevention Initiative (CSPI) for a morning of fresh air, coffee, conversations and treats. Paws for Hope will be on the Huntington Dog Beach on Saturday April 9, 2022, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Bring your furry pals, friends, and family for a leisurely morning at the beach to celebrate life!
Register now! Here.
California State Parks Pass
Books provide wonderful adventures, but now is your opportunity to adventure beyond a book! Our OC Public Libraries are partnering with California State Parks and the California State Library to offer free State Parks vehicle-day use passes, available for circulation at all branches of public libraries in California.
Park passes allow Californians to access beautiful parks, lakes, beaches, and monuments in the State Parks system for free.
Check-out guidelines and more information: Here
Earth Day Events
Mark your calendar for the City of Costa Mesa Earth Day Festival and celebrate with us on Friday, April 22, 2022. Learn more about how to protect our planet through fun, educational activities. Details below!
Celebrate Earth Day throughout the month of April with OC Waste & Recycling, OC Public Libraries, and Discovery Cube. Join us for any of these free community events and enjoy take-home Earth Day kits, storytimes, and an up close look at live worms with the new presentation, “Gettin’ Wiggly with Composting.”
April 19, 5-6:30 p.m. – Fountain Valley Branch
April 20, 5-6:30 p.m. – Laguna Hills Technology Branch
April 21, 5-6:30 p.m. – Westminster Branch
For more details on in-person and virtual events visit: Here
OC Parks Summer Concert Series
Supervisor Katrina Foley's Current Committee Appointments
Innovative solutions require hard work and that is exactly what I will be working on, alongside my colleagues, throughout the coming year.
If you have questions or comments that you'd like to share, in relation to the committees below, please email me at Katrina.Foley@ocgov.com
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