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Volume 2 | Issue 18 |
May 13, 2022 |
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Dear Neighbor:
Supporting our residents and small business remains my top priority. This week, our work to support small, mostly Latino owned, businesses earned the unanimous support from my colleagues for our small businesses recovery grant so 4th street businesses impacted by the construction of the Orange County Streetcar receive relief.
For months, local businesses expressed frustration about the lack of support from the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) in adequately addressing the devastating impacts of the construction in front of their businesses. Although the County of Orange didn’t have a direct role in the project, I was compelled to find $1.2 million in funds that we can use to finally get these businesses the help they deserve. We will launch the approved grant program as quickly as possible!
Read more: https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/entertainment/story/2022-05-11/o-c-supervisors-approve-aid-for-downtown-santa-ana-merchants-hit-by-streetcar-construction
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On Wednesday, a wildfire in Laguna Niguel rapidly engulfed 200 acres and damaged and destroyed over 30 homes. Thanks to a rapid response from the Orange County Fire Authority, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Cal Fire and our local partners, no residents were harmed and only two firefighters received medical treatment but were quickly released. As of today, we have approximately 25% of the fire contained and our amazing firefighters set up a strong perimeter in the impacted area. I’m confident and hopeful that no other structures remain under threat.
Photo Credit: Coastal Fire, Orange County, CA, May 11, 2022. ABC7.
We must investigate the cause of this fire and take serious measures to prevent this type of fire from happening again. Our own Orange County Fire Authority Fire Chief, Brian Fennessy, stated that, while the winds experienced during the Coastal Fire happen regularly, our dry climate and mega drought accelerated the severity of this tragedy. Climate change makes these fires our new norm and we must find ways to address and combat this new reality.
Residents seeking information and resources can call the County Public Information Hotline at 714-628- 7085 and visit ocsheriff.gov/coastalfire for the latest news.
Photo taken in 1993 when a lone house survived a fire due to its construction and landscape design. File photo by Chas Metivier, Orange County Register/SCNG
Our OC Live concert series began this week, and the lineup continues through Sunday, May 15, 2022. We love the opportunity to invest in our local music scene. See a list of upcoming bands and how to purchase tickets to a local venue: Here
Results from our Point in Time Count confirm that we must prioritize permanent supportive housing, eliminate encampments, and more proactively address drug addiction to solve the homelessness crisis. I’m committed to collaboration with my colleagues on the Board and at all levels of government to use this data to effectively prioritize resources to address the homelessness. Read the County’s Press Release: Here
Be sure to join me at our 2022 State of the County Address on May 25, 2022, at the Old County Courthouse in Santa Ana where I will highlight the year's accomplishments and challenges for Orange County government.
Today, I attended the Government Affairs of Garden Grove meeting as a guest speaker. I provided an update on our initiatives to reduce homelessness, support small businesses, and COVID recovery.
This upcoming Friday, May 20, 2022, is bike to work day. Please consider biking to work (or school)!
Be Well,
Katrina Foley Supervisor County of Orange
If you have a concern for me to address, please email: Katrina.Foley@ocgov.com
Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley joined the Board of Supervisors in 2021. She serves on the Airport Ad Hoc Committee & Fly Friendly working group, the Sober Living Home Ad Hoc Committee, and boards of the Orange County Transportation Authority, CalOptima, Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council, Law Library, Newport Bay & South Orange County Watershed Management Area Executive Committees & the Santa Ana River Flood Control Protection.
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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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Coastal Fire
Read more about our coastal fire and see coverage from local outlets.
Firefighters battle the Coastal fire in Laguna Niguel’s Coronado Pointe community. (Photo Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Coastal fire – Ice plant no foil for dry, overgrown canyons this time around: OC Register
"There are a lot of non-drought-resistant plants out there that need to be removed. This is a regional issue. We all must work together and get it done.” - Supervisor Foley
Edison flags ‘circuit activity’ at time of fire that destroyed 20 homes, damaged 11 in Laguna Niguel: LA Times
“We must replace dry, hazardous vegetation, especially dead limbs and trees prone to spread fire, with drought tolerant plants and trees that retain moisture even in a drought, to reduce the chance of wildfire causing damage, County Supervisor Katrina Foley said in a statement.The cost of investing in preventive measures pales in comparison to the cost to respond to the fire, the loss of property and, worse, life.
Video – Wind-driven wildfire destroys 20 homes in Southern California; 1 firefighter injured: Fire Rescue 1
OC Live Concert Series
OC Live showcases LIVE music performances from local artists with the goal of supporting and preserving the arts.
Buy $5 tickets and support future art grants! Here
Bring chairs and blankets for this weekend’s outdoor concert at the Dunes in Newport Beach.🌴 Food trucks and drinks will be available for purchase and parking is only $10. We are also hosting a performer at Cafe Sevilla on Sunday evening.
See coverage of the concert series: Here
Board of Supervisors Meeting
Please attend our special Board meeting on May 17, 2022, and our May 24, 2022, Board of Supervisors meeting at 9:30 a.m.
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).
PRIORITY: Helping Small Businesses Recover After the COVID-19 Pandemic
On Tuesday, our Orange County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved my proposal to allocate up to $1.2 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to support Santa Ana Small Businesses impacted by ongoing streetcar construction and the COVID-19 pandemic.
"For the last few months, we met with frustrated business owners that faced devastating negative impacts as a result of streetcar construction,” said Supervisor Foley. "Transportation projects must consider their impact on local businesses, before and during construction, and take action when project delays gravely impact businesses that are still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Read the Press Release: Board of Supervisors Unanimously Approve Supervisor Foley’s Small Business Assistance Grant Proposal to Support Struggling Santa Ana Businesses Impacted by OC Streetcar Construction and the COVID-19 Pandemic
Legislative Update
Alex Rounaghi, Policy Advisor
Last week I shared two proposals that Supervisor Foley put forward at our May 10, 2022, Board Meeting. Here are the updates!
Item 52: Prohibit the purchase and use of food service products produced with Expanded Polystyrene within County Government facilities.
As you know, the environmental impacts of expanded polystyrene are significant. As a non-recyclable and non-biodegradable plastic, Expanded Polystyrene persists in the environment for thousands of years. Expanded Polystyrene fractures into microplastics, which enter streets, wilderness, waterways, oceans, other precious natural resources, and our bodies.
Read Supervisor Foley’s full proposal Here
5/10 BOARD ACTION: Chairman Chaffee indicated that the Board’s ad hoc committee on Procurement will look into this. We appreciate this work and intend to tollow up on this important effort.
Item 53: Direct County Counsel to seek an opinion from California Attorney General on question of implementation of County Supervisorial Districts in Orange County prior to next regularly scheduled election.
On March 9, 2021, Supervisor Foley was elected by the communities of Costa Mesa, Cypress, Huntington Beach, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Newport Beach, Seal Beach, Stanton, Rossmoor, and portions of Buena Park and Fountain Valley. After the Board of Supervisors adopted new boundaries in December of 2021, the new maps were put into effect in January of this year.
The new district she currently represents includes none of the cities that elected Supervisor Foley to office. It is our belief that implementing the new boundaries before the next election violates state law. The residents are entitled to their elected officials to the term they were elected to. We are requesting our County Counsel seek an opinion by the California Attorney General on this matter.
Read more: Here
5/10 BOARD ACTION: Unfortunately, Supervisor Foley did not receive a second on her motion to direct County Counsel to ask the AG for legal guidance on this issue.
PRIORITY: Addressing Homelessnes
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 22% of these vouchers are currently utilized. Without available housing units, these vouchers are set to expire on December 31, 2022. Fully utilizing these vouchers is critical.
To encourage landlord participation in the program, I hosted a virtual briefing to educate 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.
I'm working on a proposal to use American Rescue Plan dollars for a landlord incentive program. Stay tuned for details in the coming weeks.
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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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New Businesses & Chamber Events
I began my week joining Supervisor Foley at the launch of the OC Live Concert Series at Dick Church’s. I had a wonderful time hearing the great music and promoting local artists! If you still want to attend, we will be having concerts this Saturday and Sunday at the Newport Beach Dunes. I hope you can attend!
Friday, I joined the Supervisor at the Garden Grove Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Meeting. The Supervisor gave an update about her recent accomplishments ... such as successful career fairs, the new grants for Santa Ana 4th street business, and much more.
Thursday, I joined the Orange Chamber of Commerce and celebrated Skinsations Spa’s new location! Skinsations’ history includes 33-years in business and a recent move to the City of Orange. We are excited to for this longstanding business to join the vibrant Orange community and highly encourage anyone in need of R&R to visit! See a photo of the ribbon cutting, below.
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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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Saddleback Career Fair Update
What a thrill to represent our office at Saddleback Church’s North Orange County Career Fair in Santa Ana this week. There were more than 93 employers in attendance and representatives from Santa Ana Unified School District registered students with work permits immediately after they received a job offer!
Saddleback remains committed to filling in the gaps for our residents in need by hosting food distribution events, financial coaching, career fairs, and so much more! If you’re interested in utilizing their services, visit https://saddleback.com/events to find an event near you!
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Stephanie Wade – District Director & Policy Advisor
First, I want to talk about one of the County’s great but lesser-known programs: The Veterans Employment-Related Assistance Program or VEAP. VEAP is part of the County’s overall Workforce & Economic Development program and offers specialized services for Veterans including job training, work-based learning, career pathways, and entrepreneurship or apprenticeship programs. Run by Eric Ensley (pictured below ‘pinning’ a veteran who attended our career fair) and a small staff of County employees, VEAP helps so many.
I’ve known Eric for years and his knowledge of Veterans' benefits and programs impresses me to no end. I also want to highlight the resources that Eric and his staff provide to those looking to hire. If you’re an employer who would like to hire a Veteran or want to learn more about the benefits of hiring Veterans, please reach out to Eric and his team: Here
Finally, I’ll take a moment to thank the Supervisor for her ongoing support of the LGBTQ community. Just this week, the Supervisor joined Chairman Chaffee and her other colleagues on the Board in a unanimous vote for a resolution declaring their support for the transgender citizens of our County.
Health Updates
Equity in OC
We must address healthcare and supportive service gaps in Orange County and this interactive map begins to provide a visual overview of our County to best determine the actions that help our residents. I look forward to seeing this initiative progress and appreciate the recognition by SCAG.
View the interactive map: Here
1 Million COVID-19 Deaths
Flag at half staff to honor the 1 million lives lost in the U.S. to COVID-19.
When the COVID-19 pandemic first struck the United States, the idea of 1 million deaths from the virus seemed largely unimaginable. However, this week we marked this tragic milestone.
More people died in 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. than in 40 years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The toll even dwarfs the estimated 675,000 deaths during the 1918-19 Spanish Flu outbreak, the most severe pandemic in recent times.
Get vaccinated and boosted: Here Learn more: Here
COVID-19 Data
As of May 13, 2022, 2,310,731 Orange County residents are fully vaccinated and 1,273,356 received their 4th shot or booster dose. The 7-day average positivity rate (5/13/22) in our County is 3.7%. This equals out to 8.5 daily positive COVID cases per 100k residents or 392.6 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
Alex: Animal ID # A1734002
Alex is a 2-year-old Anatol Shepherd Mix who arrived at OC Animal Care as a stray. Once Alex labels you as one of his best friends ... you’ve made a friend for life!
Alex is an avid fetch player and loves running around the play yard with a tennis ball in his mouth! For Alex and activity break is rolling around on the grass! This silly boy knows how to have fun, and his happy personality will cheer you up whenever you need it!
Alex enjoys learning some fun new tricks with his human friends, in part because he loves treats and is very smart! He sits on cue and is potty trained. Alex is looking for an adult-only home or a home with kids ages 15 years or older, where he will be the only pet.
Interested in adopting adorable Alex? Call (714) 935-6848 to set up an adoption appointment today!
OC Microbusiness Grant
We are relaunching the OC Microbusiness $2,500 Grant due to a low number of qualified applicants received in the first round. There is funding remaining for an additional qualified microbusinesses. Attend an informational webinar: Here
Orange County Museum of the Art
Construction Continues on the New OCMA Building
OCMA is excited to share the latest progress on the new building:
- Pedestal paver installation on the Upper Plaza continues.
- Terra cotta installation is complete on the North elevation.
- Precast clips for the grand staircase are scheduled to arrive and installation will begin by end of the week.
- Installation of the hanging art brackets and barrisol panel grid is ongoing in the galleries.
- Mudding and taping began on the mezzanine level and main galleries.
- Clips and interior benches are being installed in the Avenue of the Arts gallery.
You can visit OCMA's website to stay up to date on the progress of their new building.
John Wayne Airport
Bowers Museum
The Bowers Museum is bringing the world to you Attend the Norooz Clinic Foundation's free one-day “Unlocking Stigma” mental health, celebrate the launch of his memoir Life Lived Wild: Adventures at the Edge of the Map, and more.
Find out more: Here
OC Parks
OC Waste & Recycling
OC Waste & Recycling encourages residents to use OCWR’s online education portal regarding the about the importance of proper waste management at home. Online learning also contains a documentary on “The Secrets of a Mega Landfill” featuring the Frank Bowerman Landfill operations: Watch Here!
Schedule a guided OCWR of the landfill to see the operations in action whether you’re a resident or business. Guided tours include an overview of landfill operations, current and new regulations, and a tour of the new compost facilities.
Compost Giveaway
Join OC Waste & Recycling (OCWR) for a Compost Giveaway at Frank R. Bowerman (FRB) Landfill. Pick up FREE compost at 11002 Bee Canyon Access Road in Irvine on Saturday, May 21, 2022, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. while supplies last. The self-haul event by OCWR offers the compost free of charge.
Learn more: Here
OCTA
Let’s get residents back to work! Learn about other career opportunities:
Attend OCTA’s 40-hour Bus Driver training on May 14, 2022, at Saddleback College. An OC Community Foundation grant covers the cost of the training, so it’s free to job seekers.
For more information or to enroll, contact Jessie Cheng at (949) 582-4548 or jcheng64@saddleback.edu
Supervisor Katrina Foley's Current Committee Appointments
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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Team Foley
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