Cindy Tran-Chang
Policy Advisor / Community Events Manager
This week, I worked on our Senior Summit. The Senior Summit is planned for Friday, October 27, 2023, at Soka University from 8:30AM-3:00PM. Stay tuned for updates.
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Adam Tallabas
District Representative / Policy Analyst
Happy Pride Month District 5! On Wednesday, I attended the Ribbon Cutting/Grand Opening of Serve First Solutions in Costa Mesa! It was great to meet the business owners & staff and welcome them to the Fabulous Fifth District! Thursday morning, I was up bright and early for the Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Meeting! There, we heard from Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan on the key issues in Irvine as well as updates on the growth of the city.
Later in the day, I was back in Costa Mesa to celebrate the Grand Opening of Bohemian Mama – a shop for sustainable clothing & jewelry!
Friday, I represented our office at the ASUCI Pride Month Kickoff Event! It was such a great time celebrating Pride & meeting the students!
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Greater Irvine Chamber Meeting with Mayor Farrah Khan
Grand Opening of Bohemian Mama
Celebrating Pride Month with ASUCI External Vice President's Office!
Jonathan Davis
Policy Advisor
June is shaping up to be an action-packed month for our office, with board meetings nearly every week and a hearing to approve the County’s budget on June 13, 2023. This week, I participated in several meetings to discuss our infrastructure, including an overview of the Santa Ana Delhi Channel Project that was approved by the board last week. County staff will be presenting the project at the June 13th Newport Beach City Council meeting, where they will discuss community outreach and how the project will protect wildlife and residents. I also met with our OC Public Works staff last week to discuss the county’s Active Transportation Plan that will be approved in August. The Active Transportation Plan will serve as a blueprint for projects that will ultimately make Orange County more walkable and bike friendly. This document will also make the county more competitive for funding from our state and federal government, helping ensure we that we receive our fair share of resources. I ended my week by joining Supervisor Foley at the premiere of Running out of Time, a documentary that discusses coastal erosion in San Clemente. The event also featured coastal erosion experts like Dr. Brett Sanders of UCI and Laylan Connelly, a reporter with the Orange County Register who has been following this issue for more than a decade. Check out https://www.saveourbeachessc.org/ to learn more!
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Michele Mullen
District Representative
The Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce hosted the Athletic Awards Dinner for Newport Harbor, Corona Del Mar and Sage Hill High Schools at the Pacific Club on Tuesday night. The keynote speaker was former NFL player, Steve Buerlein, who gave an inspirational speech on following the Golden Rule and always doing the right thing. It was a beautiful evening celebrating 35 athletes and coaches. The student athletes are graduating and will continue their education at various excellent universities throughout the country.
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The Newport Beach Chamber Athletic Awards Dinner. L-Rt, Dr. Jake Haley, Principal Corona Del Mar High School, me, Carol Crane, NMUSD Board Member, Vladimir Anderson, Executive Director Newport Beach Police Association
Lorenzo Rubalcava
Senior Policy Advisor
This week I closely monitored the federal negotiations regarding the debt ceiling. I attended a White House briefing on the deal and worked closely with our legislative team here at the County to receive constant updates on House and Senate floor proceedings. Congress passed the extension this week, and the President signed the deal.
Additionally, I met with the Behavioral Health Director to review the proposed Mental Health Services Act three-year plan for mental health initiatives. The plan is required by the State of California in order to receive our state funding to fund the 100 initiatives that help Orange County residents with behavioral health and substance abuse issues.
Grace McNeill
Communications Intern
This week, I attended a meeting with the Supervisor regarding the removal of spent fuel from SONGS (San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station). The coalition behind Spent Fuel Solutions Now advocates for the relocation of spent fuel to a federally licensed facility, securing federal support, and more. In addition, I joined the Supervisor in a meeting with Laguna Beach Mayor Bob Whalen, Council Member Alex Rounaghi, as well as City Manager Shohreh Dupuis to discuss the 2023 legislative priorities for the city of Laguna Beach. Laguna Beach is currently working towards wildfire mitigation and fire safety, rebuilding its sewer infrastructure, implementing more affordable housing, among other items. This weekend, I staffed our booth at the CDM Scenic 5K. We met so many friendly residents!
Commission Updates
Hallie Jones, OC Parks Commissioner
June Commission Meeting Recap:
This week during the June OC Parks Commission meeting, we voted to recommend the approval of the Boy Scouts of America of the Newport Sea Base’s lease extension. The new agreement includes a request from Supervisor Foley to add an accessible lift on the dock.
We also received a presentation on the OC Parks 2023-2024 Budget. The key take aways include:
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Increasing revenue due to increasing property taxes.
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Capital projects expenditures projected to go down a bit.
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Newport Tidelands expenses increasing from $8.8M to $10.5M due to planned dredging project.
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Dana Point Harbor expenses are about the same, income projected to rise a bit due to interest and rental income.
Additionally, Interim Director Pam Passow gave a report highlighting the extensive rain we’ve had this winter and the fact that the reservoirs are full for the first time in a long time. She also highlighted the 7 new park rangers entering the academy on May 19th, and 8 more rangers undergoing medical and psychiatric evaluation. That group should be onboarded in July. Heritage Days was a great success, with 1400 people attending (up from 600 last year). The Clarke Park Interpretive Center just opened, with amazing paleo and archeo displays and programming. Lastly, Interim Director Passow suggested we all attend the Sunset movies and Summer Concert events.
Dana Point Harbor News
From Supervisor Katrina Foley
My Dana Point Harbor Advisory oversight committee will inform my office’s approach to this project and will ensure that businesses, county staff, and the community have a voice in the process. Our selection process begins this week with the oversight committee members announced in June. One of the first tasks of the new Dana Point Harbor Oversight Committee, which starts in July, is to review a few options related to fees and storage and provide me with recommendations. I expect a report back by September.
The committee will meet monthly and prepare public reports each month describing the status of the incoming revenue of DPH, the funding for the project, construction schedule and phasing status, as well as notice about any anticipated closures or impacts. Read more about our work in this month’s Foley Report!
Santa Ana River Marsh Quarterly Update
Last month, I met with residents, the Army Corps of Engineers, and county staff to discuss canal maintenance and sediment build up at the Santa Ana River Marsh/Seminouk Slough area, on the border of Newport Beach and Huntington Beach. Over this past week, I worked with my board colleagues to approve a project that will help keep this area clean and clear, and the Army Corps of Engineers on building an open dialogue with the public on this site.
At the last Board of Supervisors meeting, we approved an agreement that will enable operations of the Santa Ana Delhi Channel Diversion Structure, which will protect Newport Bay and nearby watersheds from trash and debris. The site will channel water flow to a sanitary sewer treatment plant and ultimately recharge our groundwater replenishment system.
I will continue to provide quarterly updates on this issue here on the newsletter, and coordinate with residents and regional partners on creating a cleaner, more sustainable watershed for everyone.
Health News
From OC Health Care Agency
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A total number of 85 sewage spills were reported to the Water Quality Team in 2022, which was well below the 33-year average of 184 spills per year. One spill carried over from 2021 to 2022.
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In 2022, 4% of the 85 sewage spills reported resulted in ocean, harbor and bay water closures representing a total of three ocean water closures for the year.
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Blockages in pipelines have been responsible for an average of 72% of all beach closures since 1999. The major causes of pipeline blockages during this period include the infiltration of roots (31%), buildup of grease (25%), and unknown sources (22%).
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Rain advisories are issued when bacterial levels are elevated and can cause illness to swimmers, surfers and divers. In 2022, twelve rain advisories were issued resulting in a total of 46 rain advisory days for the year.
The full report, which includes details related to sewage spills as well as ocean, harbor and bay water closures, was prepared by the OC Health Care Agency’s Environmental Health Water Quality Team and is available at https://ocbeachinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/OC-Ocean-Water-Quality-Report-2021-2022.pdf. The Water Quality Team is responsible for protecting the public from exposure to ocean and bay waters that may be contaminated with sewage or may cause illness along Orange County’s coastal areas. To learn more, visit www.ocbeachinfo.com.
ORANGE COUNTY RECEIVES FUNDING TO REMOVE LEAD HAZARDS IN HOUSEHOLDS
Orange County has been awarded a $1.4 million grant from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to identify and mitigate lead-based paint hazards in households, whether the properties are owner-occupied or rented. Owners of residential homes and rental units are encouraged to learn more and to apply for the lead removal service, which will be done at no cost to the property owner. Since there is no safe level of lead exposure, it is important to identify and remove any trace of lead in homes.
Households that may qualify for the lead hazards removal must meet certain criteria:
Lead-based paint, dust or soil can be found in older homes and is a health hazard, especially for children. Lead poisoning can cause a lifetime of negative health impacts. The LHRP provides for the remediation of identified lead hazards in the interior and exterior of qualified homes and to protect the health of families living in the residence, at no charge to the property owner.
E-Bike Safety
Pet of the Week
Meet Pet of the Week, S'mores!
Everyone, meet S'mores! This adorable and curious rabbit is a hop, skip, and jump away from finding his forever home.
Fluffy and fabulous, this rabbit is a true fashion icon. From his floppy ears to fluffy tail, his furry coat has a delightful mix of hues just like a s'more, hence his name! This intelligent bunny loves to hop around and investigate, his ears perked up and twitching, taking in every little detail. He is a rabbit that will bring a whole lot of joy in a small, furry package.
If you're looking for unconditional love to hop into your heart, please call (714) 935-6848, and mention Animal ID#A1813793.
BenefitsCal
Last month, Orange County officially switched over to a new benefits enrollment portal called BenefitsCal. This new website replaces the former portal, MyBenefitsCalWIN, as a new simple way for our residents to apply for, view and renew benefits for health coverage, food and cash assistance. Households interested in applying for benefits assistance can now create an account at www.BenefitsCal.com and submit their application or link their old MyBenefitsCalWIN case to their account. For more information about BenefitsCal, including new features and capabilities, click here.
Tax Filing Deadline Extended to October 16, 2023
The IRS announced an extension to change the filing and payment deadlines to October 16, 2023 for victims of severe winter storms, flooding, and mudslides in California. This extension applies to individuals and businesses in Orange County! Learn more here.
OC Waste and Recycling
If a busy schedule is keeping you from properly tending your yards and gardens, we've got good news! OC residents can pick up free compost by appointment in San Juan Capistrano and Irvine – with free compost coming to Brea soon. For more information on the Valencia Greenery in Brea, small and large quantities of compost, and to schedule a pickup appointment in San Juan Capistrano or Irvine visit OCLandfills.com/compost.
OC Parks is Hiring!
OCTA Public Hearing - June 12
The Orange County Transportation Authority Board of Directors will conduct a Public Hearing concerning the Orange County Transportation Authority’s Proposed Fiscal Year 2023-24 Budget as follows:
Monday, June 12, 2023 at 9:00 a.m.
Orange County Transportation Authority Headquarters
550 S. Main St, Orange, CA 92863
Board Room – Conference Room 07-08
All persons having interest in these matters are encouraged to submit public comments to the Board of Directors by Sunday, June 11, 2023 at 5:00 p.m.
Please submit them to clerkoffice@octa.net or:
Orange County Transportation Authority
Please contact the Clerk of the Board with any questions regarding this hearing or any requests for special accommodations no less than two business days prior to the hearing at clerkoffice@octa.net or 714.560.5676.
Mesmerica - OC Planetarium Show
A local production company based out of Orange County, Mesmerica, is currently hosting a show at the OCC Planetarium! Stop by for a chance to view the extremely relaxing 3D art and family show. Check out the following link to get 15% off tickets to the show!
Substance Abuse Resource
Detox.com’s mission is to provide the best free resources for people to find self-help with substance abuse through detox and other mental health strategies. Check out their website for more information!
OC Alert
Sign up for AlertOC to get notified in case of emergency in Orange County. The mass notification system is designed to keep Orange County residents and businesses informed in the event of a time-sensitive emergency. YOU MUST OPT IN TO RECEIVE ALERTS. Register today at AlertOC.org.
Appointments for Veterans Services
OC Workforce Solutions
Ready Set OC offers no-cost employment training for Orange County youth ages 14-24, including those with disabilities or IEP plans, former or current foster children, pregnant or parenting, offender/ex-offender, and those experiencing homelessness, including couch-surfing or at risk of homelessness. To find out more information, call the OC Business and Economic Recovery Call Center at (714) 480-6500 or text (657) 210-1295. Email info@readysetoc.com
Equity in OC
Are you in charge of a grassroots organization? the Equity in OC initiative is releasing a POWER BUILDING FUND to provide smaller, grassroots organizations with the opportunity to build their infrastructure and/or capacity
Learn More: Here
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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