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| Volume 4 | Issue 5 |
February 2, 2024 |
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Rail Service and Storm Updates
With the anticipated heavy rains this weekend, I encourage residents and visitors to take precautions when traveling through the region as well as prepare to protect their properties from flooding. The County is prepared to mobilize emergency crews and resources to help residents and keep roadways open.
With the storm systems hitting Southern California this week, I remain grateful to OCTA and Metrolink crews for continuing to work quickly and safely to slow the hillside movement in San Clemente.
We hope residents will do their part in preparing for the storm and following guidance to stay safe. Follow us on all social media channels for updates throughout the day @supervisorfoley.
 Weekly Update from Supervisor Foley
Dear neighbor:
I enjoyed participating in the Laguna Woods Library grand opening last weekend. In 2003 with humble beginnings at City Hall, the Laguna Woods Library started as an 8 foot counter for residents to order and pick up materials. Fast forward to Sunday morning, we celebrated the opening of Laguna Woods Library’s new, beautiful building! From an 8-foot-counter to 1,734 square feet of space, residents can now enjoy a community space with more books, movies audiobooks, and computers as well as free internet and Wi-Fi services. Additionally, the library’s new outdoor patio offers the city and the library an additional space for community connection through events and programming. The space also received accessibility improvements to allow for each resident to enjoy this space.
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This $3 million project demonstrates a great collaboration amongst multiple government partners and residents to benefit the community. Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris secured a $500,000 state budget appropriation to kickstart this project. Private resident donors raised $50,000. The City of Laguna Woods provided the balance of $2.5M from President Biden’s federal American Rescue Plan Act funds allocated to the city in 2021-22. The County will fund ongoing operations and management of the library. Laguna Woods residents will enjoy full access to our entire library collection of books both in print and audio, digital offerings, and even our new library of things that continues to expand. https://ocpl.org/books-more/library-things
Thank you to our residents for their support and patience during this construction. And thank you to city and county staff for their hard work toward improving the library to better serve the community.
On Monday morning, I received updates from the OC Health Care Agency (HCA) and SSA where we discussed District 5 priorities and initiatives to serve the nearly 110,000 identified low income residents living in our district, many who are seniors. With HCA, we discussed the internal audit and reorganization of HCA in preparation for the new HCA Director, preparations and planning for changes to our Mental Health Service Act funding and programming as a result of Prop 1 changes expected, including a deep review of all contracts to determine waste, inefficiencies, compliance and success on performance outcomes, and improved measurements to promote better deliverables. We also received updates on our Care Court program and plans to implement changes to the Lanterman–Petris–Short (LPS) Act, first enacted in 1972 and expanded in 2023 to broaden the definition of gravely disabled and allow involuntary commitment of individuals who cannot care for themselves. The new law, Senate Bill 43, expands the definition to allow conservatorships for people who can’t provide for their personal safety or necessary medical care because of either a severe substance use disorder or serious mental illnesses.
I’m truly grateful for the excellent work by our interim director Debra Baetz to reorganize and improve the quality of our health care agency. I’m equally grateful to our Behavioral Health Director, Dr. Veronica Kelly, who continues to develop our system of care to help residents in need of treatment and reduce homelessness. Our County was recently described as the gold standard because of her leadership.
Monday afternoon, I attended my quarterly meeting with Orange County Employees Association (OCEA) leadership where we discussed vacancies in various departments, potential recruitment initiatives, and I heard input on the qualities and professional experiences they want us to prioritize in hiring our next CEO.
In the evening, I hosted my first of many Public Safety Town Halls in Costa Mesa.
We presented updates on the Paularino Channel upgrades from Director of the Infrastructures Program Service Area at OC Public Works, Nardy Khan.
With Costa Mesa Mayor John Stephens, residents learned about the “Costa Mesa 311” app. Costa Mesa 311 is a free smart phone app that allows residents to conveniently report an issue and/or access city services. The app can be downloaded at the Apple app store and Google Play. The app also provides access to TESSA, Costa Mesa news, calendar listings, public meeting agendas and more.
Costa Mesa Police Chief Ronald Lawrence provided a community safety update, providing tips and stats on ensuring our neighborhoods stay safe. For 2023, Chief Lawrence shared crimes against persons were down by -3.21% while crimes against property were down by -3.81%. On the other hand, he shared that instances of arson increased due to trash cans set ablaze in different areas. Homicide cases increased by 1, going from 1 in 2022 to 2 in 2023. However, these cases were solved in a matter of days and were not threats to public safety.
As your Supervisor, I prioritize ensuring your home cities are places in which you may safely live and thrive. Thank you to all those who joined us for performing your civic duty by asking questions and contributing your voices in our community discussion around Public Safety.
 On Tuesday morning, I met with Anaheim Ducks Vice President of Marketing Merit Tully, George Urch and Matt Hicks on OC Navigator branding and how to drive more residents to our resource page.
In the afternoon, I joined officials from the Office of the Governor, California Health and Human Services, the Department of Health Care Services, the Judicial Council, and State Bar during their visit to Orange County to discuss our implementation of the Care Act and learn more about our County’s system of care. The County of Orange is a model for the State, and I could not be more proud of the work our Behavioral Health team, led by Dr. Veronica Kelley, is doing to address mental health and substance use disorder in Orange County.
This was followed by a group tour of the Costa Mesa Bridget Shelter. The Shelter provides interim housing coupled with wrap-around services to support guests on their journey to securing a permanent housing option. The cities of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach partner with Mercy House to operate the shelter. In October 2023, our County entered into a partnership with the City of Costa Mesa to enhance services for individuals experiencing homelessness and serious behavioral health conditions. The Behavioral Health Bridge Housing (BHBH) Program is funded through a $4 million grant from the County of Orange and adds 15 BHBH beds to the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter.
 
Tuesday evening, I held my second Public Safety Town Hall, this time in Ladera Ranch. Orange County Sheriff Barnes and Capo Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Christopher Brown joined me in updating the community on school safety, local law enforcement, fentanyl risk awareness, drug education, and e-bike safety. Thank you again, to the community members who shared your valued questions and input in our discussion to keep our neighborhoods safe. Stay tuned for progress on our e-bikes ordinance, and new Ebike safety patrols initiated by my office.
On Wednesday morning, I met with OC Parks to discuss the Talbert Park Master Plan outreach as well as ongoing parks projects.
As I tour the District on Wednesdays, my next stop was the Orange Coast College Recycling Center. I met with Angelica Suarez, President of OCC and Liz Parker, Area 5 Trustee to discuss the temporary closure of the center and ways to collaborate to reopen, as well as ideas for the future to encourage other options and partners to support recycling.
Wednesday evening, I hosted the first Talbert Park Master Plan public outreach meeting with OC Parks. This park connects to Randall Preserve and Fairview Park, and also to the Santa Ana River Trail- AKA Orange Coast River Park, eventually providing continuous linkage from the San Bernardino Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. I look forward to reviewing the report on input about how to preserve this peaceful open space park for residents, but also for the critical habitat relied on by the many species of plants and animals.
Your participation is integral in this process, and we look forward to capturing your thoughts about the future of this cherished public asset. If you could not attend the meeting, please send your questions and comments to TAREMasterPlan@ocparks.com.
 Thursday morning was the first meeting of our newly formed Climate Resiliency Task Force. This is a new initiative from my office that brings together academics and leaders from across the public and private sectors to provide input and oversight on Orange County’s Climate Action Planning process. Our first meeting established goals for our Task Force and discussed the county’s draft Priority Climate Action Plan and grant. I look forward to working with this group on increasing engagement with stakeholders and the public on climate action and identifying challenges, opportunities, and solutions for climate resiliency projects.
 Welcome to my Climate Resiliency Task Force –
Dr. Brett Sanders – Chai, Climate Resiliency Task Force; Dr. Kathleen Treseder - Irvine City Councilmember; Jennifer Bergener - Deputy CEO, Orange County Transportation Authority; Adam Wood - Vice President of Orange County Operations, Building Industry Association of Southern California; Vipe Desai - Executive Director, Surf Industry Members Association; Luis Aleman - Lead Project Coordinator, Orange County Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, ; Lilly Simmering - Deputy CEO, County of Orange; Tom Koutroulis - Director, Orange County Waste & Recycling; Lisa Smith - Deputy Director of Business Services and G&E Affairs, Orange County Waste & Recycling; Jonathan Davis - Policy Advisor, Office of Supervisor Katrina Foley; Kyle Krahel -Frolander - Deputy Chief of Staff & District Director, Office of
Congressman Mike Levin; Chena Foord - Field Representative, Office of Senator Laphonza Butler; Alex Davis - Principal Consultant, Office of Senator Catherine Blakespear; Adam Cavecche - Principal Council Executive, Office of Councilmember Kathleen Treseder
 Afterwards, I met with Raja Sethuraman, Public Works Director and Deputy City Manager Alma Reyes from the City of Costa Mesa to discuss projects my office is supporting. Specifically, we discussed the Skatepark project, which is in early-stage planning. Look out for updates as the city and I will be requesting public input soon. We also discussed Lions Park Café, construction for this project is starting soon and completion of the project is estimated to take one year. Finally, we discussed the Adams Avenue and Fairview Drive grant requests before OCTA at our next meeting. It’s great to finally see these projects develop after years of planning and cobbling together of funds.
 Then, I met with OC District Attorney Todd Spitzer on Cyber Security. We are working together to ensure our systems are safe from hackers.
 Finally, I ended my day with a meeting of our District 5 Monarch Butterfly Way Station Committee. This meeting focused on planning activities for the year. Many people do not know that monarch butterflies contribute greatly to our ecosystem. Like bees, they are pollinators and are responsible for the pollination of many of the fruits and vegetables we eat. Changes to our climate have impacted their primary food source (milk weed) and migratory patterns. The goal of our committee is to explore ways to educate the community and support habitats and waystations.
  Stay safe and dry, District 5!
Be well,
 Katrina Foley
Supervisor
County of Orange
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In This Edition
Read more about local events, community and health news, District and County initiatives, and other important updates!
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Staff Updates
Adam Tallabas
District Representative
  For Irvine residents and those interested in fire insurance, Mayor Farrah Khan will host a townhall on wildfire insurance on February 6, 2024 at pm. This is an online event so make sure to register here.
Jonathan Davis
Policy Advisor
I am proud to announce that our office is successfully advocating for three capital improvement projects that will make a difference for pedestrians and bikers in Costa Mesa. Earlier this year, I helped Supervisor Foley advocate for three applications by the City of Costa Mesa to OCTA’s Complete Streets Program by coordinating with OCTA staff and writing letters of support. Together, these projects make improvements to Adams Avenue and Fairview Road, providing safer walking and biking routes to local grocery centers, two high schools, two colleges, five elementary schools, and the OC Fair and Event Center.
This week, we learned that these projects have been highly recommended by OCTA for funding, a decision that the supervisor will be voting on during next Monday’s Regional Transportation Planning Committee Meeting. We look forward to continuing our fight for these projects, which will make for a safer, more connected community in Costa Mesa. Have a great weekend!
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Alejandro Santiago Ortega
Executive Aide
Hola, everyone! Hope you had a beautiful week. On Tuesday, I began my day on the west side of Costa Mesa at the unveiling of the city’s first butterfly garden, Mariposa Garden. Plants in the park attract butterflies and provide a safe stop for the monarch butterfly on their migration to Mexico. The park also features butterfly sculptures by artist Marisabel Bazan, titled “La Magia de Colleta.” The photo below features Costa Mesa Mayor John Stephens and artist Marisabel Bazan. Our office was happy delivering a certificate of recognition in celebration of this new space for the community’s enjoyment.
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Sarah D'Agostino
Hello, District 5! This week I participated in the San Clemente Government and City Affairs meeting where I had the opportunity to present vital updates on behalf of our office. Our focus centered on the crucial coastal rail update, a matter that Supervisor Foley meticulously monitors. The meeting also featured an insightful presentation by Ad Fontes Media, creators of the media bias chart, shedding light on how media is portrayed to our residents. Additionally, we received noteworthy updates from legislative representatives representing Congressman Mike Levin, Senator Janet Nguyen, and Assemblywoman Laurie Davies. Looking forward to future collaboration for the betterment of our community!
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Olivia Meis
Communications Intern
Happy rainy, cozy Friday! Perfect weather for curling up with a good book, especially in anticipation of OC Public Libraries’ A Slice of Literary Orange series. This month, celebrate reading and literary voices with fun keynote speakers, with no cost for attendees.
District 5 welcomes a couple authors this month, including one of my all-time favorites, Nicola Yoon, the first Black woman to hit #1 on the New York Times Young Adult bestseller list. Check out event details below. I hope to see you there!
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Tyler Mosher
Policy / District Intern
Hello, District 5! My name is Tyler Mosher. I grew up in San Clemente and am thrilled by this opportunity assisting Supervisor Foley’s Office in serving my community.
This week, I helped draft a resolution to recognize February as Career and Technical Education Month. Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs give students foundational skills necessary for entering the workforce or continuing their education in a variety of technical fields. There are several organizations in Orange County that provide thousands of K-12 students and adults with CTE programs, including the Central Orange County Career Technical Education Partnership (CTEp) and College and Career Advantage (CCA). I enjoyed learning more about these programs and would encourage anyone interested: look and see if there are any CTE courses that could help you advance in your profession.
From the Marina
See something in need of attention or repair? Please give us a call at (949) 496-6137 or send an EMAIL, our offices are open from 8am-5pm seven days a week. Our maintenance team is out and about on the docks, boater service buildings and common areas performing repairs and regular checks to ensure things are in order. If you notice something in need of our attention, please do not hesitate to let us know and we will address it immediately.
Exciting news for the start of 2024 in Dana Point Harbor! A pod of eastern tropical Pacific orcas has made a visit, adding to the anticipation for the upcoming 53rd Festival of Whales from March 1-March 3, 2024. Be sure to save the date!
The Dock of the Orange Lantern is now open for business, with boats occupying new slips. The new innovative dock system incorporates MarineSync smart electric and water meters at each power pedestal and tenants can monitor and control their usage through a portal. Billing for electrical usage is done in arrears from the 15th of the previous month to the 14th of the current month and included on the monthly statement. In addition to being able to view electrical usage, tenants can also control the power at their pedestal from the portal with the ability to turn the power off when they are away from the slip or anytime they choose to. All the above is the same for water usage. Water billing is based on South Coast Water District rates with the current per gallon billing rate for water usage is $0.004786, and electric rates are provided by San Diego Gas & Electric with the current rate being $0.27222 for non-liveaboard tenants and $0.37824 for liveaboard tenants.
Meanwhile, construction for the commercial core parking structure is scheduled to begin in early February on Golden Lantern and Dana Point Harbor Drive. Thrilling developments are unfolding at Dana Point Harbor – more information can be found here.
Health News
From the OC Health Care Agency
With COVID-19 continuing to affect the community, preventive measures and mitigation strategies are strongly recommended. Vaccines and testing also continue to play an important role. Read more here.
E-Bikes
The Board of Supervisors unanimously supported my motion directing county staff and the Orange County Traffic Committee to begin drafting a new ordinance on e-bike safety regulations. According to the study by OC Public Works, e-bike trauma patients in Orange County increased by 500 percent in 2020. While e-bikes expand clean, active transportation options for residents, e-bikes also pose a major public safety concern due to failure to wear helmets and no clear safety and speed regulations on trails, major arterials, and neighborhoods.
Our community will have a seat at the table for drafting this ordinance. At a board meeting last year, I led a motion to amend the membership of the Orange County Traffic Committee so that it includes a representative for the Fifth and Third Districts. I look forward to working with residents, the committee, and county staff on creating an e-bike ordinance that reflects the needs and concerns of our residents.
In the meantime, please share the tips below.
During the past several years, Orange County has seen an increase in the number and variety of e-bikes on roads and on paths. Over this time, OCTA has expanded its role to coordinate efforts regionally, monitor e-bike use and trends, and provide safety information to e-bike riders.
OCTA has a webpage dedicated to e-bike resources and safety information, which includes a database listing local bike and e-bike ordinances. To further promote safe and courteous e-bike riding, OCTA is also developing a series of videos about e-bike safety aimed at teen riders. The first video was a partnership with local influencer Goodboy Noah and other videos will be rolled out in the months ahead.
OCTA has also been hosting quarterly e-bike coordination meetings with partner agencies from around the county. These meetings allow the group to exchange ideas and coordinate resources with the goal of keeping people safe and connected in Orange County. At the same time, OCTA is also developing its e-bike safety action plan, which is expected to be finalized by December 2024. This plan will provide recommendations centered around educating the public about safely riding e-bikes and policy approaches to encourage safe e-bike riding.
OCTA Free Hikes & Equestrian Rides
Orange County is home to some of the most beautiful protected wilderness areas in the country. Experience and enjoy the natural landscape with OCTA's free docent-led hikes and equestrian rides!
Lace up your hiking shoes or saddle up your horse, and sign up for a free hike or equestrian ride today. Come see Orange County as it was yesterday, and as it will be tomorrow.
OC Animal Care
 Through Kennel Connection, visitors can view ready-to-adopt pets right in their kennels every Wednesday and Saturday. No appointment needed to walk through. One-on-one visits available on a first come, first serve basis.
Pet of the Week
 Meet Pet of the Week, Yuon Bao!
Hi! I'm Yuan Bao, I'm 11 months old and I looove everyone and everything. I recently came back from my foster home where I had 5 cat-foster siblings and a foster mom and dad! They were so awesome - they took me out for walks, play times at the dog park, and just loads of fun at home.
I like to think I'm a social butterfly and I just want to be your best friend. The more the merrier, is my motto! If I'm up in your space, that means I love you already. I've been told I can be pretty strong, but I get so excited from seeing hoomans and more furry friends that I need to get my wiggles out. I'm ready to go to school to learn fun tricks and commands, so I can show them off whenever I'm asked.
For now, I'll be here at OC Animal Care, waiting for the right family to take me in. You can call them at (714) 935-6848 and mention my Animal ID A1838928 and check out how cool I am!
OC Workforce One-Stop: OPEN NOW!
 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
UPDATE: Treasury Department opens pre-filing registration for clean energy tax credit
In June of 2023, The Treasury Department announced details of an expanded tax credit for clean energy technologies provided through the Inflation Reduction Act. The feature, known as direct pay by the White House and elective pay by the IRS, applies to twelve tax credits created by the Inflation Reduction Act allowing local governments to receive the tax credit. Among these are a tax credit (direct payment) of up to $40,000 for qualified commercial clean vehicles such as buses, ambulances, and other public fleet vehicles. There is also a tax credit for EV charging infrastructure and clean electricity production such as community solar panels and for clean energy storage.
On December 22, the IRS announced the launch of the IRS Energy Credits Online pre-filing registration tool for taxpayers who wish to receive direct payments or transfer clean energy credits. Any entity eligible for the direct payment must pre-register with the IRS to receive a registration number. The registration number will be required in order to file a tax return and receive the credit.
Check out the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit, Residential Clean Energy Credit and these additional resources:
Batteries and Smoke Alarm Disposal
Out with the old, in with the new — let’s wave goodbye to those old batteries and worn-out smoke alarms!
It’s the perfect time to think about your family’s safety and recharge your battery-operated electronics around the house.
Take charge this coming year and dispose of these items at the nearest Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center.
Collection Centers are open Tuesdays-Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for free disposal.
📍Anaheim Collection Center—1071N. Blue Gum Street, 92806
📍Huntington Beach Collection Center—17121 Nichols Lane, 92647, Gate 6
📍Irvine Collection Center—6411 Oak Canyon, 92618
📍San Juan Capistrano Collection Center—32250 Avenida La Pata, 92675
For more information including a list of what’s accepted visit https://www.oclandfills.com/hazardous-waste
OC Waste and Recycling
Are you an Orange County resident trying to dispose of bulky items like old refrigerators and appliances but not sure how? Start by checking with your local waste hauler. Many haulers offer free bulky item pickups. For information on local haulers and recycling coordinators visit OCLandfills.com/quick-links.
 ⏰Time for yardwork? OC Waste and Recycling offers free compost and mulch by appointment to OC residents! Schedule a pick up appointment in Irvine or San Juan Capistrano (free compost coming to Brea soon).
🌱Capistrano Greenery in San Juan Capistrano is expanding its hours - compost is now available six days a week, Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. by appointment.
🌱Free compost is also available at the Bee Canyon Greenery in Irvine, Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. by appointment.
For more information on Capistrano Greenery in San Juan Capistrano, Bee Canyon Greenery in Irvine and Valencia Greenery in Brea, along with details on small and large quantities of compost, visit OCLandfills.com/compost.
OC Cemetery District Updates
Click here to view the full Orange County Cemetery District Newsletter.
OC Parks is Hiring!
OC Parks Maintenance Workers
The Park Maintenance Worker I position performs routine unskilled and semiskilled grounds maintenance, landscape, and facility maintenance, along with repair work.
OC Public Libraries
The 12 County libraries in our district welcome people of all ages. We help them find trusted information and receive supports for lifelong learning!
Check out these upcoming fabulous Fifth District events, and learn more here:
  
BenefitsCal
 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.
Orange County Resources
 
UPDATED LINK: Alert OC
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 this link!
Equity in OC - NEW!
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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@SupervisorFoley
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