District 4 Newsletter: CSUF Recognition, Gun Buyback, BOS remote participation, and more!

Office Ambassador Paulette Chaffee and I attended an appreciation luncheon held at Cal State Fullerton alongside Senator Tom Umberg and Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva.

The luncheon was held by CSUF President Dr. Rochon in appreciation of the assistance with initiatives and programs at CSUF throughout the years of my colleagues’ and my time in office. Together, we have launched the Community Health Ambassador Program and stipends for students getting their Masters in Social Work and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Fourth District Discretionary funds were also contributed to the future construction of the "Titan Gateway" Pedestrian Bridge. Furthermore, I have been an avid supporter of Project Rebound and have offered participants an opportunity to intern in my office.

Throughout our years of partnership, Cal State Fullerton staff, faculty, and students have been a beacon of progress and civic engagement that provide the Fourth District and greater Orange County community with greater access to resources, innovative public health solutions, and much more.

I greatly value our long-standing collaboration with Cal State Fullerton and the shared dedication we hold towards ensuring our community’s overall success. Thank you to Dr. Rochon for this recognition, and I look forward to our continued partnership in the future.

Chair Doug Chaffee in partnership with the City of Buena Park, Buena Park Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies will be hosting a gun buyback event.

Date: September 27, 2026

Time: 9 am to 2 pm

Location: Buena Park Community Center

6688 Beach Blvd., Buena Park, CA 90621

How it works:

• Bring your unwanted firearms: Firearms must be unloaded and in the trunk of your car or otherwise secured in the back of a vehicle in a bag, box, or case.
• Get gift card: Gift cards are based on the type of firearm in the amount of $100 for complete/operable handguns, shotguns, ghost guns, and rifles, and $300 for complete/operable assault weapons as classified by the state of California. Gift cards are limited and subject to availability.
• No questions asked: Turning in firearms is anonymous with no identification or other documentation required.

For more information, please contact Buena Park Police Department's Lieutenant Roger Plumlee at rplumlee@bppd.com. 

Keeping your family and community safe is simple. The OC Free Gun Lock Program provides free firearm locks to Orange County residents, helping prevent unauthorized access and reduce the risk of accidents. This program is open to all Orange County residents.

Orange County residents can now request free gun locks through an online form at d4.ocgov.com/FreeGunLocks, with locks mailed directly to their homes. Each package includes a video tutorial on safe firearm storage and information about California's evolving gun laws, including SB 53, which requires secure storage for all firearms starting in 2026.

For more information or to request a free gun lock, visit d4.ocgov.com/FreeGunLocks.

We are now accepting nominations for the Eighth Annual Fourth District Kindness Awards. The Fourth District Kindness Awards will honor individuals who have displayed exceptional kindness or community service in the Fourth Supervisorial District Cities on November 13, 2026, which is observed internationally as World Kindness Day.

Kindness is often defined as doing something to help another person without the expectation of receiving anything in return.

If you know anyone that works, lives, serves, and/or volunteers in the cities of Brea, Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra, Placentia, Stanton, portions of Anaheim, and unincorporated communities in the Fourth District who have displayed exceptional kindness or community service, please nominate them for a Kindness Award. There will be one award recipient from each City.

Please note elected officials and organizations will not be eligible to be nominated for the Fourth District Kindness Award.

Nominations will be accepted until Friday, September 18, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.

To nominate an individual for the Fourth District Kindness Awards, please submit an application at d4.ocgov.com/fourth-district-kindness-awards.

Español | 한국어 | Tiếng Việt |中文

GKN Aerospace has announced that it will start a claims process in the fall to provide up to $100 million for impacted residents and businesses.

This will compensate those for any meals, hotel stays, transportation, and lost wages during the Hazmat Incident Memorial Day weekend. The claims process, which will be administered by a third party, is still in development and more details are expected to be announced by the company in the coming weeks.

GKN Aerospace and the District Attorney's office is still negotiating terms of a settlement agreement to include a comprehensive safety plan and ongoing independent monitoring before the reopening of the plant.

I am pleased that a claims process has been announced and that residents will be able to be made whole after the evacuation orders brought unforeseen costs and anxiety to residents.

To keep up to date regarding the unfolding claims process, please visit www.gkngg.com. 

I had the pleasure of attending the City of Stanton’s groundbreaking ceremony for the Norm Ross Sports Park.

The Norm Ross Sports Park will be a new 4-acre park where Stanton residents can enjoy a baseball field, a multi-purpose sports court, a community garden, and more. The park is expected to open in the summer of 2027.

$250,000 was contributed from my office’s discretionary funds to support the completion of this project, which will include athletic field improvements and evening lighting for safety.

Congratulations to the City of Stanton on reaching this important milestone. I look forward to the grand opening and to seeing our residents enjoy the new park!

Members of the public can now participate remotely in Board of Supervisors meetings. This is in response to California Senate Bill 707 to promote greater community participation.

New features for the meeting include a new electronic form for both in-person and phone participation; 2) a new multi-lingual translation and interpretation system for in-person speakers and 3) real-time AI-driven translation, captioning, and broadcast services in six languages: Arabic, Farsi, Simplified Chinese, Korean, Spanish and Vietnamese.

For more information on the new processes or to register to participate either in-person or remotely, visit board.oc.gov/meetings-agendas.

The County Executive Office’s Budget and Finance team invites residents to share feedback on the upcoming 2026 Strategic Financial Plan, open now through September 20. Community input helps shape both short-term service and program needs as well as long-term financial priorities that guide future investments and planning across the County.

Residents may review the 2025 Strategic Financial Plan to better understand the County’s major initiatives, emerging priorities, and associated funding needs. Your feedback will help guide which efforts should continue, expand, or shift based on community priorities.

Information on a public workshop is coming soon, offering additional opportunities for residents to learn and engage. More details will follow.

Free rides are just a Wave card away! Youth ages 6 to 18 can ride OC Bus for free. To continue enjoying free rides after September 30, a parent or guardian must create or sign in to a Wave account and complete the Youth Ride Free application. Learn more at OCBus.com/YouthRideFree  

When extreme heat arrives in Orange County, stay safe and find relief from soaring temperatures at a local cooling center from the Orange County Cooling Center directory. 

Visit https://ocgov.com/cooling-centers to find a cooling center near you. 

The name's Bond... Cat Bond. This dapper 3-year-old Domestic Shorthair is ready to find his next mission, a forever home!

Bond is friendly, sweet, and charming. Like any good secret agent, he prefers not to rush into unfamiliar situations. He’ll need a slow introduction and a quiet home where he can take his time getting comfortable and settling in. Once he knows he can trust you, Bond is ready to bring plenty of sweetness, companionship, and maybe a little 007 charm into your life!

Are you ready to make Bond’s (A1960664) mission a success? Come meet this handsome agent at OC Animal Care and see if he’s the one you’ve been looking for!