October 2023
Dear Fourth District Resident,
Thank you for your continued feedback, advocacy, and support on items of importance to you and your family – I appreciate the opportunity you’ve given me to serve as your Fourth District Supervisor. The Fourth District is a dynamic economic powerhouse and the best place for our children, families, organizations, and businesses to thrive. Faithfully serving our community continues to be my top priority and I’m excited to share an update on ways to make it easier for you to connect with me.
My team recently implemented a new system and now is a great time to check your preferences so you continue to receive updates from me on topics that are important to you.
As always, please reach out to me if you have any concerns, feedback, or questions. Thank you for making San Bernardino County a great place to live, work and play.
Click image to watch video
"Around the District" is a new videos series sharing important project updates, upcoming district events, and other highlights around the Fourth District. This month, I visited a County road near the City of Ontario with Director of Public Works, Brendon Biggs to discuss infrastructure investments by the County.
Keep up with the latest Fourth District news by following me on social media or visiting my website and subscribing to my newsletter.
See you on the next, "Around the District".
Have a Spook-tacular Halloween
Trick or Treat? Why not both?
Wishing you a night full of frights and a bag full of delights.
Happy Halloween!
A safe #Halloween is a Happy Halloween, and I am happy to invite all the ghouls and goblins out for a spooky and fun Halloween Night around the Fourth District. Below is a checklist parents can use to prepare for a night out with their children this October 31st.
- Children should be accompanied by a responsible adult when trick-or-treating.
- Stay on the sidewalks, and when crossing the street, use the crosswalks and remember to look both ways.
- Never enter someone else's home or car.
- Only visit well-lit houses and always be aware of your surroundings.
- Inspect all candy when returning home. When in doubt, throw it out.
- Celebrate responsibly and designate a sober driver. Remember, buzzed driving is drunk driving.
- Lastly, have fun and be safe.
On Saturday, September 30, my team hosted a free document shredding event at Memorial Park in the City of Upland. I’m grateful for my team and glad to provide this opportunity to safely shred sensitive documents for residents.
Stay tuned for our next shredding event, coming to a city near you.
On Friday, September 22, I had the opportunity to speak with the attendees of the Rancho del Chino Rotary during their weekly meeting. During the meeting attendees were provided with updates for the Fourth District and San Bernardino County, including Prado Regional Park, Ontario International Airport, Laura's Law, and the County's Fair Share Committee.
The Board approved $5 million for park renovations and the remaining $3 million will be paid through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. The 2,000 acre-park and the largest of nine San Bernardino County Regional Parks, will receive a new entry monument sign, gate house, and playground, as well as Wi-Fi rolled out in two phases. The Osprey restroom will include new drinking fountains, trash cans, and various ADA-accessiblity accommodations. Landscape improvements have been made, making for green grass at Prado Regional Park.
Ontario International Airport continued to experience double-digit gains in passenger volumes in August, up 11% over August of last year. The airport welcomed more than 567,000 passengers in August, including 527,000 domestic fliers, 6% more than August 2022, and 40,000 international travelers, nearly three times as many as 2022. This was the second time ever that ONT drew more than 40,000 international travelers in a single month. Ontario International Airport is also now offering the Sunflower Program. The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program is a simple tool for passengers to voluntarily share that they have a disability that might not be immediately apparent, and would need a little extra help, time, and understanding while at the airport.
Laura's Law is a state statue named after a woman who was one of three people killed in Nevada County by an individual with mental illness who was not following his prescribed mental health treatment. Laura's Law will help improve outcomes for those with mental illnesses, enhance public safety, and reduce the number of homeless residents. The legislation established an option for counties to utilize courts, probation, and mental health systems to address the needs of individuals unable to participate in community mental health treatment programs without supervision.
On Wednesday, September 13, I was delighted to attend the Monte Vista Water District (MVWD) Board of Directors Meeting. I submitted two funding requests for a total allocation of $880,000 to the Board of Supervisors. Monte Vista Water District will use this funding to rebuild a crucial pipeline project and to underground power lines that are on the MVWD facility campus.
Due to the impacts of the pandemic, drought conditions, and stricter water quality regulations, MVWD has adjusted its near-term capital replacement plan to focus primarily on groundwater treatment. MVWD has identified three pipeline replacement projects that, once completed, would improve the quality of life for residents in unincorporated San Bernardino County.
Priority 1 - replace 1,060 linear feet of pipeline on Claire Street and Bolton Ave. that recently leaked.
Priority 2 - replace 357 linear feet of nearby pipeline on Grand Ave. north of Mission Blvd. that has a history of leaking.
Priority 3 - replace 1,000 linear feet of pipeline contiguous to Priority 2 which is severely undersized (2-inch rather than the standard 8-inch) resulting in significant flow restrictions for multiple residents on Grand Ave. south of State Street.
Another needed improvement includes undergrounding a Southern California Edison (SCE) overhead power line that extends through the middle of the MVWD facility. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), "installing underground lines cost more initially than overhead lines; however, underground lines are less prone to damage and disruptions, and maintenance is less expensive".
I am extremely excited to partner with the Monte Vista Water District to make these investments in the community.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) established the Young Leaders Advisory Council (YLAC) in 2017, to identify the air quality issues and concerns of young adults (aged 18-35) in the region. This group seeks to engage this generation specifically, and to benefit from their passion, commitment, and urgency to help improve our air. The Council meets on a quarterly basis.
The mission of the Young Leaders Advisory Council is for South Coast AQMD to educate and engage young adults regarding the region's clean air issues and at the same time to garner from them greater insight into their generation's concerns, values, and priorities about air quality.
For priority consideration, please submit your application by 5:30 pm on Friday, October 13, 2023. To learn more about the Youth Advisory Council (YLAC) or to apply, please visit SCAQMD's website.
Ontario International Airport earned the highest score among California airports and the third highest among medium-size airports in a prestigious ranking of airports in North America.
According to the highly regarded J.D. Power 2023 North America Airport Satisfaction Survey released on September 20, 2023, ONT earned a score of 834 out of 1,000 possible points, the highest score of any California airport in the three airport categories surveyed - mega, large and medium.
Ontario International Airport (ONT) continued to experience double-digit gains in passenger volumes in August, up 11% over August last year. The airport welcomed more than 567,000 passengers last month including 527,000 domestic fliers, and 40,000 international travelers. It was the second time ever that ONT drew more than 40,000 international customers in a single month.
The San Bernardino County Department of Aging and Adult Services – Public Guardian (DAAS-PG) is dedicated to helping seniors and at-risk individuals to improve or maintain their choice, independence, and quality of life. DAAS-PG offers a wide variety of programs to help provide a comprehensive service approach for older adults, individuals with disabilities, and their caretakers. Services include, but are not limited to, information and referral, congregate and home-delivered meals, health and wellness programs including behavioral health treatment, assistance with homelessness prevention, in-home care, transportation, elder abuse prevention, caregiver support, and adult day care.
DAAS-PG also collaborates with County and State partners to provide grant-funded programs to improve equitable access to new services designed to enhance the quality of life for residents. Current initiatives include a collaboration with the Department of Public Health to increase access to vital vaccines. The In-Home Vaccination Program allows homebound individuals, their families, and caretakers to receive Covid and influenza vaccines in the comfort of their own home. Through the state-funded Digital Connection and Access to Technology programs, qualified residents may be eligible to receive free mobile devices, such as cell phones and iPads, as well as technology training.
In 2023, the Department of Aging and Adult Services – Public Guardian received 19 National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Awards, which honor innovative and effective county government programs. Additionally, the Department’s At-Home Program received the First Place 2023 USAging Aging Innovations and Achievement Award for efforts in addressing and preventing homelessness. DAAS-PG remains committed to strengthening service delivery to adequately address the distinct and varying needs of the older adult and disabled adult population.
The Board of Supervisors' commitment to addressing homelessness has been recognized by the National Association of Counties (NACo). A 2023 NACo Achievement Award was presented to the county for implementing Point-In-Time County (PITC) virtual Training, which resulted in a 41 percent increase in the number of volunteers that trained between 2020 and 2022.
|