Happy Mother’s Day, to all those who are celebrating! I celebrate all those in our communities taking on mentoring and motherhood roles. Your leadership helps inspire and guide our future generations.

This week was a busy one! I started off the week by touring Upper Newport Bay with the Parks Department to learn about the park property under consideration for sale to a private property owner. More than 790 residents signed a petition to oppose the sale and many of you have reached out to me to express frustration and concern with the loss of open space.

I decided to remove this item from the agenda instead of moving forward with a vote. OC Parks will work to revoke the fence.

I was also thrilled to participate in the ribbon cutting for the first Mobi-Mat installed in Huntington Beach. It’s up to all of us to continue advocating for more accessibility in our communities, and I will explore how we can introduce more Mobi-Mats around the district.

Finally, I wanted to recognize the passing of Paul Van Doren, one of the co-founders of Vans, who passed this week. Paul and James Van Doren created an iconic company, much loved in our region. I send my condolences to the Van Doren and Vans family.

Please scroll down to our transparency section for a link in preparation for Tuesday’s board meeting. 

Warmest regards,

Supervisor, District Two

Orange County Board of Supervisors

Hello District 2!

I’m back this week with some excellent new developments!

We are almost there! More than 1.5 million residents of 3.2 million are already vaccinated in OC. We are tracking well as we move to June 15 when the state is planning to reopen.

Get Vaccinated!

The most important thing you can do to help us reopen our communities is to get vaccinated!

Our team has been working hard to ensure receiving a vaccine is as convenient as possible. All of our County Super PODs are available for walk-up shots with no appointment necessary - though we do encourage you to register in advance at www.othena.com! 

Upcoming District 2 Mobile PODs!

My team and I are continuing to hold mobile vaccination pods across the district.

We will also be hosting a Veterans Day event for Thursday, May 13th, at the OC Fair Ground Super Pod.

If you need help getting registered or have questions? Please reach out to our office!

Get Tested!

Getting tested is easy and more important as ever. It helps reduce the spread of the disease and reduces our overall testing positivity rate. The County of Orange has testing available for any individual who lives or works in Orange County.

• County of Orange Testing Information: https://occovid19.ochealthinfo.com/covid-19-testing
• Free At Home Testing : https://oc.care.ambrygen.com/
• Neighborhood Testing Kiosks: https://360clinic.fulgentgenetics.com/appointment/screen/landing
• Walk Up Testing Sites: https://lhi.care/covidtesting

Stay Safe!

We’re almost at the finish line. Please continue to follow CDC guidelines with masks mandates and social distancing.

That’s it for this week, but check back next Friday for my newest COVID-19 update.

We’re proud to share some updates from our State colleagues, including Assemblywoman Petrie-Norris.

Last week, AB 80, one of the largest tax cuts in state history, was signed into law by Governor Newsom. "This bill will provide major tax relief for small businesses that have been devastated by the pandemic," said AB 80 co-author Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris.

On Tuesday, May 27th, Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris held a town hall on breakthrough innovations in celebration of Earth Month. You can watch the town hall here.

In State News:

Orange County Breeze:

Earth Day focuses on sea-level rise prevention  “On Earth Day we renew our focus on protecting and restoring the health of our planet,” said Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Laguna Beach). “Leading experts across the state are ready with solutions to safeguard our coast from sea-level rise. We must ensure that coastal habitat restoration is a top priority for California, and we can do that by removing bureaucratic Green Tape that’s only slowing down innovative solutions.” 4/23

The County of Orange has been awarded a $500,000 grant for programs which will provide our veterans with FREE career opportunities, training, supportive services, and job placement. Employers can sign up to participate to receive further to hire veterans.

More information is available at:  https://www.oconestop.com/veterans-services.

The OC Fair returns this year, running from July 16th to August 15th!

Fair tickets make excellent gifts for friends and family. Tickets must be purchased in advance, as capacity is limited, so get them as soon as possible! You won't want to miss a summer filled with OC Fair fun, including competitions, food, animals, music, exhibits and more!

To purchase your tickets now, visit https://ocfair.com/oc-fair/buy-tickets/ right now!

Stay Safe From COVID Scams:

A Message from Treasurer Shari Freidenrich:

Government imposters may have hit a new low with a scheme that targets the grieving survivors of people who died of COVID-19 by offering them help paying for their loved one’s funeral expenses.

A real government relief program will pay up to $9,000 for funeral expenses that people have paid since January 20, 2020 for loved ones who died of COVID-19.

Survivors can apply for benefits by contacting the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at 844-684-6333 or visit: fema.gov/disasters/coronavirus. The number is toll-free and multi-lingual services are available.

We’re back with another Pet of the Week from the Animal Care Shelter at the County of Orange!

Meet this adorable Siberian Husky named Simba:

OC Pet Info says: “Simba is a 2-year-old Siberian Husky mix with a lot of energy! Huskies are best known for their active lifestyles, intelligence, and endearing personalities. As a result, Simba would make an excellent running or hiking partner for any active family.

Simba is not only stunningly handsome, but also extremely intelligent! He would thrive in a home with structure, routine, and owners who can assist him in working on his basic training.”

Do you think Sweet Simba is the right pup for you? If so, please contact 714-935-6848 to set up an adoption appointment with Simba!

ANIMAL ID: A1717464

Each week, we’re going to spotlight a Chamber in the Second District, to help you get to know our community partners. We’re kicking-off our segment this week, by introducing fellow UCLA Bruin, Steve Rosansky of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce!

Steve answered a few questions and shared more about his work!

Q: Steve, thank you for taking the time to talk today! Can you start off by telling us a little more about who you are and what you do, and how you got involved with the Newport Chamber?

Steve: Thank you for the opportunity to get the word out about the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce!

I started my business career in 1985, when I graduated from UCLA School of Law, moved to Newport Beach and went to work as a real estate attorney for Rutan & Tucker, a major Orange County law firm.  I practiced law there for a couple of years and then applied for and received a Real Estate Broker’s License and opened my own real estate brokerage, Newport West Real Estate Company. 

I also served on the Newport Beach City Council from 2003-2012 and was Mayor of Newport Beach 2006-2007.  I became President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce in 2013, when they needed an interim CEO while they were looking for a permanent replacement.  I figured it would be a good way to stay involved in the community as my City Council role had ended by then.  What I thought would be 8 weeks has now turned into 8 years!

I volunteered in the position for free for the first year, and then accepted a full time paid position as President and CEO. It has allowed me an opportunity to stay relevant in the community and to share all of the knowledge I have accumulated over the many years.

Q: What does a Chamber of Commerce do – and what are the advantages of belonging to a Chamber?  

Steve: It has been said in the Chamber world that “When you have seen one Chamber, you have seen one Chamber.” In other words, no two are completely alike, but we do share many similarities. 

Our Chamber has four core functions: Networking, Education, Advocacy and Civic Engagement.  We fulfill these core functions through meetings, webinars, speaker presentations, emailed information, social media, mixers,  engagement with our elected representatives at the City, County, State and Federal levels as well as through the staff members of these various governmental organizations, and hosting of major Civic events like the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade. 

We like to think we are a catalyst, convener and champion for the local business community.

Q: How many businesses are currently members of the Chamber? How would a prospective business join the Chamber?  

Steve: Currently we have approximately 600 business members of the Chamber.  Many are located in Newport Beach, and close to half are outside of Newport Beach. Those businesses are looking to connect with local chamber members and Newport Beach residents to grow their businesses. 

Joining is easy through our website at www.newportbeach.com or simply by calling our office at 949-729-4400.

Q: The past thirteen months have been undoubtedly challenging, due to the ever-changing nature of COVID-19. What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned during this period? And what’s the most important piece of advice you would give to the businesses under the Chamber’s guidance?  

Steve: The pandemic has challenged the Chamber just like any other business.  We are a voluntary membership organization and no one is required to join or to stay a member unless they perceive a value in doing so.

I am gratified to see the amount of continuing support we received as we were supporting our members through this trying time.  Even when we couldn’t meet in person we pivoted to an online presence most notably through our series of approximately 100 short informational videos that we produced and disseminated to our members and the public in general.  The most important piece of advice I can give to my members is the same advice we followed ourselves - don’t be afraid to change the way you do business in the face of changing circumstances. 

Stay connected to your customers, empathize with them if they are struggling, and assure them that you will be with them for the long run.  The same can be said of their employees.

Q: What does the Chamber have planned next? 

Steve: Right now, the Chamber is looking forward to further re-opening and the commencement of in person meetings and events.  We already have a mixer set for June and we are waiting for the City to give the go ahead for some of our larger events later this year. 

We have also announced the dates for this year’s 113^th Annual Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade which will be December 15-19 and are currently holding a theme naming contest for this year’s parade.

Thank you so much, Steve! If you’d like to be featured in BETTER KNOW A CHAMBER, please feel free to email us!

Supervisor Foley will also be speaking to the Newport Beach Chamber on May 20th, and we are looking forward to that conversation!

We’re excited to help share news from the cities in our 2nd District! If you have an update you’d like to share, please send them to: D2Social@ocgov.com

The OC One-Stop Mobile Unit is currently at the City of Buena Park every Monday in May. If you are looking for a job, they can help you find employment.

The Mobile Unit will be parked in the Buena Park Library parking lot from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and will provide services by appointment only.

Please visit www.oconestop.com/mobile-unit for more information and to schedule an appointment!

The City of Buena Park is also updating its emergency operations plan and would like to hear from residents about their safety concerns. The plan helps establish the City’s response strategy in the event of a disaster or major local emergency.

You can assist in two ways:

• Read the Plan and submit your feedback to city@buenapark.com by May 21, 2021.
• Attend the public comment meeting on May 18 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.

More information can be found at http://www.buenapark.com/residents/city-documents.

The City of Costa Mesa's Animal Care Services "Be Their Hero" pet event kicks off next week with clinics on the following Saturdays!

• On May 8, Newport Center Animal Hospital will offer low-cost rabies vaccines ($10).
• May 15: The Orphanage – Costa Mesa will offer low-cost microchips ($25) and rabies vaccines ($10).
• Dog licensing will take place on May 22nd at the Balearic Community Center.

Appointments are required for clinic visits and are open to Costa Mesa residents. The first ten people who register will receive a prize, and everyone who attends will be entered into a drawing.

Please call (714) 754-4918 or (714) 754-5128 to make an appointment for your pet.

There will also be two virtual contests with prizes, as well as weekly resources to help you power up your pets and reduce their exposure to kryptonite!

Once the contests are open, please email adoptableanimals@costamesaca.gov with your photos or videos!

GREEN SPACE FOR ALL!

Costa Mesa's newest pocket park, Perez Park, is already getting an upgrade!

By the end of June, a new park gate will be finished and installed. It is currently being manufactured to fit the fence and will be installed in a few days.This new gate will provide added security for families who bring their children to the park!

This year's Love Costa Mesa is fast approaching on May 15th! The goal for this year is  to complete 50 projects in the city and recruit 700 volunteers.  Let’s show Costa Mesa some love, and we hope you can find a project which interests you!

More information can be found here: http://www.lovecostamesa.org/ .

It's not too late to sign up for the Cypress Summer Youth Sports Camps!

Volleyball, soccer, basketball, and a wide range of other sports programs for children aged 8 to 14 are available! Spots fill up quickly, so sign up as soon as possible! Health and safety regulations established by the state and county will be followed.

This week, I was thrilled to join the City of Huntington Beach in recognizing their efforts to install a Mobi-mat on the city's beaches as a convenient way for residents to access the beach!

I’m thankful to Councilwoman Moser’s leadership in bringing the mobi-mat to HB, and the commitment towards ensuring that our beautiful coastline is more accessible to everyone in our communities. I’ll be working with my team to see how we can get more of these mats in other County locations!

On May 1st, my team and I wrapped up a successful community cleanup organized by Oscar Rodriguez with Oak View CommUNIDAD and #OCCOVID19 vaccine clinic hosted by our office, Huntington Beach Fire Department and ochealth hosted at the Oak View Family Resource Center!

We provided 500 vaccine doses to residents! Thank you to all who came out to join us, and thank you to Kim Carr - HB City Council Member Barbara Delgleize Natalie Moser, Huntington Beach City Councilmember for working in partnership with my office!

Join the Oak View Family Resource Center and the Children's Bureau for two upcoming virtual family bonding workshops. The first workshops, which will be held in English and Spanish from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on May 10th and 17th, will focus on Social Connections. Call (714) 842-4002 or email oakviewfrc@all4kids.org for more information.

On Saturday, June 5th, the City of Newport Beach and CR&R will give away free, high-quality compost to Newport Beach residents at the OASIS Senior Center parking lot, 801 Narcissus Ave.

Two 30-pound bags will be available for pickup, just in time for Spring gardening! Residents must present a valid form of identification.

Please call 949-625-6735 for more information.

The City of Newport Beach will also be hosting a clinic on Wednesday, May 26th between 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM at the Civic Center Community Room.

Appointments will be scheduled by phone (949-644-3355) and we will take walk ups the day of the clinic.

Traffic safety for all! Our office was able to assist the Rossmoor Community Services District with its campaign to improve traffic safety in Rossmoor by scheduling portable speed radar trailers to rotate throughout the District.

In collaboration with the Los Alamitos Unified School District, permanent radar signs will be installed on major roadways, along with increased enforcement and traffic education.

Congratulations to the Seal Beach Volleyball Club Team 16 Black, who won the Gold Medal at the USA Volleyball Tournament on April 23rd and 25th in St. Louis, Missouri!

The team defeated 128 teams, winning 9 matches in 18 sets and taking first place in the USA Division. The team has also been invited to compete in the USA Jr. Girls National Volleyball Championships, which will be held in Las Vegas in July!

Our office will send the team certificates for their achievements!

The City of Seal Beach is in the process of developing its budget for Fiscal Year 2021-22.

To broaden community input, the City is launching a survey in an effort to gather community feedback from residents on their budgetary spending priorities. These priorities will be considered as the Proposed Fiscal Year 2021-22 Budget is developed.

More information can be found at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SealBeach2021CommSurvey.

There are numerous businesses hiring in District 2 for a wide range of positions, and our office will help highlight opportunities each week!

The City of Buena Park has a number of open positions, including Lifeguard, Police Dispatcher, Human Resources Specialist, and others.

For more information or to apply, please visit: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/buenapark.

Costa Mesa is currently hiring for an Engineering Technician Series position in the Transportation Division.

For more information and to apply, go to www.costamesaca.gov/jobs.

Newport Beach is looking for Recreation Leaders! To be considered for the next round of interviews, submit your application by Friday, May 14. Applicants must be 16 years old by June 1, 2021.

In addition, Newport Beach is hiring for a full-time Purchasing & Contracts Administrator in the Finance Department to plan, organize, and direct the City's procurement and contracting operations. This is a continuous recruitment, with the first application review scheduled for Tuesday, May 18, 2021.

To apply, go to newportbeachca.gov/jobs and select “Employment Opportunities.”

If your business is looking for new employees and would like to be featured in next week's newsletter, please email D2Social@ocgov.com!

The Orange County Emergency Rental Assistance Program is still accepting applications before all available funds are depleted.

Visit ERA.211OC.org for more details and to submit, or text ERA to 898211.

The United States Small Business Administration recently opened applications for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund!

The program will provide funding to businesses in the amount of their pandemic-related revenue loss, up to $10 million per business and no more than $5 million per physical location.

The Orange County Small Business Development Center (SBDC) will host a series of webinars to discuss the program, eligibility, and other program-related topics.

Upcoming webinars include:

May 7, 2021 10:00 AM

May 10, 2021 10:00 AM

May 12, 2021 10:00 AM

May 14, 2021 10:00 AM

To register for a webinar, please visit:  http://ow.ly/sSUG50EGNpW.

For more information about the program, visit https://www.sba.gov/.../restaurant-revitalization-fund. 

UPDATE FROM JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT COMMISSIONER SUE DVORAK:

The Airport Commission voted to recommend approval of the following:

1. Unanimous vote by the Commission to recommend approving five Architect-Engineer contracts for airport facilities support services.

JWA maintains a group of On-Call Architect-Engineer consultants to maintain airport services and equipment and consult on construction projects as needed. The cumulative maximum amount for the five contracts will not exceed $12m over three years without Board approval.

2. Unanimous vote by the Commission to recommend Jay’s Aircraft Maintenance be allowed to transfer part of their lease to Jay’s Air Center, LLC.

Jay’s Aircraft Maintenance will be responsible for aircraft maintenance, and Jay’s Air Center, LLC will be responsible for the hangar/tie-down development/management aspect of the business in order to limit their liability. JWA staff and Jay's representatives assured the Commission the space allotted to the small planes would be preserved with this new arrangement per the original lease agreement.

District 2 Commissioner Dvorak has requested that the Airport Commission meetings be video recorded and publicly posted. JWA Airport Director, Barry Rondinella, confirmed they are working on this.

APPLY FOR OUR DISTRICT 2 ADVISORY COMMITTEES!

If you are interested in being appointed to one of our District 2 Advisory Committees, we now have openings on:

• Homelessness
• Housing
• Workforce Development Advisory Committee,
• Climate Action Advisory Committee, JWA Advisory Committee,
• Veterans’ Affairs Advisory Committee.

Please email Katrina.Foley@ocgov.com with your interest.

CALLING ALL INTERNS!

I’m excited to announce our office is also accepting applications for our 2^nd District internship program. To apply or for more information, please send a cover letter and resume to Katrina.Foley@OCGOV.com.

UPCOMING BOARD MEETING:

Click HERE to view a full list of the actions taken by the Board. Our next Board meeting is on May 11th, 2021. Click here to view the agenda.

Please contact our office if you have any requests for certificates, meetings, or need assistance with any services by emailing Katrina.foley.@ocgov.com