As we enter 2020 and reflect on not only the last year, but the last decade, we have a lot to look back on that we can be proud of.  We've had many accomplishments in our county, state and nation. We also have a number of challenges ahead of us. I look forward to continuing to represent your interests this year on the Orange County Board of Supervisors. I hope 2020 brings you all success and happiness.

OC Cares, under the leadership of Katherine Anh, held their first annual Holiday Celebration & Benefit Concert at American Legion Post 291 in Newport Beach on Sunday, December 15th.

This great organization does wonderful things with our youth and I was pleased to have staff present to recognize seven exceptional adults who are invaluable to OC Cares, and the students they serve.

Those in attendance were treated to some great entertainment by Hollywood U2. One would have thought you were listening to Bono in person. To find out more about OC Cares, check out their website at www.occares.org.

The Rossmoor Community Services District held their 5th annual Rossmoor Winter Festival at Rush Park on the evening of December 13th. It was a great family-themed night. There was great entertainment from children of all ages.

One could visit with Santa; write a letter to him; take a frosty pic; sled ride in the snow; and everything else in between. Food trucks offered some delicious meals and once full, you could take a trolly ride around Rossmoor to see all of the beautifully decorated homes.

Of course, the highlight of the evening was when Santa led the crowd in the countdown to the tree-lighting. Prior to the lightning, staff passed on a special Christmas message from me to all in attendance.

On Thursday, December 16th, Buffalo Wild Wings opened a new location at Costa Mesa Courtyards (across from Triangle Square). I want to congratulate Buffalo Wild Wings on the Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting Ceremony of their newest location.

My staff was on hand with the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce to present GM Bill and his crew with a certificate of recognition to commemorate the occasion.

The evening of December 16th was a bittersweet time at the City of Los Alamitos City Council reorganization meeting. I had staff on hand to honor Mayor Warren Kusumoto for his great leadership in 2019, as well to congratulate newly elected Mayor Richard Murphy, and Mayor Pro-Tem Mark Chirco.

Mayor Kusumoto then announced he and his wife are moving to Baltimore, Maryland due to a job promotion and tendered his resignation from the City Council. I can’t express enough how proud I am to have worked with him these last five years. Warren is truly a great man with a servant’s heart for those he was elected to serve, as well as for all he came in contact with.

I wish him and his lovely wife, Judi, Godspeed in their next chapter of life. Orange County’s loss is Baltimore’s gain. I look forward to their return someday.

On Thursday, December 19th, I spoke at the Ocean View Channel Completion Ceremony alongside the Orange County Public Works and the Army Corps of Engineers. The successful completion of this project is a testament to the outstanding partnership between the County of Orange and the Army Corps of Engineers coming together to make our communities safer.

Part of our core mission at the County is to make this a safe, fulfilling place to live, work, and play and I’m continually pushing to make our communities safer. In my district, we have the largest floodplain in the county. Communities like Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley have seen historic floods.

On the evening of Thursday, December 19th, Phillip Gonshak was sworn in as the new Police Chief for my hometown of Seal Beach, replacing retiring Chief Joe Miller.

I had the pleasure of attending the swearing-in of Chief  Gonshak as he took the helm of the very capable Seal Beach Police Department. It was a packed room at Old Ranch Country Club as Chiefs and law enforcement professionals from all over were on hand to witness their brother receive his promotion.

The City of Seal Beach is in good hands. I’m very proud of Chief Gonshak!

It was a pleasure to join Rabbi Reuven and Chani Mintz of Chabad Center for Jewish Life in Newport Beach for their annual menorah lighting at Fashion Island, highlighting the first day of Hanukkah!

There was a packed house and great performances by Los Judios Locos and Jonathan Valverde. And Dr. Sean Boulton, Principal of Newport Harbor High School was honored as a Lamplighter for his dedication to the students and the Jewish community at large.

As Rabbi Mintz said, "Even a little light dispels a great deal of darkness." May the light continue to grow. I wish everyone a Happy Hanukkah!

Our Partners at the OC Health Care Agency have laid out a plan for the county to address health concerns that effect residents and seek to address them in the next three year period. Read below for more details:

(Santa Ana, CA) – On behalf of the Orange County Health Improvement Partnership (HIP), the OC Health Care Agency announces the availability of the 2020-22 Orange County Health Improvement Plan for public review and comment at www.ochealthiertogether.org through January 20, 2020. The plan lays out assessments, goals, objectives and strategies for six priority areas over the next three years.
 
The health of the Orange County (OC) community continues to fare well compared to other California counties. The County Health Rankings (www.countyhealthrankings.org) ranks OC the 5^th healthiest county in California. Despite that, there are some troubling trends that impact local communities.
 
The following are a few findings from the Orange County Health Improvement Plan: 

• Babies born just miles apart in OC can face up to a 7-year difference in life expectancy.
• OC’s older adult population will nearly double by 2040 when almost 1 in 4 residents will be 65 or older.
• 1 in 5 OC adults is obese and more than 50% are overweight.
• Mirroring national trends, rates of Sexually Transmitted Infections have increased dramatically over the past 10 years.

The HIP identified that improving health in OC requires a close look at the conditions that create health inequities. To that end, two of the six focus areas in this plan address overall system issues: Social Determinants of Health, and Access and System Navigation. The remaining four areas highlight health topics identified as the most pressing to work on in the next three years: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Mental Health and Substance Use; Older Adult Health; and Sexual Health.
 
The HIP consists of more than 35 public and private sector organizations that work together through a countywide initiative called Orange County’s Healthier Together to improve the health of everyone who lives, works and plays in Orange County.

Our Partners at the Orange County Hall of Administration have put together a useful safety awareness guide for carbon monoxide for the new year:

The Clerk of the Board has put together a useful workshop to help Orange County residents understand the basic appeals process as well as a number of other useful tips when dealing with legal matters.  Dates and info below: 

“How to Prepare for Your Assessment Appeal Hearing”

PLEASE NOTE:

Attendance is not mandatory but highly recommended. There is ample seating but you will be turned away once maximum seating capacity is reached. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience.

This workshop is part of the Clerk of the Board’s outreach program and will provide you with valuable information in preparing for your assessment appeal application hearing. Therefore, we invite and encourage you to attend one of the workshops listed below. We look forward to meeting you and answering your questions.

For questions concerning any of the workshops, please call the Orange County Assessment Appeals Division staff at (714) 834-2331, ext. 1. For more information and presentation material, go to: http://ocgov.com/gov/cob/apa/workshops

January 16th, 2020: 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Old County Courthouse
211 West Santa Ana Blvd., Room 207
Santa Ana, CA 92701
(714) 834-2331, ext. 1

January 23rd, 2020: 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Rancho Santiago Community
College District Board Room
2323 N. Broadway, First Floor
Santa Ana, CA 92706
(714) 834-2331, ext. 1

February 26th, 2020: 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Lakeview Senior Center
20 Lake Road
Irvine, CA 92604
(714) 834-2331, ext. 1

The Orange County Clerk Recorder is hosting special Saturday hours on January 11th from 10AM-3PM.  Read below for more information: 

Appointments and Free Parking Available. Passport Photos Available for $10 at Each Location.

North County Branch Office

222 S. Harbor Blvd., Suite 110, Anaheim, CA 92805

Services Available: 

-Birth/Death/Marriage Certificates

-Copies of Property Records

-Marriage Licenses/Ceremonies

-Passport Services

Old Orange County Courthouse

211 W. Santa Ana Blvd. Santa Ana, CA 92701

Services Available:

-Marriage Licenses

-Marriage Ceremonies

-Passport Services 

South County Branch Office

24031 El Toro Rd., Suite 150, Laguna Hills, CA 92653 

Services Available:

-Birth/Death/Marriage Certificates

-Copies of Property Records

-Marriage Licenses/Ceremonies

-Passport Services