There was no regular Board meeting this week. The next Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 28th at 9:30 am.

Plans for Bus Service Reductions- On Wednesday, the OCTA Finance and Administration Committee held a workshop on OCTA’s plans to reduce bus service over the next year. Last month, the Board voted to approve a one-year bus service reduction program in response to the loss of state transit funding and larger than expected decrease in sales tax revenues. The staff presentation discussed OCTA’s current bus ridership, peak travel times, the steps taken to date to reduce costs, and the proposed service reduction strategies. Over the next month, OCTA will be asking for public comment on how to reduce bus service by 400,000 hours over the next year, and will seek input on how to limit the impact on riders. To view the presentation given to the Committee, click here.

91 Express Lanes Traffic and Revenue Report - The 91 Express Lanes issued their monthly traffic and revenue report this week. During the month of March, revenues and transactions were down 4.8% and 7.7%, respectively, over the March 2008 figures. Traffic volumes on the general purpose lanes increased 1.16% compared to March 2008.

Freeway Complex Fire After Action Report- The Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) presented the Board with the Freeway Complex Fire After Action Report. The report focused on the areas of mitigation, preparation, prevention, and response. To view the power point, click here. To read the report, click here.

Arson Awareness Week- The OCFA Board of Directors approved a Resolution declaring the week of May 3 - 7, 2009, as Arson Awareness Week. This year’s theme is "Arson For Profit", which will focus attention on the alarming increase in arson cases reported for profit, when businesses or individuals intentionally set fires. To view the resolution, please click here.

Ambulance Contracts- The OCFA Board awarded a number of exclusive operating agreements to ambulance providers to respond to 911 calls. Included in the awards, was an agreement with AmeriCare Ambulance Services, Inc. for advanced life support service in Villa Park and the unincorporated Orange Olive areas.

Mary and I attended the Seventh Annual Orange Catholic Foundation Conference on Business and Ethics. The agenda included a keynote lecture on "Ethics and Business" by talk show host Michael Josephson and a panel discussion featuring Orange County’s Chief Probation Officer Colleene Preciado. To read the program, click here. For Michael Josephson’s website, "charactercounts.org", click here. For pictures, click here.

Third District staff attended the quarterly OC Animal Care Community Outreach Committee meeting. OC Animal Care staff provided an update on the Shelter’s community outreach, volunteer development, and pet adoptions. To read the staff report, which includes individual updates per program, please click here. To read the most recent edition of the "Critter Chronicles" newsletter, please click here.

I met with Trabuco Canyon residents Gary and Christine Faith Hoffman to discuss planning issues.

I met with Regional Recreational Trails Advisory Committee member Lauren Ficaro to discuss issues relating to the trails committee.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Orange Public Library’s 50th Anniversary- The Friends of the Orange Public Library are celebrating the 50th Anniversary on Saturday, April 25, from 10:30 am to 4 pm at the Orange Public Library and History Center. For more information about the event, please click here.

Orange Arbor Day- The City of Orange will be celebrating Orange Arbor Day on Saturday, April 25, beginning at 8:30 am. The celebration will include the planting of new trees to benefit the City and environment. For more information, please contact the City of Orange at (714) 744-5500.

Tustin’s Spring Cleaning Yard Sale- The City of Tustin is hosting a community yard sale on Saturday, April 25, from 8 am to 12 pm at the Tustin Area Senior Center. For information on how to participate, please click here.

Essentials for Young Lives Campaign- On Saturday, April 25, from 1 to 4 pm, the Children and Families Commission and HomeAid Orange County will host a kick-off event at Irvine Spectrum to collect "essential" baby items for homeless families. This year’s baby supply drive will be held from April 27 to April 30, 2009. Items needed include diapers for newborn to toddlers, baby wipes, baby food, formula and baby products. For more information about the campaign, please click here, or call (949) 553-9510.

Mormon Helping Hands- On April 25, thousands of volunteers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will conduct their annual "Mormon Helping Hands" Community Day of Service in numerous locations throughout Orange County. For a list of locations and additional information, please click here.

It is a pleasure to serve the constituents of the Third District.

Please pray for our armed forces and our foreign services personnel.