There was no regular Board meeting this week. The next Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 20, 2009, at 9:30 am.

Orange County Pension Reform- On October 13, Governor Schwarzenegger signed into law Senate Bill (SB) 752 sponsored by State Senator Lou Correa. This landmark legislation for the County’s pension system is also the first of its kind in the State of California. SB 752 was part of this year’s contract negotiations with the Orange County Employee Association (OCEA) to develop a new tier for retirement pensions. This legislation will give employees a choice between the current defined benefit pension formula (2.7 @ 55) and a new hybrid pension formula (1.62 @ 65). The new hybrid pension will have a lower benefits formula, but it will also include a defined contribution component which would be matched at a maximum of 2% by the County. The new tier is expected to save the County millions of dollars, contingent upon how many employees select the new tier option. To read the County’s press release, click here.

Air Permit Moratorium Rescinded- Governor Schwarzenegger also signed into law Senate Bill (SB) 827 by State Senator Rod Wright. SB 827 lifts a moratorium imposed by a California Superior Court on the internal emission credit bank used by the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) to issue air permits. This moratorium has delayed 1200 pre-approved permits for power generation projects region-wide, including 216 projects in Orange County. The moratorium represented a delay in project costs between $5 and $12 billion. The passage of SB 827 will allow for the internal credit bank to be used while SCAQMD develops a new accounting system for emission credits over the next two and half years.

Central County MIS Update- The OCTA Board of Directors approved the reduced set of alternatives recommended by the Central County Major Investment Study (MIS) Policy Working Group for improving mobility, lowering delay times, and lessening congestion through the central corridor of the county. The Working Group had recommended that OCTA continue studying a number of new alternatives for relieving congestion in Central Orange County and recommended the elimination of the two SR-57 extension alternatives that require tunneling under the Santa Ana River due to poor cost/benefit performance. To view the presentation detailing the alternatives under consideration and the Policy Working Group’s recommendation, click here. Click here to see a map of the study area.

HOV Lane Update- The OCTA Board of Directors received an update from Caltrans on the progress made to convert Orange County’s carpool or High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes to continuous ingress/egress lanes. Over the last three years, OCTA has worked with Caltrans to allow continuous ingress/egress to OC carpool lanes. To date, the HOV lanes on the SR-22 and portions of the lanes on the SR-55 freeways have been converted to continuous access lanes. Last Friday, Caltrans announced that it has converted another section of an Orange County HOV lane to a continuous access lane. The SR-57 southbound HOV lane between the SR-91 and Chapman was opened several weeks ago as a continuous access lane.

Public Member Appointment- The OCTA Board of Directors considered the appointment of one of the two public member seats on its Board. The Board voted unanimously to reappoint Peter Buffa to a new four year term. Mr. Buffa is currently serving as Chairman of the OCTA Board of Directors. Congratulations to Mr. Buffa on his reappointment. To view a picture of Mr. Buffa’s swearing-in, click here.

Mobility 21 Leader of the Year Award- I would like to congratulate Orange Mayor Carolyn Cavecche upon being named the Mobility 21 Leader of the Year. Mayor Cavecche was honored with this award at the Mobility 21 Conference recently held in Los Angeles and was recognized for receiving it at this past week’s OCTA Board meeting. To view a picture from the Board meeting, click here.

OC Sunergy- The County has released its Request for Proposal (FRP) for the submission of bids for the administrator of the Financing Initiative for Renewable and Solar Technology (FIRST) Program, approved by the Board on September 29, 2009. To view information on the bid application, important dates, and for submission of proposals, please click here. For the press release, click here.

Mary and I visited the Irvine Park Pumpkin Patch with our three grandchildren, sons Chris and Brian, and daughters-in-law Daniela and Sylzia. For pictures, click here. For information on Irvine Park’s fall festivities and pumpkin patch, click here.

I met with Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) Chief Keith Richter to discuss issues related to the Fire Authority. Chief Richter displayed a new haircut, a shaved head, which he received as part of a Fire Authority fundraising effort for a member of their staff. For pictures, click here.

I presented a proclamation commemorating the grand opening of the new Kaiser Permanente Orange County medical office building. The new office is located at 3460 E. La Palma in Anaheim. For pictures, click here. For renderings of the proposed new North County campus, click here.

Third District staff attended a homecoming celebration for the 419th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion for the Tustin/Irvine Army Reserve. The event honored 70 soldiers returning home from a 12-month deployment in Iraq. For pictures, click here.

Third District staff attended the annual meeting of 2-1-1 Orange County. This year, Children and Families Commission Executive Director Mike Ruane served as the keynote speaker, highlighting the impacts of the State Budget and the national economic crisis on non-profits in Orange County. For more information about 2-1-1 Orange County, please click here.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

I would like to wish Renee Chinchilla, one of my staff members, a happy birthday.

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

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