| June 28, 2013 |
 |
Volume 1 Issue 24 |
|
|
| Celebrate Our Great Country’s Independence Day Throughout Orange County’s Third District |
|
| On July 4, 1776, thirteen colonies claimed their independence from Great Britain, an event which led to the formation of the United States. Each year on July 4, also known as Independence Day, Americans celebrate this historic event.
|
 |
|
Here are several upcoming events being offered in the Third District to help celebrate our great country’s independence:
- City of Orange – 3rd of July Celebration: Start your Independence Day festivities a day early by joining the City of Orange 3rd of July Celebration. The event kicks off with live music, children’s activities, community food booths, and an overall hometown carnival atmosphere. Nighttime entertainment will be hosted at Fred Kelly Stadium, with musical performance by the Orange Community Master Chorale and a concluding patriotic fireworks salute to America. Tickets are $7 and can be purchased at the Community Services Department at 230 E. Chapman Ave. (corner of Grand St.) through 5:30 pm on Wednesday, July 3, 2013. Tickets will also be available at the front of the event after 1:30 pm. Children under two years of age enter free. For more information, call the Orange Special Events Hotline at (714) 744-7278 or visit www.cityoforange.org.
- Orange Park Acres 4th of July 5K: Runners in the Orange Park Acres Fourth Annual 4th of July Pre-Parade 5K will pass grazing horses and unusual farm animals as they travel through the community along the traditional 4th of July parade route. Custom medals will be awarded to the top three race finishers in eleven age brackets. The event will start in front of Salem Lutheran Church at 6500 E. Santiago Canyon Rd. All runners are welcome and admission is free to the public. Registration and Bib & T-shirt pickup begins at 6:45 am. The 5K Race/Walk starts at 8:00am, followed immediately by the 4th of July parade at 9:30 am.
- City of Tustin – 4th of July Celebration: The City of Tustin Parks and Recreation Department invites you to its annual Fourth of July Celebration. Entrance is free to the public and the event will be located at Tustin High School Stadium at 1171 El Camino Real. Entertainment starts at 6:30 pm and the nighttime fireworks show will begin at 9:00 pm. The Tustin Boosters will have their snack bar open for snacks, drinks, and barbeque items. Bleachers will be available and blankets are recommended for those wishing to sit out on the grass to enjoy a picnic dinner with family and friends. For more information, please call the Parks & Recreation Department at (714) 573-3326 or visit www.tustinca.org.
- Irvine Police Association – 29th Annual Concert on the Green and Fireworks Festival: Come to the Irvine High School Stadium to enjoy a pyro musical sky concert and fireworks extravaganza by pyro spectaculars. The event will feature a food court, live music by The Derek Bordeaux Group, kids’ activities, and a color guard presentation by the Irvine Police Department. Tickets are $14 for adults 14 and older, while seniors 60+ and children 13 and under are just $9. All children under the age of 2 are free for admission. Family tickets for 2 adults and up to 4 children will be available in advance for $45. Gates open at 3:00 pm. For more information, please call Vince Palazzolo at (949) 724-0488 or visit www.irvinepa.org.
- Anaheim Hills – 25 Years of Celebration: Firecracker Run 5k/10k 5:30 am-10:00 am, pancake breakfast 8:00 am-10:30 am, and Yankee Doodle Dog Show 10:00am each take place at Canyon High School at 220 S. Imperial Hwy. The Food Booths 12:30 pm-8:45 pm, Entertainment 3:00 pm-8:45 pm, and the fireworks show starting at 9:00 pm are each at Peralta Park at 115 N. Pinney Dr. The Fourth of July parade will start at 3:00 pm at Canyon High School and end at Peralta Park. For more information, visit www.canyonhillscommunitycouncil.org.
- City of Yorba Linda – 4th of July Spectacular: Join the City of Yorba Linda as it celebrates the Fourth of July with family activities and a fireworks show. Entrance is free to the public and the event can be captured from one of two locations: Veterans Park at 4756 Valley View Ave. and Yorba Linda Middle School at 4777 Casa Loma Ave. Festivities will start at 5:00 pm with the fireworks show at 9:00 pm. The event will feature DJ entertainment, food vendors, and a children’s area for face painting. For more information please call (714) 961-7160 or visit www.ci.yorba-linda.ca.us.
- Silverado Canyon – 4th of July Unparade: Silverado Canyon is celebrating the Fourth of July with a mini “un-parade” at noon, followed by a family picnic, talent show, silly games and contests with local live music. Unparade starts at noon at the Silverado Community Center at 27641 Silverado Canyon Rd. Family festivities begin at 1:00 pm and continue until dark.
- Modjeska Canyon – 4th of July parade: The annual Fourth of July parade of resident floats, classic cars, kids on bikes and horseback riders, including cowboy singer Rusty Richards, will take place at Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary. Parade begins at 11:00 am. Hot dogs will be provided by Station 16 firefighters immediately following the parade.
|
| |
 |
| |
| Supervisors Cut Own Office Budgets by 5% |
|
The Board of Supervisors adopted a new County budget on Tuesday. The Board approved a $5.4 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2013-14, which will begin on Monday, July 1. This is 5% lower than the $5.6 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2012-13, which ends on Sunday, June 30.
As all County departments are cutting 5% of their General Fund budgets, the Board of Supervisors cut a commensurate $240,000 from their office budgets, an average of $48,000 per supervisor. |
|
|
While the initial recommendation from the County Budget Office equalized the Supervisors’ office budgets at $984,538 each for FY 2013-14, several Supervisors raised concerns that their office budgets would still be higher than the FY 2012-13 funding level even with a 5% cut down to $935,311. To account for this, the Board of Supervisors voted to use the prior year budget as a baseline instead and then took an additional 5% cut to each Supervisor’s budget.
For FY 2013-14, the budgets for Supervisors’ budgets will be:
- $935,311 for Supervisor Janet Nguyen (District 1)
- $892,667 for Supervisor John Moorlach (District 2)
- $894,587 for Supervisor Todd Spitzer (District 3)
- $935,311 for Chairman Shawn Nelson (District 4)
- $900,498 for Vice Chair Pat Bates (District 5)
|
| |
|
| |
| Board Approves Three Year Contract Extension with Irvine Ranch Conservancy |
|
 |
| |
(Courtesy of OC Parks)
A partnership that has brought tens of thousands of visitors to Orange County’s Irvine Ranch Open Space areas will continue, increasing opportunities for public access and adding new trails.
This week the Board approved a three-year contract with the Irvine Ranch Conservancy to continue its partnership with OC Parks to operate the 20,000-acre Irvine Ranch Open Space, which is almost entirely in the Third District.
“The people of Orange County are the owners of this incredible resource at Irvine Ranch Open Space, and our open space is known around the state and the nation,” Supervisor Todd Spitzer said. “The job of the Board of Supervisors and our OC Parks staff is to ensure the public’s ability to enjoy open space while protecting these areas and the plants and wildlife that inhabit them.”
In 2010, the Board approved acceptance of these 20,000 acres of open space donated by the Irvine Company. This wild land was the very first California Natural Landmark, and has been designated a National Natural Landmark.
With this land’s move from private to public ownership, the Board and OC Parks have been working to maximize public access while also managing these resources and sensitive habitat responsibly. For the past three years, the Irvine Ranch Conservancy has effectively partnered with the County to do just that.
In those three years, more than 34,000 people have participated in more than 3,700 public programs. Some 375 regular volunteers have contributed more than 57,000 hours, leading hikes, restoring habitat and performing other vital tasks. And to help protect these wild lands, 200 Fire Watch volunteers have deployed an average of six times each year during high fire-risk days.
OC Parks and the Irvine Ranch Conservancy have pledged to increase the number of programs, participants and volunteer hours going forward. They also plan to open 40 miles of new trail loops and connections.
The Irvine Ranch Conservancy operates numerous programs every week at locations including Limestone Canyon, Black Star Canyon, Baker Canyon, Loma Ridge and the Hicks Haul Road. In addition to regularly scheduled activities, like hikes and bike rides, there are monthly Wilderness Access Days for self-guided access.
For a full schedule of activities, go to http://www.irlandmarks.org/Activities/. |
| |
|
| |
| Cities of Yorba Linda and Villa Park Renew OC Sheriff Contracts |
|
| The Orange County Board of Supervisors and a number of Orange County cities approved the renewal of contracts with the Sheriff’s Department for law enforcement services for FY 2013-14, as these cities do not have their own police departments. While most of these cities operate by renewing their contracts annually, four Orange County cities renewed their contracts for 5-year terms. The two cities from the 3rd District renewing their contracts for Sheriff’s services are Yorba Linda and Villa Park. Both contract renewals will be in effect from July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2018, and the charges incurred in each fiscal year must be approved annually.
|
|
|
The commencement of the new 5-year agreement will cost the City of Villa Park a total cost of $1,162,046 for FY 2013-14. This reflects a 1.10% increase ($12,599) from the current fiscal year cost of $1,149,447. Services include four patrol units at 80 hours per two-week pay period per unit and 50% of an Investigator position. The City of Villa Park has been contracting with the County for the Sheriff-Coroner to provide law enforcement services since 1962.
The continuation of the 5-year agreement will cost the City of Yorba Linda a total of $8,639,619 for FY 2013-14. These costs are 0.26% higher ($22,392) when compared to the annualized cost of the current fiscal year of $8,617,227. Services include one Lieutenant, five Sergeants, 21 Deputy Sheriff IIs for patrol at 80 hours per two-week pay period per Deputy, three motorcycle Deputy Sheriff IIs, two Deputy Sheriff IIs for a community support unit (including a school resource officer), three Investigators, one Investigative Assistant (effective October 1, 2013), two Community Services Officers for parking and traffic enforcement, one Crime Prevention Specialist, 50% of an Emergency Management Program Coordinator position, one Office Specialist, plus regional support services. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department officially took over law enforcement services on January 5, 2013 after Yorba Linda’s contract with the Brea Police Department expired.
|
| |
|
| |
| OCFA Unanimously Votes to Co-Sponsor Legislation with County of Orange |
|
| On Thursday, June 27, the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) voted unanimously to co-sponsor proposed legislation which would allow counties and joint powers authorities to recover costs for searches and rescues caused by reckless behavior. The County of Orange is the formal sponsor of this |
|
|
proposed legislation. This legislation is necessary to deal with situations like those of hikers Nick Cendoya and Kyndall Jack.
This proposal would allow for a county or other government agency to recover the actual costs of the search or rescue of a resident who is 16 years of age or older if the need for the search or rescue of that resident necessitated the use of extraordinary methods, and if any of the following was a contributing factor to the need for the search or rescue: (1) any act in violation of any federal or state law or local ordinance; or (2) any act or omission by the person searched for or rescued that shows wanton and reckless misconduct in disregard for his or her safety. Current law does not allow for this cost recovery.
Furthermore, this proposal would also allow for a county that is billed for the search or rescue of one of its residents who is 16 years of age or older by another county to, in turn, seek reimbursement from that resident if the need for the search or rescue of that resident necessitated the use of extraordinary methods, and if any of the following was a contributing factor to the need for the search or rescue: (1) any act in violation of any federal or state law or local ordinance; or (2) any act or omission by the person searched for or rescued that shows wanton and reckless misconduct in disregard for his or her safety.
With such proposed legislation, counties will be able to recoup such excessive costs when reckless behavior contributes to the use of intensive County resources. This legislation almost exactly mirrors prior law which had sunset. The reintroduction of this bill will provide counties and government entities with a mechanism for reimbursement when such reckless and wanton acts lead to high costs of extensive search and rescues.
Assemblyman Donald Wagner has announced that he will carry the bill for this proposal in the State Legislature. |
| |
|
| |
| Pet of the Week |
|
Click on the image above to view a PDF version.
Click on the image above to view a PDF version.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
