| March 12, 2015 |
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Volume 3 Issue 8 |
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| Supervisor Spitzer Participates in the TET Parade Festival |
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(Portions courtesy of the Union of the Vietnamese Student Associations Southern California (UVSA))
Supervisor Todd Spitzer participated in the Tet Parade in Westminster and the UVSA/THSV 2015 Tet Festival opening ceremony at the OC Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa. The Tết Festival of Southern California (Hội Tết Sinh Viên) is recognized as the world’s largest Vietnamese New Year Festival.
The festival attracts over 100,000 guests annually and caters hundreds of booths in a span of a three-day weekend event. Visitors are immersed in a vibrant array of traditional foods, live entertainment, cultural displays, festive games, and a firecrackers show celebrating the new year. |
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| Supervisor Spitzer Speaks at the Foothills Community Association Annual and Town Hall Meeting |
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(Portions courtesy of the Foothill Communities Association)
Supervisor Todd Spitzer talked at the Annual and Town Hall Meeting of the Foothill Communities Association to provide an update on important issues like the John Wayne Airport, fire safety, street improvements and development projects, such as Senior Living Facility projects. |
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| Chairman Spitzer Delivers the State of the County Address at the OC Public Affairs Association |
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Chairman Spitzer delivered the State of the County address at the OC Public Affairs Association. He provided a financial history of the County and announced that in 2014, the County is on course to pay off the General Fund obligations from the County’s bankruptcy that started over 20 years ago. Orange County’s programs and capital projects have been severely underfunded with the bankruptcy debt. However, with the debt paid off, the County of Orange will only be moderately underfunded. Orange County still owes the state Vehicle License Fee money, and still suffers from funding inequity issues. Overall, Orange County’s financial situation is improving.
Recently, Supervisor Spitzer charged the Orange County Executive Officer, Mike Giancola to work with the Orange County Transportation Authority CEO, Darrell Johnson to form a “think tank group” comprised of CEOs from multi-governmental jurisdictions, members from the Orange County business community and elected officials. This new group will brainstorm, converse and problem solve on issues that face our respective organizations and opportunities to show visionary leadership.
This week, in order to assist Supervisor Spitzer in facilitating these visioning discussions, the Board of Supervisors approved the appointment of Supervisor Spitzer to serve on the Association of California Cities (ACCOCC). Supervisor Spitzer expressed the value in the County of Orange working with Lacy Kelly, ACCOCC Chief Executive Officer and the member local officials.
“The future of Orange County is blooming before us with the climate of the post-bankruptcy and the improved economy but there are crucial questions that face us in terms of setting the vision of who we want to be in the County and in the region,” said Chairman and Third District Supervisor Todd Spitzer.
Spitzer said that he will continue to work with the Board of Supervisors to develop a visionary direction for the County of Orange that serves the residents and business community and that will help position the County to “step up their game” as a leader in the region and the State.
Supervisor Spitzer is scheduled to present the State of the County at the Board of Supervisors meeting on March 24, 2015. |
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| Chairman Spitzer Offers Prayer at the Orange County Business Council |
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(Portions courtesy of the Orange County Business Council)
Chairman Todd Spitzer offered the opening prayer at the Orange County Business Council’s Annual Dinner. The OCBC welcomed their new Chair, Laura DeSoto of Experian. The event was emceed by Steve Churm and included Congressman Ed Royce, Senator Diane Feinstein and CEO Steve Milligan of Western Digital as speakers. The theme of the event was Secure the Future 2015.
The OCBC is an organization that works to enhance Orange County’s economic development and prosperity to preserve a high quality of life. For more information about OCBC, click here. |
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| County Approves Process to Expand Transportation Network Companies to Serve John Wayne Airport |
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The Orange County Board of Supervisors approved a process to issue operating permits that will allow Transportation Network Companies (TNCs), which include ridesharing services such as Uber and Lyft, to begin serving John Wayne Airport.
Under regulations set by the California Public Utilities Commission, TNCs may not operate at airports unless specifically authorized by the airport authority. Board approval of the TNC permit process will lead to TNC drivers being able to pick up and drop off passengers who have arranged for rides.
"TNCs are a new and innovative business model and provide a popular transportation option for many of our travelers," said Board of Supervisors Chairman Todd Spitzer. "It's important for us to find ways to accommodate this new technology and to support the demands of the free market."
John Wayne Airport staff will review all ground transportation operating permit applications to ensure applicants are in compliance with state and local regulations before issuing an operating permit. Under state regulations, TNC drivers are not authorized to pick up passengers at John Wayne Airport until the company receives a permit. |
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| Spitzer Gains Adoption of Pension Reform Proposal at OCTA |
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On Monday, the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Board of Directors unanimously approved a pension reform proposal by Director Todd Spitzer to permit newly-hired OCTA employees aged 60 or older to opt out of a pension. The proposal had its origin in a pension system regulation that was ratified at the urging of then-Supervisor/now-Senator Patricia Bates, who is also a former OCTA Director.
“As far as possible under state law, this item helps move OCTA employees into 401(k)-style retirement plans,” OCTA Director Spitzer said. “Before this proposal was adopted, OCTA employees could not refuse to participate in a pension plan. Now, new OCTA employees who are at least 60 years old will be able to decide on an individual basis whether they wish to be part of a defined benefit pension plan or a 401(k)-style defined contribution plan.”
The proposal is the broadest possible move toward 401(k)-style retirement plans for OCTA employees permitted under California Government Code Section 31552.
“I am grateful to then-Supervisor/now-Senator Bates for her leadership in obtaining ratification of the regulations that paved the way for my proposal,” Supervisor Spitzer said. “I have successfully gained adoption of this proposal at the County, IHSS Public Authority, LAFCO, TCA, and OCTA, and I will continue working toward the passage of this proposal by other government agencies throughout Orange County.”
In November, Bates gained approval of the pension system regulations that permitted a number of public agencies to allow their new employees aged 60 or over to opt out of the pension system. In January, Spitzer successfully urged the adoption of this policy for the County of Orange and for the In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority. In February, the Children and Families Commission unanimously approved this policy for its employees, and Spitzer persuaded LAFCO and TCA to adopt this policy. |
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| Spitzer Leads County’s Legislative Advocacy Effort at State Capitol |
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(Chairman Todd Spitzer, seated between Assemblymen Matthew Harper (R-Huntington Beach) and William Brough (R-Dana Point), were joined by staff from several state legislators’ offices to discuss County funding equity facilitated by a presentation by former State Department of Finance Director Michael Genest.) |
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Late last month, Chairman Todd Spitzer led the County’s legislative advocacy effort at the State Capitol. The County partnered with the Orange County Business Council and the Association of California Cities-Orange County for the first portion of the legislative advocacy effort in which business and local government representatives met with a number of state legislators and executive branch officials. The County then held a separate legislative briefing for state legislators and their staffs to discuss the County’s legislative priorities.
“Having served on the Board of Supervisors and in the State Assembly, I understand just how much of an impact the State government has on the County,” Chairman Spitzer said. “It is critical that our voice is heard in order to protect Orange County taxpayers.”
The County’s briefing for state legislators and staff included:
- Tax Funding Equity for Orange County, with presentations by County Chief Financial Officer Frank Kim and former State Department of Finance Director Mike Genest
- Data Sharing Among Government Agencies Regarding GPS Monitoring, with a presentation by County Chief Probation Officer Steve Sentman
- Regional Housing Needs Assessment Reform, with a presentation by OC Community Services Deputy Director Julia Bidwell
- County Contracting with the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) as Mandated by Voter-Approved Measure E, with a presentation by Jean Pasco of the County Executive Office
Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel), Assemblywoman Ling Ling Chang (R-Diamond Bar), Assemblyman William Brough (R-Dana Point), and Assemblyman Matthew Harper (R-Huntington Beach) all participated in the briefing. State Capitol staff from the offices of Senator Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia), Senate Republican Leader Bob Huff (R-Diamond Bar), Senator Janet Nguyen (R-Garden Grove), Assemblyman Tom Daly (D-Anaheim), Assemblyman Travis Allen (R-Huntington Beach), Assemblyman Donald Wagner (R-Irvine), and Assemblywoman Young Kim (R-Fullerton) also attended.
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(Assemblywoman Ling Ling Chang (R-Diamond Bar), at left, and Chairman Todd Spitzer, seated next to Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel), were joined by staff from several state legislators’ offices to discuss intergovernmental data-sharing of GPS monitoring of offenders facilitated by a presentation by County Chief Probation Officer Steve Sentman.) |
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| Spitzer Gains Adoption of Pension Reform Proposal at OCTA |
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 Voters in the 37th Senate District will elect a new State Senator on Tuesday. The special election will fill the remaining 18 months of the term vacated by Mimi Walters, who was elected to Congress.
“Special elections typically have low turnout, and I hope the voters of the 37th Senate District buck that trend,” Supervisor Todd Spitzer said. “I urge all my fellow 37th Senate District citizens to vote on Tuesday.”
Voters can find their polling place by clicking here. Under SB 29 (Correa, 2014), vote-by-mail ballots (commonly known as absentee ballots) postmarked by Tuesday, March 17, will still be counted in the election if received by the Registrar of Voters by Friday, March 20.
If one candidate wins a majority of the vote, that person will be able to assume office as Senator immediately. If no candidate achieves at least 50% of the vote, then the top two candidates will advance to a May 19 run-off election.
Three candidates qualified for the ballot, and one candidate has qualified as an official write-in candidate:
- John M. W. Moorlach, Republican, Orange County Supervisor
- Donald P. Wagner, Republican, Business Owner/Assemblyman
- Naz Namzi, Republican (no occupation listed on the ballot)
- Louise Stewardson, Democrat (write-in candidate)
The 37th Senate District includes nearly the entire Third Supervisorial District, except for the City of Yorba Linda, the portions of the City of Orange that are west of the 57 Freeway, and portions of the canyons south of Silverado Canyon Road. |
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| Southwest Announces New Nonstop Service from John Wayne Airport |
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(Portions courtesy of John Wayne Airport)
More nonstop flights are taking off from John Wayne Airport (JWA). Travelers will be able to fly on Southwest Airlines to Seattle (SEA) and Chicago (MDW) beginning June 28, and to Portland (PDX) beginning August 9, 2015. Southwest also announced its plans to increase the number of daily, nonstop departures between John Wayne Airport and Dallas-Love Field (DAL) and Denver (DEN) effective August 2015. As previously announced, the airline plans to inaugurate daily service to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (PVR) on June 7, 2015, subject to governmental approvals and to Austin (AUS) on June 28, 2015.
With the new Southwest service, JWA will now offer more than 10 nonstop flights each day to Denver, Seattle and the Dallas area and five daily nonstop flights to Portland. Alaska Airlines also offers daily nonstop service to Portland and Seattle. Frontier Airlines and United Airlines offer daily nonstop flights to Denver, and American Airlines offers daily nonstop service Dallas (DFW) and Chicago (ORD). |
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| Bill Introduced to Designate John Wayne Airport as a Port of Entry |
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Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, Congressman Ed Royce and Congresswoman Mimi Walters have introduced a bill, H.R. 1051, that would require the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security to designate John Wayne Airport as a Port of Entry.
A Port of Entry airport provides customs and immigration services for arriving foreign visitors on incoming flights. The designation is made through U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP).
“John Wayne Airport has served more than 600,000 passengers traveling between Orange County and destinations in Mexico since our international arrivals facility opened in June 2012,” said Orange County Board of Supervisors Chairman Todd Spitzer, who represents the Third District. “This Port of Entry designation is critical to Orange County’s ability to attract and sustain the international air service that is so important to our community and to our economy.”
Supervisor Michelle Steel, whose Second District includes the airport, said, "We look forward to successfully designating John Wayne Airport as a Port of Entry to better serve our residents, visitors and the international flights of our airlines."
Congresswoman Sanchez said she raised the need for Port of Entry status several times with the Obama administration without success. The designation would remove the airport from the current requirement to collect user fees for processing international flights, which “puts the burden of CBP operations unfairly on the back of travelers,” she said.
“John Wayne Airport is an international airport that deserves the official designation as a Port of Entry,” said Sanchez, who represents the 46th Congressional District.
Congresswoman Mimi Walters, whose 45th Congressional District includes the airport, said she was pleased to join her colleagues in supporting this important bill for Orange County. “By designating John Wayne as a Port of Entry, we are allowing the airport to attract and retain international air service, while also reducing excessive governmental fees for international travelers,” she said.
As a User Fee airport, JWA is required to reimburse CBP for 100% of the costs of federal inspection services. Since June 2012, JWA has paid more than $4 million in fees, costs that are passed on to the airlines receiving the services and, ultimately, to the traveling public. |
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| Pet of the Week |
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Click on the image above to view a PDF version. |
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| Events Around the District |
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Click on the image above to view a PDF version. |
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Anaheim
Family Story Time
Saturday, March 14, 2015, 11:00 AM
East Anaheim Branch Library, 8201 East Santa Ana Canyon Road
Nowrooz Program, Persian New Year Festival
Saturday, March 14, 2015, 2:00 PM
Canyon Hills Branch Library, 400 Scout Trail
Irvine
Certified Farmers Market
Sunday, March 15, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Orange County Great Park
Children’s Farming Workshop
Sunday, March 15, 11:00 AM
Orange County Great Park
Orange
A Wee Bit of Ireland
Saturday, March 14, 2:00 PM
Orange Public Library & History Center
Tustin
Farmers Market
Wednesday, March 18, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM
El Camino Real & 3rd St.
Villa Park
Craft Program
Tuesday, February 19, 3:00 PM
Villa Park Library, 17865 Santiago Blvd.
Yorba Linda
Pat Nixon’s Birthday, Free Admission All Day at the Nixon Library
Saturday, March 15, All Day
Richard Nixon Library, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd.
For questions or comments regarding Spitzer’s E-Newsletter
please contact the Supervisor's office staff at: (714) 834-3330 or Melanie.Eustice@ocgov.com
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