| June 14, 2018 |
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Volume 6 Issue 19 |
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| Supervisor Spitzer Thanks First Responders for Quick Firefighting Effort |
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L: An OCFA helicopter makes a water drop over the fire. R: A burning hillside with an RV park in foreground. Supervisor Todd Spitzer was on scene with OCFA shortly after a command center was set up. Source: Todd Spitzer, Facebook |
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Unfortunately, fire season has come early for Orange County. On Monday, June 11, 200 firefighters and 12 aircraft battled and quickly got control of a brush fire near the 241 Toll Road South of Santiago Canyon Road.
Approximately 155 acres have burned, but thanks to the quick work of first responders, no structures were threatened and no evacuation orders were issued.
“We jumped on this fire with a lot of resources and each of our responding agencies worked cooperatively and expertly to attack this fire,” Supervisor Spitzer said. As the Third District Supervisor, in whose district the fire was burning, and a member of the Board of Directors on OCFA, Supervisor Spitzer was on scene late into Monday evening as part of the command center.
Orange County Fire Authority and OC Sheriff’s Department helicopters were on scene working cooperatively in dropping water on the blaze. View Supervisor Todd Spitzer’s video of their teamwork here: https://www.facebook.com/toddspitzeroc/posts/1794198597306640
The fire is estimated at 100% containment as of Thursday, June 14. |
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| Spitzer Secures Substantial Funding for Active Shooter Training at all Orange County Schools |
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(Santa Ana, CA) – Teachers and school officials will receive training from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Orange County Sheriff’s Department and other law enforcement agencies on what to do in the event of a mass shooting, the Board of Supervisors unanimously voted Tuesday.
Supervisor Todd Spitzer worked with the Orange County Health Care Agency and the Department of Education to create this program, which appropriates $4 million in Prop. 63 funds for active shooter training through June 30, 2021. Irvine Unified School District also had input.
This agenda item was continued from an earlier Board meeting so that all parties could discuss ways to focus on early intervention of children who have antisocial behavior and may be prone to violence. Spitzer held a tele-town hall on May 23 with leaders of these agencies and law enforcement to discuss ways to prevent active shooters on school campuses.
“Practically every week a gunman opens fire on a group of innocent people,” Spitzer said. “The most vulnerable members of society are defenseless children who are trapped in their classrooms or the cafeteria. We are going to learn techniques from the best in law enforcement that will substantially increase the chance for everyone to get out alive during one of these horrendous tragedies.”
Training creates a uniform standard that allows law enforcement and school officials to speak the same language.
The new funding will also include establishing a system to measure students’ confidence and the ability to cope with stress.
Orange County has the Nation’s only coordinated communication system where every peace officer can hear a distress call and respond to a scene regardless of the jurisdiction.
If officers work with schools that have a uniform standard, it reduces critical response time and increases safety.
The program will be managed by the Health Care Agency and Department of Education, which will receive funding in three yearly increments of $1,353,272.
The agencies currently have a school safety program that focuses on crisis prevention. Last year, 93 out of the county’s 614 schools had signed up to receive crisis management training. The new program is open to all schools that request it.
“School shootings aren’t something that happens somewhere else – we need to be on alert because it could happen here,” Spitzer said. “In the past two years, the Sheriff’s Department responded to 469 threats of violence at our schools. Of that number, 179 students were arrested and 183 weapons were seized. We need to be ready.” |
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| Orange County Supervisors Object to Needle Exchange Program with Discussion of Preventing Communicable Diseases |
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OC Public Works crews removed nearly 14,000 needles from the Santa Ana River Trail between January and March 2018. |
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Needles are a great danger to the public when they are not properly disposed. |
Supervisor Todd Spitzer joined his colleagues on the Board of Supervisors in opposing any effort to re-open the Orange County Needle Exchange Program after this organization pushed for a mobile unit implementation when the City of Santa Ana refused to renew the program’s license to operate. However, a mobile unit would only require State approval, allowing the program to circumvent the County.
“What we’re basically saying unanimously, as Board of Supervisors, is this is out of control; it’s a public safety issue and we’ve got to get a handle on this,” Supervisor Spitzer said.
Supervisor Spitzer emphasized that the County wants to help everyone that wants help while limiting the spread of infectious diseases like HIV, but that the program is not a one-to-one exchange as the name suggests.
“The County just removed almost 14,000 needles from the Santa Ana River Trail,” Spitzer said, “I made a promise to the public to uphold the safety of the community. Handing out needles leads to sharps left on our streets, near our neighborhoods, and we can’t allow that.”
Supervisor Spitzer recounted the Santa Ana riverbed and the tens of thousands of needles indiscriminately disposed on the ground. Unsafe disposal sacrifices Orange County’s public safety and leaves the community susceptible to unsanitary needles, with potential to spread disease. While Supervisor Spitzer recognizes the benefits to such resources, he also believes it is not enough to outweigh the issue of public safety that is at stake.
The County’s efforts to address homelessness and drug use is ongoing. “We are putting people from the street in shelters and to detox and rehab and to sobering and that’s a good thing and I’m proud of that. We have a long way to go as a community,” Spitzer said. As a proponent of the public’s safety, Supervisor Spitzer expressed valid concerns about tens of thousands of used needles dispersed in the river bed, on library shelves, and even on sidewalks which pose a threat to the community. |
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| Board Allocates Funding for Permanent Supportive Housing |
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Supervisor Todd Spitzer, second from left, led a tour of the County's first year-round, whole-care homeless shelter, Bridges at Kraemer Place. (L to R): Larry Haynes, CEO of Mercy House; Supervisor Spitzer; Karen McGlinn, CEO of Share Our Selves; and Darin Rorrer, a licensed clinical social worker specializing in addiction therapy. |
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On Tuesday, June 12, Supervisor Todd Spitzer joined his colleagues in approving to allocate $70.5 million for permanent supportive housing for the mentally ill.
The Board’s approval of the Permanent Supportive Housing Spending Plan will provide funding for current housing projects, recruiting new projects, and housing referrals using Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) dollars.
The action comes as Supervisor Todd Spitzer continues to advocate for cities, businesses, nonprofits, and community organizations to join together in finding long term solutions to solve the homeless crisis.
“I’m proud of the system of care we are building at the County level,” Supervisor Spitzer said, “Funding the building of these housing projects is another notch in our belt in providing the kind of whole-person care that will ultimately help many people escape homelessness.”
Learn more about this initiative below. |
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| Board of Supervisors Continues its Momentum to Address Homelessness |
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- County directive to expedite 11 housing projects for the $70.5 million MHSA funding allocation
- Unveiled the Housing Funding Strategy to develop 2,700 housing units
- Declaration from the County to receive approximately $15.5 million in state Emergency Homelessness Aid Block grants
The Orange County Board of Supervisors approved a County directive to expedite 11 housing projects in the pipeline for Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) funding, unveiled a Housing Funding Strategy to develop 2,700 housing units and paved the way to receive approximately $15.5 million in state Emergency Homelessness Aid Block Grant funding by declaring a Homeless Shelter Crisis.
“Today’s board action represents ongoing progress to leverage state resources to meet local objectives. Our continued goal is to build a system of care, in collaboration with our city partners, that is responsive to the needs of homeless individuals in helping them transition out of homelessness,” said Chairman Andrew Do, First District Supervisor.
Overview: County directive to expedite 11 housing projects for the $70.5 million MHSA funding allocation
The Board of Supervisors voted to expedite housing projects in the pipeline for MHSA funds.
The plan does the following:
- Identifies 11 current housing projects from our housing partners across the county that have been awarded or applied for funding through OC Community Resources’ (OCCR) Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA), the Special Needs Housing Program (SNHP), or both.
- Maps the geographic locations of each of these current housing projects according to the Service Planning Areas.
- Provides four recommendations on how to best expend MHSA funding for current and future projects.
The four recommendations are as follows:
1.) Current Projects
After working with cities and developers, the County identified 11 projects in the NOFA and Special Needs Housing Program pipeline that have various terms of financing and stages of development and need additional funding. The Board’s commitment of $13 million will allow these projects to proceed to the development and construction phases, resulting in 451 housing units, which include 99 units designated for MHSA/SNHP.
“We are committed to working with cities and developers to identify additional housing projects for homeless individuals in our county. Helping expedite these 451 units demonstrates the County’s commitment to this effort,” said Vice Chairman Shawn Nelson, Fourth District Supervisor.
2.) New/Upcoming Projects
The County also will allocate additional funds to California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) for SNHP funding.
“The County is committed to ensuring suitable sites and projects are found and completed in collaboration with our partner cities. Both cities and the County need to continue to work together to provide a regional response to homelessness,” said Supervisor Michelle Steel, Second District.
3.) Recruitment of New Projects
The County will open a continuous Request for Information to coordinate the creation of additional Permanent Supportive Housing. The County, and OCCR specifically, has the charge to advise and assist its partners on how to best leverage and match various federal, state and local funding sources in order to ensure coordination aligns with the County’s housing strategy. As such, funding sources will not be limited to only the MHSA funding source.
“This kind of housing takes people permanently off the street and ensures greater success through the use of permanent housing. This combined strategy of shelters to permanent housing is the best way to successfully move toward a greater impact of ending homelessness,” said Supervisor Todd Spitzer, Third District.
4.) Housing Referrals
Given the County investments in the creation of housing for homeless populations through this initiative, housing referral preference will be granted to the Orange County Continuum of Care Coordinated Entry System. This assists homeless persons who meet project specific eligibility criteria (Veterans, Serious Mental Illness, Seniors, etc.) and are prioritized within the Service Planning Area of a project’s location. The Coordinated Entry System will ensure effective response coordination while aligning with the objective of reducing homelessness regionally.
Overview: Housing Funding Strategy to develop 2,700 housing units
The Board of Supervisors also approved the Housing Funding Strategy, presented by OC Community Resources and developed in conjunction with the Corporation for Supportive Housing.
Of note in the report is the goal of producing 2,700 units of supportive housing with the additional need for 2,700 units of affordable housing options for people experiencing homelessness. The County intends to work with the 34 cities to align regional policies to prioritize supportive housing for local and regional resources, including helping leverage federal, state and local funding.
For more information about the Housing Funding Strategy, please click here.
“Homelessness is a complex, regional issue that requires everyone to work together. We look forward to continuing to work with our cities and our private and nonprofit sector partners in finding long-term solutions that are mutually beneficial for all of our residents,” said Supervisor Lisa Bartlett, Fifth District.
Overview: Declaration from the County to receive approximately $15.5 million in state Emergency Homelessness Aid Block grants
The state’s budget includes $500 million in State General Fund monies for emergency homeless aid in one-time block grants to cities and counties via the Continuum of Care to address homelessness through the construction or operation of emergency shelters, rapid rehousing, homelessness prevention services, and other currently unspecified activities. In order for the County of Orange to be eligible for these funds, it must declare a shelter crisis pursuant to Government Code Section 8698, and demonstrate city-county coordination.
The Homelessness Emergency Aid Program has $250 million to be allocated to Continuum of Care jurisdictions based on 2017 point in time homeless count results. The anticipated funding from the State of California to the County of Orange from this block grant would be approximately $15.5 million. In addition, the two cities within Orange County with populations over 330,000 will receive their own separate allocations totaling approximately $9.9 million.
Applications for the first round of awards are due on December 31, 2018, and 100 percent of the funds must be expended by June 30, 2021.
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| OC Sheriff’s Department Launches Interactive CrimeMapping Program |
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 Residents in Orange County Sheriff’s Department contract cities and unincorporated areas will be able to better track public safety issues in their neighborhoods with a recently launched software program that allows them to monitor and analyze criminal activity in their area.
In an effort to bolster community awareness and crime prevention, the Department has partnered with TriTech Software Systems to launch CrimeMapping – an interactive application that shares crime calls.
CrimeMapping will allow residents to search for 15 types of crime by address, landmark or zip code. Residents also will be able to sign up for custom-designed alerts and can create reports to easily analyze criminal activity near their homes, schools or businesses.
The data reflected on the mobile-friendly program is pulled directly from crimes reported to the Department and is updated every 24 hours. Although the information shared is preliminary, the program provides the public with important and timely information expected to increase awareness and create safer communities.
Residents are encouraged to sign up for CrimeMapping alerts through the Sheriff’s Department website at http://www.ocsd.org/about/crimemapping, or by visiting www.crimemapping.com.
(Portions courtesy of OC Sheriff’s Department). |
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| “Orange is the New Green” Zoning Code Update |
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The public review and comment period for the County’s “Orange is the New Green” Zoning Code Update is open and ends on June 26, 2018. Residents are encouraged to attend an upcoming workshop and submit comments on the proposed draft.
The County of Orange has embarked on a comprehensive update to its Zoning Code to incorporate sustainable policies and best management practices. The updated Zoning Code is intended to achieve a new standard of sustainability and flexibility that will accommodate future technological advances.
As the County moves forward through this process, residents, business owners, community groups, advocacy groups, and stakeholders are welcome to participate in the process. Community workshops will be held over the next several months to provide information regarding the “Orange is the New Green” Zoning Code Update. During these workshops, County staff will be on hand to provide information and answer questions. Visit http://www.ocpublicworks.com/ds/planning/
projects/all_districts_projects/orange_is_the_new_green for the schedule of these upcoming community workshops.
The County welcomes the public’s input and invites comments on the proposed revisions. Visit the above link for submission details. |
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| Silverado Summer Concert Series |
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Star Wars Day at the Orange County Zoo
Saturday, June 16, 10 am—3pm |
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Click on the image above to view a PDF version. |
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Olive Heights Construction
June 25-29 |
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Click on the image above to view a PDF version. |
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| Free Pit Bull Adoptions Every Weekend in June at OC Animal Care |
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Click on the image above to view a PDF version. |
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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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Anaheim
Preschool Storytime
Friday, June 22, 10:30 am – 11:00 am
Anaheim Canyon Hills, 400 Scout Trail
Annie Banannie’s Big Balloon Adventure
Wednesday, June 27, 11:00 am – 12:00 am
East Anaheim Branch Library, 8201 East Santa Ana Canyon Road
Irvine
Super Swim Lesson
Friday, June 22, 5:30 pm
Woollett Aquatics C, 4601 Walnut Ave.
Movies on the Lawn: Stagecoach
Friday, June 22, 6:30 pm
Orange County Great Park, 6950 Marine Way
Orange
Ruff Readers Therapy Dog Reading Program
Thursday, June 14, 3:30 pm — 4:00 pm
Taft Branch Library, 740 E Taft Ave.
2018 Summer Reading Club for Adults: Reading Takes You Everywhere
Saturday, June 16, 10:00 am—6:00 pm
Library Community Room, 407 E. Chapman Ave.
Silverado
Summer Concert Series
Saturday, June 16, 7:45 pm—10:00 pm
Silverado Fairgrounds, 27641 Silverado Canyon Road
Family Drop-In Crafts
Saturday, June 23, 11:00 am — 2:00 pm
Library of the Canyons, 7531 East Santiago Canyon Rd.
Tustin
Family Sunset Storytime
Wednesday, June 13, 5:00 pm – 5:45 pm
Tustin Library, 345 E. Main Street
Concerts in the Park
Wednesday, June 20, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Peppertree Park, 230 West First Street
Villa Park
Reading with a Deputy Storytime
Tuesday, June 19, 10:00 am – 11:00 am
Villa Park Library, 17865 Santiago Blvd.
Yorba Linda
US-China Workshop: The Rise of Xi Jinping and China as a Global Power
Tuesday, June 26, 7:00 pm—8:00 pm
Richard Nixon Library and Museum, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd.
Fantastic Family Storytime
Saturday, June 30, 10:30 am — 11:15 am
Yorba Linda Public Library, 18181 Imperial Highway
For questions or comments regarding Spitzer’s E-Newsletter
please contact the Supervisor's office staff at: (714) 834-3330 or Montana.Sudul@ocgov.com
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