| Board of Supervisors |
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| Welcome to Nelson's E-News! |
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Welcome to the Nelson E-News!
Thank you for reading this edition of my newsletter. I hope you find the information below very helpful. As always, I appreciate and look forward to your feedback.
The next board meeting will be Tuesday, March 28th at 9:30am in the Hall of Administration – 333 W. Santa Ana Blvd., Santa Ana 92701. The agenda may be viewed here.
Please see photos and descriptions below of some of the events our office attended in the community this week. If you were unable to attend, there are other events listed at the end of this newsletter.
Sincerely,
Shawn Nelson |
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| Board Updates |
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| County Hires Director of Ethics Commission |
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Last week, the County of Orange Board of Supervisors voted to hire Denah Hoard as the County’s Executive Director of the Office for Campaign Finance and Ethics Commission.
In October 2015, the Board of Supervisors reviewed the recommendations of a special committee, spearheaded by Supervisor Nelson and Supervisor Todd Spitzer, evaluating the establishment of a local ethics commission and directed County attorneys to prepare ballot language for an ordinance. The ordinance was approved by Orange County voters in June 2016 with more than 70 percent in support.
The County then conducted a public recruitment for the Executive Director, who will oversee the five-person commission. With more than 20 years of public service as an attorney representing public entities, Hoard comes to the County after most recently serving as the Senior Assistant City Attorney for the City of Orange. Prior to that, Hoard held positions at California State University, Long Beach and the City of Santa Ana.
The office of the Campaign Finance and Ethics Commission will be tasked with reviewing county conflict-of-interest statements, monitoring compliance with ethics laws, creating a compliance manual and providing training to elected officials, candidates and staffs. The office will also enforce the County’s gift ban ordinance and make certain that the County’s Code of Ethics provisions are followed.
The commission would have the authority to subpoena bank statements of campaign committees, create an independent campaign contribution tracking system and develop an annual ethics training program for County officials and staff. The ethics commission will inform the public, who serve as the ultimate ethics commission when they utilize the power of their voice by voting.
Orange County’s landmark campaign reform ordinance, known as TINCUP for “Time is Now, Clean Up Politics” was approved in 1978 and amended in 1992. TINCUP regulates campaign contribution limits and other campaign activity for County elected officials, including the offices of Supervisor, Assessor, Auditor-Controller, Clerk-Recorder, District Attorney-Public Administrator, Sheriff-Coroner, Treasurer-Tax Collector and the Superintendent of Schools.
Hoard, whose four-year contract is expected to start April 10, 2017, will first address the timeline and process for the selection of commissioners. |
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| Peter Agarwal Appointed to Audit Oversight Committee |
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Supervisor Nelson is pleased to announce the appointment of Peter K. Agarwal to the Audit Oversight Committee (AOC).
Mr. Agarwal is currently a Vice President of Citizens Business Bank and manages its “Commercial Business Financial Center” in Fullerton. Prior to this position, he was the founder and President of Solaris International, Inc. and an Officer of the Corporation with Citi Group and Bank of America. From November 2012 to July 2016, Mr. Agarwal served on the CalOptima Board of Directors and its Finance and Audit Committee, administering health insurance to 800,000 low-income and disabled individuals in Orange County.
The AOC, established by Board Resolution in 1995, serves as an advisory committee to the Board of Supervisors on issues related to the County’s internal audit functions and the County's external audit coverage. The AOC assists the Board of Supervisors, Auditor-Controller, and Performance Auditor in fulfilling their oversight responsibilities. The AOC is responsible for review and approval of the Auditor-Controller and Performance Audit Annual Audit Plans, reviews audit reports, and ensures corrective action is taken on audit findings. The AOC also provides oversight of the County’s external auditor over audits of the County's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) and Single Audit Report. |
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| Flood Control Channel Maintenance and Security Project |
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The County of Orange Public Works department (OCPW) is working on a Flood Control Channel Maintenance and Security Project along the Santa Ana River. Please click here to see answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about the project as well as how the project impacts homeless encampments in the area.
If you would like an answer to a question not listed or want to provide feedback regarding the project, please email the County Executive Office at ceocom@ocgov.com. |
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| Transportation Update |
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| Help Improve Travel Along Harbor Boulevard |
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Harbor Boulevard is Orange County’s busiest north/south transit corridor and provides a vital link for residents, businesses, schools and visitor destinations. OCTA, with the cities of Fullerton, Anaheim, Garden Grove and Santa Ana, is leading a study to improve transit options in the Harbor Blvd. Corridor area. The study extends south from Chapman Ave. (Fullerton) to Westminster Blvd. (Santa Ana).
Please join us for an open house to learn about the 12 transit alternatives under consideration, ask questions and provide your thoughts.
Thursday, March 30
5:00 - 7:00 p.m. (brief presentation: 5:30 p.m.)
Garden Grove Community Center
11300 Stanford Avenue
Garden Grove, CA 92840
Wednesday, April 5
5:00 – 7:00 p.m. (brief presentation: 5:30 p.m.)
Gordon Hoyt - Conference Room
Anaheim City Hall West Tower
201 S. Anaheim Boulevard, 2nd Floor
Anaheim, CA 92805
If you can’t attend in person, you can drop by our virtual open house here.
In addition, we welcome your thoughts via two online surveys. We need your feedback to help OCTA narrow down the best alternatives for transit in and around Harbor Boulevard. Click here to take either survey depending on your interests.
Thanks for your help! |
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| All Aboard the Angels Express! |
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Can’t wait for opening day? No worries! The Angels Express will offer service to pre-season games against the L.A. Dodgers on March 30 and 31.
Then when the official season begins on April 7, there’s more fan fun in store at the Angels Express Opening Day Rally at Irvine Station. Celebrate with OCTA and win great prizes from 4:30 to 6 p.m., then hop on the Angels Express to the first official game of the season at Angel Stadium in Anaheim! Trains depart Irvine at 5:17 and 6:05 p.m.
With the Angels Express, the party starts as soon as you board. Score a stress-free ride to and from all baseball weeknight home games that start at 7:07 p.m. For the trip home, trains depart 30 minutes after the end of the game, but no later than 11:30 p.m. Avoid traffic and parking hassles by taking the special Metrolink train that drops you off only a few steps from Angel Stadium at the Anaheim-ARTIC station. And the price for an adult roundtrip ticket is still only $7.
All season long, we’ll be offering plenty of fun events, free rides, and great giveaways. Stop by the Angels Express webpage often to be part of the action. |
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| Road Funding Update |
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With the state legislative cycle underway, new and old policy discussions and bills are making their way through the various Assembly and Senate committees for debate. Among the issues that continue to resurface year after year is how the state raises billions of dollars for road maintenance, good movement and public transit using a combination of fees and taxes.
Currently, the state and federal governments raise funding for roads with an excise tax on fuel. However, as cars get better gas mileage and motorists move to hybrids or no-gas electric vehicles, revenue from the tax decreases – resulting in an estimated annual shortfall of $3.5 billion in the state budget. A proposal under discussion would base a tax or fee, depending on how much a person drives, car miles and other variables, which would cost on average from $9 to $13 a month extra in charges. Another proposal is a combination of higher gas taxes, raising registration fees by $38, and imposing a new charge on zero emission vehicles. Yet another approach would be a small increase to the gas tax and creating a new road-improvement charge of $65 on all vehicles.
The debate on the combinations of revenue raising tax increases and/or new fees will continue. It may be that an agreement is reached during this legislative cycle, but at the moment it’s unlikely. It’s been more than a decade since there was a change in the road funding formula. |
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| The Transportation Corridor Agencies Celebrate 25 Years of Environmental Preservation |
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For a quarter century, the Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA) have preserved Orange County’s scenic beauty and healthy ecosystems while building and operating the largest network of toll roads in California. TCA protects the natural resources of more than 2,000 acres of habitat and, with the help of community and agency partners, have created a connected network of permanent open spaces across nearly 40,000 acres in the county.
TCA built the first successful native habitat for a federally listed bird species on a closed landfill. Transformed a narrow concrete drainage ditch into a thriving wetland and coastal sage scrub community that serves as a major wildlife corridor. And built a state-of-the-art and award-winning wildlife fence to keep drivers and area wildlife safe along The Toll Roads.
Visit TheTollRoads.com/about/environmental to learn more about these and all of TCA’s environmental initiatives in a new report laden with photos highlighting the beauty of the places TCA protects and showcasing our award-winning achievements over the past two-and-a-half decades. |
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| Property Taxes Due |
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The second installment for 2016-17 property taxes is due by Monday, April 10, 2017. Mailed payments must have a USPS postmark on or before this date to avoid delinquent penalties. Pay early and online by eCheck at NO COST!
For more information on payment options, visit www.ocgov.com/octaxbill or call (714) 834-3411. |
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| Announcements |
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| Voting Now Open for “Love Orange County” Photo Contest |
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Public voting for the winner of the “Love Orange County” Photo Contest is currently underway. Members of the general public can visit the County of Orange Facebook page between now and 5 p.m. on March 27, 2017, and vote by “liking” their favorite photo.
Individuals can pick their favorite photo among those selected as the top three submissions from the entire contest. Each “like” on one of the top three photos in the original post shared by the County of Orange counts as one vote. Individuals are welcome to tag their friends in the comments below the post to encourage voting. |
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| The winner of the “Love Orange County” Photo Contest will receive a certificate of recognition from the County and will have his/her winning photo featured in the lobby of the County Hall of Administration. The contest, which is being run by County Executive Office Communications, began February 14, 2017, and accepted photo submissions through March 14, 2017. For additional information, visit the “Love Orange County” Photo Contest webpage. |
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| Events |
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Click on the image above to view a larger version.
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| Anaheim Neighborhood Services |
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Click on the image above to view a larger version.
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| County Commissions and Committees |
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The Fourth District has vacant appointments on the following commissions or committees:
- Assessment Appeals Board No.1
- Orange County Parks Commission
- Orange County Visitors Association
- Senior Citizens Advisory Committee
If you are interested in serving on one of these committees, please call George Cardenas at (714) 834-3440. |
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| Pet of the Week |
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Click on the image above to view a larger version. |
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| Library Corner |
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Click on the image above to view a larger version.
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Click on the image above to view a larger version.
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| Events |
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City of Anaheim Events
What: Up with People presents "The Journey"
When: March 25, 2017
Where: 811 W Lincoln Ave, Anaheim, CA 92805
Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
What: Good Morning Anaheim Breakfast
When: April 7, 2017
Where: 1950 S. Manchester Ave. Anaheim, CA 92802
Time: 7:30 AM - 9:00 AM
City of Brea Events
What: Parks, Recreation and Human Services Commission meeting
When: March 27, 2017
Where: 695 Madison Way, Brea, CA 92821
Time: 6:00 PM
What: Film Screening: Embrace
When: March 29, 2017
Where: Edwards 255 W. Birch St., Brea, California 92821
Time: 7:30 PM - 9:15 PM
City of Buena Park Events
What: Elementary Art Show Awards Ceremony
When: March 31, 2017
Where: 6650 Beach Blvd Buena Park, CA 90621
Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
What: City Council Meeting
When: April 11, 2017
Where: 6650 Beach Blvd Buena Park, CA 90621
Time: 5:00 PM
City of Fullerton Events
What: Local Author Showcase
When: March 25, 2017
Where: 353 W. Commonwealth Ave. Fullerton, CA 92832
Time: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
What: F&M Bank Fullerton Office Grand Reopening
When: March 29, 2017
Where: 315 N. Harbor Blvd. Fullerton, CA 92832
Time: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
City of La Habra Events
What: Board of Directors Meeting
When: March 28, 2017
Where: 321 E. La Habra Blvd La Habra CA 90631
Time: 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
What: ConnectUp at Corner Bakery
When: March 30, 2017
Where: 1040 W. Imperial Highway (at Idaho St.)La Habra CA 90631
Time: 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
City of Placentia Events
What: Lipsticks & Dipsticks
When: March 25, 2017
Where: 380 E. Orangethorpe Avenue Placentia, CA
Time: 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
What: Sunset Social
When: April 6, 2017
Where: 411 E. Chapman Avenue Placentia, CA
Time: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
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For questions or comments regarding Nelson’s E-News
please contact the Supervisor's office staff:
Mark Lopez – Phone: (714) 834-3440, Email: Mark.Lopez@ocgov.com. |
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Denis Bilodeau
Chief of Staff
Mark Lopez
Deputy Chief of Staff
George Cardenas
Policy Advisor
Audra Fishel
Policy Advisor /
Communications Director
Steve Spernak
Policy Advisor
Natalie Wieckert
Policy Advisor
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