Welcome to this edition of the Fifth District Report, an electronic newsletter keeping you updated about the events taking place in Orange County and in the Fifth District. It is my hope that you find this distribution informative and I would encourage you to contact me regarding any thoughts, comments, or concerns you may have.

PatBates@ocgov.com

IN THIS ISSUE...

1. BOARD BULLETIN BOARD

2. TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION

3. COUNTY CONNECTIONS

4. SOUTH COUNTY NEWS

5. FIFTH DISTRICT SPOTLIGHT

6. HEALTH HERALD

7. CRITTER CHRONICLES

8. HARBOR HAPPENINGS

9. NOTES FROM THE FIELD

10. SOUTH COUNTY CALENDAR

11. FIFTH DISTRICT WRAP-UP

OUR STAFF...

Chip Monaco:
Chief of Staff

Don Hughes:
Policy Advisor

Sergio Prince:
Policy Advisor

Kristen Thornton:
Policy Advisor

Ray Grangoff:
Policy Advisor

Sabrina Ross:
Policy Advisor

Katie Angotti:
Policy Assistant

Ruth Strachan:
Office Manager

Click here to subscribe.

Click here to unsubscribe

No Board Meeting this week

There was no regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Supervisors this week.

Our next Board meeting will be held Tuesday, March 2. For Agenda & Meeting Information, please click here.

Live Internet broadcasts of Board of Supervisors meetings are available and archived as video-on-demand. To view live and/or past Board meetings, please click here.

March Bus Service Change

The loss of state funding and declining sales tax revenue continue to impact bus operations. The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), in trying to serve the greatest number of passengers and provide the most efficient bus service possible with limited resources, has had to reduce bus service starting March 14, 2010. These changes were made after reviewing responses from the public at community meetings, a public hearing and those submitted by phone and online. OCTA’s goal with these changes is to preserve as much bus service as possible given the available reduced funds.

On November 23, 2009, the Orange County Transportation Authority Board of Directors approved a bus service reduction program of up to 300,000 annual revenue vehicle hours. Staff was directed to reduce service by 150,000 annual revenue vehicle hours in March 2010 with the stipulation that the remaining 150,000 hours may be removed later in the year should available revenue levels fail to improve.

Updated Bus Books will be available on buses and in schedule racks throughout the County beginning in early March. Additionally, OCTA’s website provides a summary of all changes by category, which can be viewed by clicking here.

Environmental Oversight Committee Update

On Wednesday, the M2 Freeway Mitigation Program Environmental Oversight Committee (EOC), which I chair, supported seeking appraisals for 11 properties that are being considered for acquisition funding.

The purpose of the M2 Freeway Environmental Mitigation Program is to offset or mitigate biological impacts resulting from M2-funded freeway projects. To that end, OCTA has approximately $27.5 million to fund the acquisition and/or restoration of properties that have been submitted to participate in the mitigation program.

During the past several months, almost 80 acquisition proposals have been evaluated and placed into four tiers in order of priority based on Board approved biological and non-biological factors. Given the high cost to appraise each property and OCTA’s limited funds, the committee recommended proceeding with appraisals for a subset of the top tiered properties.

Ultimately, properties possessing the highest biological value and that align with the goals and objectives of the mitigation program will be recommended to the OCTA Board of Directors for final consideration for funding.

Orange County Needs Your Support

Participating in the 2010 Census is important to you, your family and the County of Orange. The Census helps Orange County get funding for: health care, housing, transportation, senior centers and services, employment assistance, schools and libraries, and parks and beaches.

Ten minutes of your time to answer ten questions will help your community. Orange County needs every person to be counted in 2010, including infants and children. When you receive your Census form, fill it out completely and mail it back. It’s that easy!

Remember, it is safe to participate because the information you provide is confidential. For more information, visit http://2010.census.gov.

Free Tax Seminar

I am pleased to be joining State Board of Equalization Member Michelle Steel, as well as Assemblyman Jeff Miller, in hosting a FREE Tax Seminar for nonprofit and exempt organizations on Friday, March 12. Presentations will be made by the Internal Revenue Service, Franchise Tax Board, Office of the Attorney General and State Board of Equalization on topics such as Property Tax Exemptions. The seminar will take place at Saddleback Community Church in the Refinery Auditorium from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. To register for the event, please call 888-847-9652 or click here. For more information, please click here.

New Community Website for Song Onofre Nuclear Station (SONGS)

Southern California Edison has launched a new website for the San Onofre Nuclear Generating System. The website provides the community with news and updates as well as important information on emergency preparedness. To view the website, please click here.

O.C. Surfers Join 2010 Dream Tour

This year, four surfers (a record) from Orange County were chosen to join the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour, three of which are from the Fifth District. Among them are brothers Pat and Tanner Gudauskas of San Clemente and Nate Yeomans of San Clemente.

These locals, ranked among the top 45 surfers in the world, will now compete on the professional Dream Tour kicking off this Friday, February 26 with the Quicksilver Pro Gold Coast competition in Australia. To follow Pat, Tanner and Nate as they compete on tour with the best in the world, visit ASP’s website by clicking here.

Mobile Multi Service Center Visits South Orange County

This January, the County of Orange, in partnership with the Illumination Foundation, launched the County’s newly expanded Mobile Multi Service Center.

The mobile unit is operated through a partnership between OC Community Services/Homeless Prevention, the Health Care Agency, Social Services Agency and the Illumination Foundation and is intended to act as a one-stop service center and a point of entry for homeless individuals and families to receive supportive services from nearly 60 agencies ranging from housing and employment to education and medical services. Through additional funding made available by the Board of Supervisors and the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, the mobile unit is now offering expanded services and hours of operation.

The mobile unit will set up at a location in South County one day a month. The next South Orange County stop is scheduled for Wednesday, March 17 at St. Timothy’s Catholic Church in Laguna Niguel.

For the complete Mobile Multi Service Center schedule, please visit http://ifhomeless.org/.

“Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” by helping OC Animal Care

Volunteer with OC Animal Care and you could earn a free ticket to Disneyland! As part of Disney’s “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” program, which celebrates the spirit of volunteerism by providing certified volunteers with a one-day admission to Disneyland, Disney has approved a number of volunteer opportunities with OC Animal Care. Many of the opportunities are ones the entire families can participate in together. To search for opportunities and to sign up for a day of volunteer service, please click here.

OC Dana Point Harbor Sets Guidelines for Human Powered Craft

The past year has seen a dramatic increase in Human Powered Craft (HPC) usage in Dana Point Harbor. In an effort to educate all Harbor users on how to operate their vessels in a safe and considerate manner, working with the community, OC Dana Point Harbor has designed and produced a sticker promoting the safe operation of HPCs, as well as proper navigation while within the Harbor.

The sticker is to be placed on the top of stand up paddleboards, kayaks, etc. and provides a map with suggested routes and safety guidelines that can be referenced while navigating through the Harbor. The sticker will be available free of charge, and new informational signage will be unveiled at the Mickey Munoz Paddle Surf Fiesta Mongoose Cup to be held at Baby Beach on March 13, 2010.

To view the sticker, please click here. For more information, visit Dana Point Harbor’s website by clicking here.

Festival of the Whales

The 39th Annual Festival of Whales is almost here! The festival kicks off Saturday and Sunday March 6-7, with a plethora of exciting activities for the whole family. Scheduled events include:

Saturday, March 6

Festival of Whales Parade, 10:00 am
Family Street Faire, 10:00 am-5:00 pm
“Whale of a Shoe” Horseshoe tournament, 12:00 pm
Marine Mammal Lecture Series, 10:00-11:00am
Ocean Institute Learning Labs, 10:00am-4:00pm
Sailing Rides, 12:00-4:00pm
Harbor Music Series, 12:00-3:00pm
Dana Point Historical Society Walking Tour, 2:00pm
Movie in the Park- “Shark Tale,” 6:30pm

Beware of Snakes on OC Trails

Individuals enjoying county trails and open space are advised to be aware of rattle snakes. According to experts, rattle snake season, which is typically from April to October, has started early this year. To keep you and your pets safe while exploring the wilderness, remember these helpful tips:

• Don't step over rocks or logs. Often people mistake snakes for "sticks" and step on them, resulting in getting bitten.
• Never hike alone, emergencies occurring in the outdoors often require help.
• If you do see a snake, keep your distance. Rattlesnakes use their strike to catch prey, but if frightened they will strike as a defensive measure. A rattlesnake can strike 1.5 times its body length even when uncoiled.
• Rattlesnakes are cold blooded and rely on the warmth of the sun to keep warm. Thus, you will not see them on cold days. However, you may find them in sunny patches; sunning themselves on a rock or trail. Their preferred outdoor temperature is between 70 and 90 degrees.
• Don’t underestimate small snakes. Baby rattlesnakes can sometimes be difficult to spot as they do not always have rattles and they cannot control their venom, making them more dangerous than adults.

Star-Studded Spectacular

The South Orange County School of the Arts (SOCSA) is throwing the biggest celebrity event in Dana Point History! On February 28, come have fun and enjoy an amazing event to help SOCSA raise funds to build a new, state of the art, performing arts center at Dana Hill High School. The show is being chaired by Tony Award winning duo, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. For more information or to buy tickets, please call (949)842-0594 or click here.

OC Restaurant Week

Eat, drink, and be merry! Orange County Restaurant Week is taking place February 28 through March 4. Over 100 participating restaurants across the County will be offering prix fixe 3-course meals for lunch and dinner. Prices are set at $10, $15, or $20 per person for lunch and $20, $30, or $40 per person for dinner. To see participating restaurants and their prix fixe menus, please click here.

Mission Viejo’s Got Talent!

The City of Mission is on the search for talent in South Orange County. The City is kicking off its contestant search for “Mission Viejo’s Got Talent” on Friday, March 5 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and auditions will run through April. Auditions are open to the public and open to all ages and all talents (must be family appropriate). The semi-finals will take at the Shops in Mission Viejo on May 22 and the Finals will be held at the Relay for Life with special guest judges on June 5. For all audition dates and locations and for more information, please click here.

Patriot’s Day Parade- “Merchant March”

Laguna Beach is open for business! The Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce invites all to come out to the “Merchant March” on Saturday, March 6. The Chamber would also like to extend a special welcome to any business that would like to march in the parade to promote their business. Bring signs, cars, floats and coupons to hand out to the crowd. The parade will begin at 10:45 a.m. at Laguna Beach High School. For more information, please visit www.lagunabeachchamber.org.

Ski and Snowboard Trip

The City of Laguna Niguel is hosting a day trip to Snow Summit for intermediate and advanced skiers and snowboarders on Saturday, March 6. This trip is for experienced teens only. Participants will meet at Crown Valley Park at 5:45 a.m. and return at 7:00 p.m. the same day. For more information, please call (949) 425-5100 or click here. To register online, please click here.

In addition to my many meetings, briefings, and other supervisorial activities, I also:

• Met with OCTA staff to discuss South County impacts from bus service reductions
• Met with OCTA staff regarding the acceleration of San Clemente Soundwall projects
• Met with Lucy Dunn, President and CEO of the Orange County Business Council, do discuss initiatives to spur Orange County’s economy
• Attended the San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce State of the City event
• Participated in a Public Safety Working Group meeting with the Sheriff and DA to discuss budget solutions
• Participated as the Master of Ceremonies at the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce Instillation of Officers reception
• Received a briefing from LAFCO on the sphere of influence working group
• Chaired the Environmental Oversight Committee meeting
• Provided a County Update at the Laguna Woods Republican club
• Received an award from United Way for the Fifth District’s generous support of the program
• Hosted a tour of the OC Jail for representatives from State and Federal legislative offices