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October 21, 2011
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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. SOUTH COUNTY NEWS
3. TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION
4. HARBOR HAPPENINGS
5. COUNTY CONNECTIONS
6. CRITTER CHRONICLES
7. SOUTH COUNTY CALENDAR
8. FIFTH DISTRICT WRAP-UP
OUR STAFF...
Don Hughes:
Chief of Staff
Kristen Thornton:
Deputy Chief of Staff
Ray Grangoff:
Deputy Chief of Staff
Sergio Prince:
Policy Advisor
Sabrina Ross:
Policy Advisor
Brian Probolsky:
Policy Advisor
Ruth Strachan:
Office Manager
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| BOARD BULLETIN BOARD |
Public Safety Realignment
Earlier this year, the State Legislature passed AB 109, legislation that transfers responsibility for certain prisoners and parolees from the State to the counties. To prepare for the transfer of responsibility, an executive committee of our County public safety departments, chaired by the Chief Probation Officer, developed a public safety realignment implementation plan. We approved the plan at Tuesday’s Board meeting.
Under AB 109, there will be two new populations of persons that will now be under County jurisdiction. One population is people released from prison, which will be under supervision of the Probation Department (rather than placed on parole, as they previously would have been).
These individuals are called "non-non-nons" or "N3s," as they have been incarcerated for non-violent, non-serious, and non-high-risk sex offender crimes. It is possible that some of these individuals will have prior violent or serious offenses, or be registered sex offenders who have not been rated as high-risk. It is estimated that at some point, 1,970 persons released from state prison will be under Probation Department's supervision; and it is anticipated approximately 220 of these persons will be jailed due to violations of their PCS terms and conditions.
The other population is made up of those who have committed felonies and will now be sentenced to County jail instead of state prison. This population includes persons with no current or prior violent, serious or registerable sex offenses. It is estimated that 1,464 persons will be sentenced to County jail that otherwise would have been sentenced to state prison. The total population of offenders from the State under County jurisdiction is estimated to at 3,434.
Orange County expects to receive $25,734,096 from the State for the period October 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012 to carry out realignment, including $2.7 million for training and implementation activities and $23 million dedicated to incarceration and supervision.
The Probation Department will use home detention with electronic or GPS monitoring for those under their supervision. It’s important to note that although the County is taking on additional probationers/inmates, the County is not changing services or how it functions. The Probation Department and Sheriff Department will simply be doing more of what they are currently doing.
The new state probationers/inmates will be integrated into the current system, as the County has the expertise and proper systems in place to handle this new responsibility; however, it is unclear whether the State will provide counties with necessary financial resources to be able to carry out this new workload.
For more information, please click here.
San Juan Capistrano Law Enforcement Contract
The Board approved an amendment to the City of San Juan Capistrano’s contract with the County for police services. Like nearly all other Fifth District cities, San Juan Capistrano contracts with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department for Law Enforcement services.
The changes to the level of service in the revised contract better meet the policing needs of the community. The amendment to the agreement also deletes a Deputy Sheriff II Patrol position and a Deputy Sheriff II motor position, as these two positions will be replaced with an Administrative Sergeant and a Crime Prevention Specialist, allowing the City to have staff to oversee the Crime Prevention/Neighborhood Watch Program.
New Elected Members of the Board Retirement Plan
When I ran for the Board of Supervisors, I pledged not to add to the County's unfunded liability and, once elected, became the first Supervisor in the history of Orange County to opt-out of the County's OCERS pension system.
To assist future elected Board members, on Tuesday I voted in favor of a plan to swap pension benefits for Social Security. As the laws surrounding pension issues are complex and these changes will require some legislative assistance from Sacramento, staff will now begin the process of gaining the necessary legislation.
Santiago Truck Trail
Recently, the Board voted to use some available segregated redevelopment funds to purchase a beautiful and strategic plot of 100 acres known as Saddleback Vineyards. The property is located in Modjeska Canyon and abuts the Cleveland National Forest.
This pristine land will now be protected from future commercial development while at the same time securing a critical public access point into the Cleveland National Forest. As a result, we will also now have more control over of the Santiago Truck Trail, which is a critical fire access road meandering between the 100 acres and the National Forest.
Going forward, we plan to increase public safety by developing a small trail head and parking facility, which will greatly reduce parked cars and pedestrians along Modjeska Road.
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| SOUTH COUNTY NEWS |
Fourth Annual South County Disaster Preparedness Expo
As we’ve learned all too well, wildfires, earthquakes and floods are ever present threats in Southern California. As such, I’m hosting the 4th annual South County Disaster Preparedness Expo on Saturday, October 22 at the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center, 24932 Veterans Way, in Mission Viejo.
The South County Disaster Preparedness Expo is again being held in conjunction with the City of Mission Viejo’s “Walk Against Drugs” and will take place from 8:30 AM to 12:00 noon.
We can’t predict when a disaster will strike, but we can certainly prepare for one. To that end, I urge you and your family to attend the 4th annual South County Disaster Preparedness Expo.
Get prepared! Learn how! For more information, click here.
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| TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION |
Metrolink Service Cancelled Next Three Weekends
There will be no service on Metrolink's Orange County and Inland Empire lines the next three weekends, as San Diego Northern Railroad construction crews work to improve passenger and freight rail services by installing a second main line track and new rail bridges in the corridor. Additionally, Orange County Line trains 644 and 645 will be cancelled on Friday, October 28 and November 4.
Amtrak's schedule also will be affected, but they will offer some transportation options for those wanting to take public transportation. Please check www.amtrak.com for scheduling and fare information.
As part of the Rail2Rail program, Metrolink Monthly Pass holders can ride Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner trains within the station pairs on their Metrolink ticket for free. Metrolink's weekend pass is not valid on Amtrak trains.
This work is part of the LOSSAN (Los Angeles / San Diego / San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor) Coastal Rail Improvements, a project in which the San Diego Association of Governments, North County Transit District and Amtrak are working to add a second track to the 60-mile LOSSAN coastal rail corridor to improve passenger and freight rail services.
O.C. Bridges Project Kicks Off
On Wednesday, I joined Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) officials at a groundbreaking ceremony for the O.C. Bridges grade separation program in Placentia. The ceremony marks the beginning of construction on the Placentia Avenue and Kraemer Boulevard undercrossings, the first phase of the program.
The O.C. Bridges project will separate train traffic from vehicle and pedestrian traffic along five railroad crossings in the City of Placentia. OCTA has lead agency responsibility for the Placentia Avenue, Kraemer Boulevard, Orangethorpe Avenue, Tustin Street / Rose Drive, and Lakeview Avenue projects; and the City of Fullerton will build the projects at State College Boulevard and Raymond Avenue.
With freights trains running at all hours of the day and night along this busy rail line, train traffic will increase dramatically over the next few decades. By 2030, trains will run every 10 minutes along the corridor. The number of trains per day also will increase from 70 trains in 2006 to 135–150 trains in 2030.
Making the important upgrades on these railroad crossings will positively benefit everyone impacted by delays on these crossings. This project will benefit pedestrians, motorists and residents alike by enhancing safety, eliminating traffic delays and improving the quality of life.
Construction on the next phase will begin next year and the third phase will begin in 2013. Work on each crossing is staggered to mitigate local traffic impacts. The O.C. Bridges program completion is slated for 2015.
OCTA Awarded $9.3 Million in Federal Grants
The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) was awarded $9.3 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for projects to improve transit throughout Orange County.
The competitive transit grant awards were part of the DOT’s Bus Livability and State of Good Repair programs.
OCTA received five grants:
- $7.5 million for the Anaheim Regional Intermodal Center (ARTIC). This project will provide for a multimodal transportation hub in Anaheim.
- $768,000 for OCTA’s Bike Share Station Pilot Program. This grant will fund OCTA’s Bike Share Station Pilot project, which will place bike sharing stations at commuter rail stations that have bus connections, to provide better transit accessibility.
- $80,000 for OCTA’s Bus Stop Solar Lighting Project. This grant will enable OCTA to complete its Bus Stop Safety Program by installing the last remaining 100 solar lights at preselected bus stops throughout Orange County to enhance safety and accessibility.
- $828,000 for OCTA’s Underground Storage Removal and Replacement Project. These funds will assist planned efforts to remove and replace aging underground storage tanks.
- $160,000 for OCTA’s Methane Detection System Replacement and Modernization Project. These funds will permit OCTA to go forward to replace and modernize methane detection systems at OCTA bus-base facilities.
These are five recent examples of OCTA’s increased efforts to seek competitive grants from all sources of funding.
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| HARBOR HAPPENINGS |
New Marina Trash Skimmers for Dana Point Harbor
Earlier this year, OC Dana Point Harbor submitted an application to the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) for their Measure M2 Environmental Cleanup Allocation Program, Tier 1 Grant Program to fund the purchase and installation of four new trash skimmers for Dana Point Harbor.
To that end, I’m pleased to announce OC Dana Point Harbor is now the proud recipient of the $100,000 grant from OCTA and looks forward to beginning installation of the new Marina Trash Skimmers over the next several months.
OC Dana Point Harbor has been actively implementing new programs to improve Dana Point Harbor’s water quality, and I am proud our County can be recognized for being proactive on this important environmental and community issue.
For more information, please click here.
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| COUNTY CONNECTIONS |
WANTED: Orange County Grand Jurors
Are you interested in serving your community as an Orange County Grand Juror? Apply now for the July 2012 through June 2013 term!
The Orange County Grand Jury provides an oversight role for local government agencies and districts and participates in the criminal indictment process. Applications are currently being accepted for the 2012-2013 Grand Jury.
Completed applications must be received no later than Friday, January 13, 2012. To be eligible, applicants must be 18 or older, a U.S. Citizen, a resident of Orange County for at least a year, able to communicate in the English language, and of sound judgment and character.
For information and an application, please visit the Grand Jury website, or call the Grand Jury hotline at (714) 834-6747 to have an application packet mailed to you. For more information, please click here.
OC Veterans Celebration
The public is cordially invited to attend the OC Veterans Celebration on Thursday, November 3, being held at the Old Orange County Courthouse, 211 W. Santa Ana Blvd., Santa Ana.
Come hear their stories of coming home and the challenges they have faced. Light refreshments will be served and covered seating provided.
To RSVP, please contact Center of Excellence at (714) 667-5600 or hcacenterofexcellence@ochca.com. For more information, please click here and here.
The Disneyland Resort Scholarship Program
Graduating seniors in the Class of 2012 may be eligible for a scholarship through the Disneyland® Resort Scholarship Program. Scholarships will be awarded to students who demonstrate excellence in volunteerism, exceptional leadership within their communities and academic excellence.
This is a tremendous opportunity for Orange County students to be recognized for their efforts toward improving the lives of children and families in need and for going above and beyond the California State Standards for character education and service learning.
For more information, please click here.
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| CRITTER CHRONICLES |
Halloween Safety Tips for Pets
Halloween is a favorite for many children and adults, but it can also be frightening and even dangerous for animals. With a little caution and common sense, Halloween can be a fun time for kids and pets alike.
For tips to help keep our furry friends safe and sound this Halloween season, please click here and here.
South County Pet Clinic and Adoption Event
The City of Laguna Hills will host a Low Cost Pet Clinic and Adoption Event on Saturday, October 22 from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Laguna Hills Community Center, 2555 Alicia Parkway.
OC Animal Care will have pets available for adoption during the event. The Clinic will be held on a first-come, first-serve basis. All dogs must be on collars or harnesses and all cats must be in a carrier.
For more information, please click here.
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| SOUTH COUNTY CALENDAR |
Lake Forest: Haunt at Heritage Hill
The City of Lake Forest, in partnership with OC Parks, invites you to the 4th annual Haunt at Heritage Hill Historical Park on Friday, October 21 from 5:30 PM - 10:00 PM. Haunt at Heritage Hill is for young adults ages 12 and up. For more information, please call (949) 461-3450 or visit www.facebook.com/LFhaunt.
Aliso Viejo: Fall Harvest Festival
The City of Aliso Viejo invites you to enjoy their Fall Harvest Festival on Saturday, October 22 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Grand Park, featuring family games, pony rides, crafts, balloon twisters, music, and much more! For more information, please click here.
Dana Point: Doheny State Beach Haunted Campground
Don't miss Doheny State Beach’s most festive event of the year, as they transform a section of the campground into a spooky area, with educational booths, arts & crafts, a Fun Zone, and other fun activities. This FREE event Saturday, October 22 is from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM. For more information, please click here.
San Juan Capistrano: INSIDE SONGS
Southern California Edison invites you to INSIDE SONGS, an interactive exhibit and open house for the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, to be held Thursday, October 27 from 4:30 PM to 7:30 PM at the San Juan Capistrano Community Center, 25925 Camino Del Avion. Refreshments will be served. For more information, please click here.
Laguna Niguel: Haunted Trails
The City of Laguna Niguel invites you to Crown Valley Community Park to take a journey through the dark and "MAD World" of Haunted Trails 2011. This VERY SCARY event October 27–29 is not recommended for children under 8 years of age. For more information, please click here.
Laguna Beach: Boo Blast
Families are invited to Laguna Beach to attend El Morro Elementary School’s annual Halloween carnival – the Boo Blast – on Friday, October 28 from 2:30 PM to 7:30 PM. Please, no scary costumes, as this event is geared toward elementary school age kids and younger. For more information, please click here.
Mission Viejo: Hometown Halloween
Mark your calendar for the City of Mission Viejo’s Hometown Halloween, a festive community celebration that caters to all ages, from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Saturday, October 29 at the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center, 24932 Veterans Way. For more information, please click here.
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| FIFTH DISTRICT WRAP-UP |
In addition to my many meetings, briefings, and other supervisorial activities, I also:
- Presented a proclamation in honor of the grand opening ceremony for the new Laguna Niguel City Hall and Civic Center.
- Participated in the Orange County Transportation Authority’s (OCTA) groundbreaking ceremony and kick-off event for the OC Bridges projects.
- Participated in the South County Power Outage After Action Review to discuss the September 8 widespread power outage that impacted much of the Fifth District.
My staff and I look forward to continually providing you updated information in our Fifth District Newsletter and website.
Please feel free to contact my office with your concerns, comments or questions at (714) 834-3550. It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your Supervisor for Orange County's Fabulous Fifth District.
For an ADA version of our newsletter, click here.
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