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August 24, 2012 |
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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. TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION
3. SAFETY SENTRY
4. HARBOR HAPPENINGS
5. NOTES FROM THE FIELD
6. FIFTH DISTRICT SPOTLIGHT
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
Ruth Strachan:
Office Manager
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| BOARD BULLETIN BOARD |
OC Public Libraries Code of Conduct
The Board approved the OC Public Libraries Code of Conduct, which had been initiated by my office. The Code prohibits activities in County libraries that violate Federal, state, local or other applicable law, ensuring that the rights of patrons, volunteers and staff are preserved and allowing library users to be in a safe and secure environment.
For more information, please click here.
Real Estate Fraud Prosecution Annual Report
The Board received the Real Estate Fraud Prosecution Annual Report from the Orange County District Attorney’s (DA) office. The report covers efforts by the DA in FY 2011-12 to combat real estate fraud.
In 2009, the Board established a $3.00 recording fee to provide a necessary source of funding for a specialized unit that will prosecute, investigate, and deter real estate fraud crimes. Since 2009, this unit has been successful in prosecuting a number of serious crimes and has resulted in 55 convictions for fraud.
Conviction highlights include:
- An individual convicted of 65 felony counts for participating in a complex $16 million equity skimming scheme.
- A defendant convicted of 68 felony counts for leading an investment loan scheme, which resulted in $6.9 million in losses for 12 senior investor victims.
- A defendant charged with 13 felony fraud counts for participation in a $900,000 real instate investment scheme.
For more information, please click here.
Relinquish Jurisdiction on Moulton Parkway & El Toro Road
On September 15, 2009, the Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution declaring portions of Moulton Parkway and El Toro Road (from 300 feet south of Via Campo Verde to 1200 feet north of El Toro Road), lying within the City Limits of Laguna Woods, to be County Highways for the purpose of constructing the Moulton Parkway Widening, Segment 3 Phase I.
The project was completed on April 27, 2012, and the Notice of Completion was recorded on May 18, 2012.
On Tuesday, the Board adopted a resolution relinquishing jurisdiction back to the City of Laguna Woods so that the previously declared portions of Moulton Parkway and El Toro Road are no longer County Highways. The completed improvements will be owned and maintained by the City.
For more information, please click here.
On-Call Plan Check Services
The Board approved three firms to provide on-call plan check services to supplement OC Public Works staff.
From 2010 to 2011, plan check activities for ministerial permits increased by 36 percent and the number of discretionary permits increased by 19 percent. The number of discretionary permits initiated during the first six months of 2012 has already exceeded the total number of discretionary permits initiated in 2011.
The individual usage contracts are approved for a three-year term in an amount not to exceed an annual aggregate total of $1,430,000. Contract services will only be used on an as needed basis and the funds will be 100% reimbursed by user fees.
For more information, please click here.
Section 8 Management Assessment Program Certification
Then Board authorized the Orange County Housing Authority (OCHA) to submit its annual Section 8 Management Assessment Program (SEMAP) Certification in compliance with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) mandates.
Performance measures for this year indicate that OCHA’s overall SEMAP score achieved a “high performer” agency rating from July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012. Over the past five years, OCHA’s score has actually exceeded the “maximum number of points,” as OCHA also qualified for a five-point bonus for deconcentration.
If HUD approves the ratings outlined in the SEMAP Certification, this will be OCHA's sixth consecutive year to receive the maximum number of scores as a high performing Public Housing Agency. For more information, please click here.
Grand Jury Report: The Dissolution of Redevelopment
On February 1, 2012, all redevelopment agencies in California were dissolved and a transition process for managing their financial affairs began. Prior to February 2, 2012, Orange County Redevelopment Agencies received over $400 million annually in property tax revenues and had debt obligations exceeding $2 billion.
In June 2012, the Orange County Grand Jury released a report titled "The Dissolution of Redevelopment: Where Have We Been? What Lies Ahead?” The Grand Jury report provides information on operational and performance data for each of the 24 city-operated agencies in the County. In addition, the report directed Findings and Recommendations to the County of Orange.
On Tuesday, the Board approved the County’s response to the FY 2011-12 Grand Jury Report. To view the Grand Jury report and the County’s response, please click here.
Board, Committees & Commissions
The Board supported my reappointment of Jeanette Krembas and Jerry McCloskey of Laguna Niguel and Craig Alexander of Dana Point to the Assessment Appeals Board.
Assessment Appeals Boards and Hearing Officers conduct hearings on property assessment disputes between taxpayers and the Office of the Assessor. Boards and Hearing Officers adjust property assessments and direct the Assessor to make changes, additions and cancellations to the local roll as necessary. For more information, please click here.
The Board also supported my appointment of Anthony Allevato of Mission Viejo to the Senior Citizens Advisory Council.
The Senior Citizens Advisory Council (SCAC) advises the Orange County Board of Supervisors and the Office on Aging on matters affecting senior citizens in Orange County. For more information, please click here.
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| TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION |
$9.4 Million Awarded to Enhance Bikeway Connections
The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Board of Directors last week approved $9.4 million to improve bike connections throughout the County, continuing its support of biking as a viable commute alternative and recreational activity.
The funds will be spread among 23 projects to add new bike lanes and trails, build bridges and crossings for cyclists, improve signs and add bike racks to specific cities in Orange County. These projects include:
- Creating a total of nearly 21 miles of bikeways in the cities of Anaheim, Newport Beach and San Clemente.
- Planning bikeways in Santa Ana and La Habra.
- Adding signage in Huntington Beach and approximately 9,500 feet of lighting along Irvine bikeways and trails.
- Providing bicycle education at 16 Costa Mesa elementary schools and installing bike racks at various facilities in the city.
- Adding trails in Brea and Costa Mesa.
- Connecting the bikeway on Antonio Parkway in Rancho Santa Margarita via a 300-foot bridge over Tijeras Creek.
Local agencies will match the grant with $3.9 million for a total investment of more than $13 million dedicated to enhancing the quality of current bike trails and better enabling the transportation needs of cyclists.
OCTA invited agencies to compete for these grants in February through the Bicycle Corridor Improvement Program. OCTA developed this collaborative program as part of a federally funded plan to reduce congestion and improve air quality in Orange County.
M2 Provides $2.8 Million for Water Quality Improvements
The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Board of Directors last week approved $2.8 million to improve water quality, as part of the Measure M2 Environmental Program. The 33 projects receiving funding range from installing systems that help prevent runoff from reaching the ocean to replacing irrigation systems with those that use less water.
Two percent of annual Measure M2 revenues are used to fund this program and improve the overall water quality from transportation-generated pollution.
The projects are designed to diminish more visible forms of pollutants, such as litter and debris that collect on roadways and deposit into the ocean. A call for projects was issued in February and OCTA received 50 proposals from 26 cities and the County. For more information, please click here.
The M2 Environmental Program is a comprehensive plan that will help preserve and restore water quality programs throughout Orange County. Over the next 30 years, approximately $300 million will be provided to improve water quality and reduce pollutants that lead to waterways.
OCTA Seeks Projects for Streets and Roads Funding
The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Board of Directors has issued a call for projects looking to fund $50 million in improvements, as part of the Measure M2 Comprehensive Transportation Funding Program (CTFP).
Approximately $35 million will be available to add capacity to streets and roads throughout the County and $15 million is available for projects to synchronize traffic signals.
Project applications are due to OCTA by October 26. OCTA's staff and the Technical Advisory Committee will review the proposed projects and, based on preset criteria, make recommendations to the OCTA Board for approval in the spring.
Measure M2, the half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements approved by voters in 2006, has to date provided more than $108 million for projects as part of the CTFP.
The Toll Roads: VIEWSLETTER
The Toll Roads has issued its latest edition of VIEWSLETTER, a publication of the Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA). To view the August TCA e-newsletter, please click here.
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| SAFETY SENTRY |
Orange County DUI Task Force Crackdown
The Orange County “Avoid the 38” DUI Task Force will be conducting sobriety/driver’s license checkpoints and DUI saturation patrols throughout Orange County to stop, test and arrest impaired drivers who fail to use a designated driver. The August/Labor Day Holiday DUI Campaign runs through Sept. 3.
For more information, please click here and here.
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| HARBOR HAPPENINGS |
Geotechnical Study
During the week of August 27 through August 31, geotechnical research will be performed in the Embarcadero Boat Storage and Launch Ramp Parking lots, the Dana Wharf area, Mariners Village Parking lot, and some of East Basin’s Landside Parking lots.
The work areas will be coned off prior to and during the study and require borings into the ground at selected locations, and some sites will require up to 48 hours of closure. This work is part of the planning and design process for the Dana Point Harbor Revitalization Project.
For more information, please click here.
California Coastal Cleanup Day
Please join OC Dana Point Harbor for the State’s largest volunteer cleanup event in conjunction with the Dana Point Harbor Cigarette Butt Roundup. Both events will take place Saturday, September 15 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. To register, please call (949) 499-4499.
OC Dana Point Harbor is also organizing an Underwater Cleanup Event the same day between 8:00 AM and 12:00 PM. Open water-certified divers, kayakers and volunteers can register and get more information by calling (949) 496-6137 or simply check-in during the event.
These events are part of OC Dana Point Harbor’s continuing efforts to improve water quality in the Harbor. For more information, please click here.
Harbor Highlights: Happy Birthday Wind & Sea!
This week, I had the pleasure of presenting a proclamation in honor of the Wind & Sea Restaurant, Dana Point Harbor’s oldest resident restaurant, which celebrated its 40th birthday. Hundred’s turned out for the special occasion and were treated to nostalgic menu selections at 1972 prices. All enjoyed the camaraderie as well as delicious food at yesteryear prices!
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| NOTES FROM THE FIELD |
Under the Sycamores: Meet the Monarchs!
Join OC Parks and the Laguna Canyon Foundation on Saturday, September 1 from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM, as they continue their educational series titled "Under the Sycamores" at Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, with butterfly experts on hand to introduce you to the wonderful world of Monarch Butterflies!
For more information, please click here.
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| FIFTH DISTRICT SPOTLIGHT |
South County Soccer Team Victorious at National Games
The Blue Lagunas – an AYSO Region 86 (Laguna Beach) EXTRA Girls Under-10 team – recently took first place in a 23-team field at the AYSO National Games in Knoxville, Tennessee. Laguna Beach advanced to the National Games after winning both the Orange County and California titles.
The tournament took place during an unseasonably hot heat wave, with temperatures reaching 100 degrees most days. The girls showed their heart in the inclement weather and determinedly worked their way through the first five games of the preliminary pool round, soundly defeating all opponents, including Florida (6-0), Santa Monica (3-0), top-ranked Tennessee (10-0), Chicago (5-0), and another team from Tennessee (7-0).
The effort earned the girls first place in their pool and a berth in the championship game against La Quinta, from which The Blue Lagunas won the tournament title with a 3-1 victory. For more information, please click here.
South County Gymnasts Shine at National Championships
Maggie Gallagher of Coto de Caza recently won the Junior Women's Trampoline title at the USA Gymnastics Trampoline and Tumbling Elite National Championships at the Long Beach Convention Center.
Maggie, a freshman at Tesoro High School in Las Flores, trains at World Elite Gymnastics in Rancho Santa Margarita. World Elite Gymnastics team members, including several from South County, dominated the competition with 23 national champions, 13 silver medals, 10 bronze medals and a total of 123 trips to the podium.
Following the competition, USA Gymnastics announced members of the 2012-2013 National Team, which will represent the USA at international competitions for the upcoming year. Maggie was selected to be one of five members of the Junior Women's Trampoline Team for the third consecutive year.
For more information, please click here.
South County Youngster Wins National Diving Championship
Olivia Paquette, a third grader at George White Elementary School in Laguna Niguel, earned the 2012 AAU Diving National Championship for 9 & Under Girls in the 3-Meter Springboard in Huntersville, North Carolina this summer. Olivia also placed third in the 9 & Under Girls 1-Meter and fifth in the 11 & Under Girls Platform competition.
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| SOUTH COUNTY CALENDAR |
Laguna Beach: Art Festival Season Ending Soon!
Art festival season in Laguna Beach runs daily and concludes very soon, so don’t miss out! For information on the Festival of Arts / Pageant of the Masters, please click here. For information on the Sawdust Art Festival, please click here. For information on Art-A-Fair, please click here.
Mission Viejo: Fall Leisure Time
The City of Mission Viejo’s fall Leisure Time publication is now available online, offering detailed information about upcoming special events and classes that span the next few months. 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:
- Delivered a 5th District Update at a meeting of the Monarch Summit II Homeowners Association in Laguna Niguel.
- Participated in the grand reopening and ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Laguna Niguel Branch Library. For more information, please click here.
- Presented a proclamation in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Wind & Sea Restaurant in Dana Point Harbor.
- Adjourned the Board of Supervisors meeting in memory of Ed Iglesias of San Clemente.
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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