July 18, 2014 |
|
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. COUNTY CONNECTIONS
3. TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION
4. SAFETY SENTRY
5. HEALTH HERALD
6. CRITTER CHRONICLES
7. RECORDER RECORD
8. TAX COLLECTOR COLLECTIBLES
9. AIRPORT ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES
10. ENVIRONMENTAL MEMOS
11. NOTES FROM THE FIELD
12. FIFTH DISTRICT SPOTLIGHT
13. SOUTH COUNTY CALENDAR
14. FIFTH DISTRICT WRAP-UP
OUR STAFF...
Don Hughes:
Chief of Staff
Brian Probolsky:
Interim Chief of Staff
Sergio Prince:
Policy Advisor
Erik Weigand:
Deputy Chief of Staff
Veronica Carpenter:
Policy Advisor
James Dinwiddie:
Policy Advisor
Ruth Strachan:
Office Manager
Click here to subscribe.
Click here to unsubscribe
|
|
| BOARD BULLETIN BOARD |
Board Approves AOCDS Contract
The Board approved a contract with the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs (AOCDS). These are the men and women who serve to protect the vast majority of the cities and unincorporated areas in the 5th District, John Wayne Airport, and our County jail system.
This was not an easy process. It was a decision requiring a great deal of research and reflection. The process, which had been slowly progressing for nearly two years, involved hundreds of hours of meetings and thousands of pages of research, proposals and documentation, through which we were able to achieve a balanced outcome.
The Board achieved our ultimate goal of requiring employees to pay 100% of their pension contributions, which will amount to between 14% - 20% of their salary and is a tremendous step in the right direction to reign in the County’s cost for their pensions.
We also addressed the extended six-year period deputies have gone without raises by implementing a modest 3% increase, which will begin next year, when they will be paying the full cost for their pensions.
One of the reasons the Orange County Sheriff’s Departments is a high performing organization is training and experience. Hiring and training a new deputy costs in excess of $180,000. Even then, we are faced with new recruits, who will take years to grow into the position.
Currently, 77% of our deputies have reached the top of their career steps and, as a whole, have not received a raise in six years. In order to provide a continuing career path and foster retention, we added two new steps at the top of the career ladder. Earning these new steps will be a merit increase achieved only through documented performance. Additionally, to achieve savings, we expanded the ladder with two new lower steps at the bottom, which requires a 5.5% pay reduction for new hires.
There has been some discussion in the media regarding our negotiations being in private. This has been required by current regulations. Change is needed to bring labor negotiations into the sunlight, and that is why I am supporting a new County Ordinance, Civic Openness in Negotiations (COIN). The proposal increase transparency and disclosures in labor negations before approval by the Board.
The proposal was modified as of our July 17 Board meeting to increase public discussion of hypothetical “supposals” and will return to the Board for the second reading discussion at our July 22 Board meeting.
For more information, please click here.
New Sheriff’s Substation Coming to South County
The Board approved the lease of a new Sheriff’s Substation in the City of Lake Forest. As everyone is well aware, South County has grown significantly over the past two decades.
Recently, the Sheriff’s Department concluded that operating from one single location in the City of Aliso Viejo was no longer feasible. They in turn reorganized their operational structure to include two regions of South Orange County: one in the southwest and one in the southeast.
To initiate this plan, a new substation in the southeastern area was needed to facilitate their new goals. After months of searching for locations, Sheriff’s Department staff found a facility at 20202 Windrow Drive, Lake Forest, that will accomplish meeting present needs and future growth in southeast Orange County.
Over the next few months, the property owner and the Sheriff’s Department will be making necessary improvements/modifications and are preparing for an estimated opening time in November.
For more information, please click here.
Ballot Measure: County Campaign Reform Ordinance
The Board voted to place on the November General Election ballot an ordinance that would allow the County to contract out to the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) for the enforcement and oversight of the County’s campaign reform laws.
Using the FPPC for campaign enforcement and oversight allows the County access to their fully trained, full-time investigative and enforcement staff. The FPPC is an independent, nonpartisan State agency that was approved by the voters in 1974. As such, I am confident the FPPC will provide the best impartial oversight that will meet the standards Orange County requires.
As a side note, this new proposal would not change the County’s campaign contribution limit or our gift-ban restrictions contained in our Tin Cup regulations.
For more information, please click here.
Year-Round Emergency Shelter and Multi-Service Center
Each year, when the County’s Armory Emergency Shelter Program closes for the season, Orange County immediately loses 400 emergency shelter beds. As such, it is critical to transition the seasonal Armory Emergency Shelter Program to a year-round emergency shelter program.
To that end, the Board approved a Purchase and Sale Agreement for the acquisition of a site in the City of Santa Ana for a year-round emergency shelter and multi-service center for homeless families and individuals in Orange County. The property consists of a one-story 23,220 square foot industrial warehouse building, constructed in July 2000, situated on 57,000 square feet of land, with 44 parking spaces.
Due diligence review of the building and its premises, as well as consideration of operational issues, will occur before the purchase is finalized and programs implemented.
For more information, please click here.
Donation for San Clemente Branch Library
The Board accepted a $200,000 donation from the Friends of the Library to offset the costs for the expansion project at the San Clemente Branch Library. The Friends of the Library is assisting OC Public Libraries with the cost to expand the library into the vacant senior center space and remodel the interior of the building.
The Friends of the Library generous donation has been vital to insuring this project could move forward. For more information, please click here.
|
| COUNTY CONNECTIONS |
Celebrate Orange County’s 125th Birthday at OC Fair
Come celebrate Orange County’s Quasquicentennial on Friday, August 1, when the OC Fair hosts “Orange County Day” with a special ceremony honoring the County’s birth on August 1, 1889.
The celebration begins at 12:30 PM at the fairground’s Hangar building. The program includes a live performance of period music from the 1880s and a slide show of historic photos from the Orange County Archives. The Orange County Fair & Events Center is located at 88 Fair Drive in Costa Mesa. Standard fair admission fees apply.
A further celebration will take place Tuesday, August 5, at 8:30 AM at the Hall of Administration, 333 W. Santa Ana Blvd., Santa Ana. The public is invited to a reception commemorating the very first Board of Supervisors meeting 125 years before, though it was held several blocks away above the Beatty Bros store on Fourth Street.
Prior to 1889, the region was part of Los Angeles County. The county seat at that time was seven hours distant by horse buggy on rutted dirt roads, and local residents felt overtaxed and unrepresented.
Attempts to form a separate county began in 1870. The Legislature finally approved a county formation vote, which was held June 4, 1889. Support for the new county was overwhelming – 2,505 to 499. The County officially formed August 1 of that year, and the rest is history.
For more information, please click here.
|
| TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION |
Metrolink and OC Fair Express
The OC Fair runs through August 10 with concerts, fair foods, carnival rides, animals, exhibits, shopping and all the best things about the summer. The OC Fair is open Wednesday through Sunday. For more information, please visit ocfair.com.
How to Get to the OC Fair (Friday, Saturday or Sunday)
Take Metrolink to the Anaheim Canyon, Santa Ana or Irvine Metrolink station and connect with OCTA’s OC Fair Express, which provides direct bus service to the OC Fair. Just show your valid Metrolink ticket for a FREE ride to the OC Fair.
The non-stop bus will drop you off in front of the OC Fair’s yellow gate, plus all OC Fair Express passengers will receive a coupon good for $3 admission into the Fair. That’s up to $9 off! So skip the traffic and save on parking and admission with the OC Fair Express via Metrolink!
The OC Fair Express will run Fridays during the OC Fair from 12 noon until midnight, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 AM until midnight. The OC Fair Express is made possible in part by a grant provided by the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee. For more information please click here.
$10 Weekend Day Pass (Valid Saturday or Sunday only)
Metrolink can help you get to the OC Fair with the $10 Weekend Day Pass. This pass is valid for system-wide travel on either Saturday or Sunday for only $10 per day. The $10 Weekend Day Pass is available for purchase through all Metrolink Ticket Vending Machines located at the train station.
The Weekend Day Pass offers FREE transfers to most rail or bus carriers throughout Southern California, but does not allow for free transfers to Amtrak or Coaster trains.
For more information please click here.
|
| SAFETY SENTRY |
DUI Enforcement Operation in Laguna Beach
Officers from the Laguna Beach Police Department will be deploying this weekend to stop and arrest alcohol and drug-impaired drivers in the Department’s ongoing traffic safety campaign. DUI Saturation Patrols will deploy on Friday, July 18th between the hours of 6:00 PM and 3:00 AM in areas with high frequencies of DUI collisions and/or arrests.
For more information, please click here.
|
| HEALTH HERALD |
Eat. Play. Breath.
Here’s a sobering statistic: Six in ten preventable deaths in Orange County are due to chronic disease. Of those, three behaviors – unhealthy eating, physical inactivity, and smoking – are the main contributors.
To address this startling fact, the Health Care Agency (HCA) is launching Eat. Play. Breathe. – an awareness campaign that encourages individuals to eat fresh foods, play in some way, and breathe smoke-free every day.
The campaign promotes positive health messages and features a valuable website, myHEALTHOC.org, where the community can find simple, useful tips and resources to eat better, become more active and stop smoking.
Through September 1, be sure to keep an eye out for the campaign’s advertising messages, which will be seen on Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) buses, billboards, the Outlets at Orange, OC Fair, and the lobbies of many County agencies.
For more information, please click here and here.
|
| CRITTER CHRONICLES |
Catopia
Join OC Animal Care in celebrating all that is wonderful about cats during their Catopia celebration Saturday, July 19 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
For more information, please click here.
OC Animal Care: New Programs, Reduced Fees & More
OC Animal Care has several new programs, reduced fees and more that go went into effect this month. These include reduced adoption fees, discounts for military members, free pet redemption for licensed pets, low-cost pet tags & senior licensing discounts.
For more information, please click here.
|
| RECORDER RECORD |
Clerk-Recorder Offices Open Saturday, July 26
Plan now to take advantage of the Orange County Clerk-Recorder’s first Saturday office opening of the summer on Saturday, July 26. The department will be open from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Old County Courthouse in Santa Ana and at the department’s branch offices in Laguna Hills and Fullerton.
The Old County Courthouse will be offering marriage licenses, civil marriage ceremonies and passport application services only. Copies of property records and birth, death and marriage certificates will be available at the Laguna Hills and Fullerton branch offices, as well as obtaining marriage licenses and civil marriage ceremonies. Free parking will be available at all three locations.
For more information, please click here and here.
|
| TAX COLLECTOR COLLECTIBLES |
Update from Orange County Treasurer-Tax Collector
The Office of the Assessor has completed their mailing of over 850,000 Secured Property Value notices for the 2014-15 fiscal year. These notices were sent to all property owners to indicate the value as of January 1, as well as any exemptions listed for the property. The value on the notices will be the basis for calculating secured property taxes due for this fiscal year.
If you disagree with the value listed on the notice, you can file an application for a changed assessment (assessment appeal) with the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors between July 2 and September 15. For more information, please call the Clerk of the Board at (714) 834-2331, ext. 3, or click here to complete the form and print it to mail.
Since the Treaurer-Tax Collector (TTC) will be mailing secured property tax bills after the above September deadline, you must file your appeal prior to getting your tax bill in order for your appeal to be valid. Even if you file an appeal, you are required to pay the property taxes on time in order to avoid incurring any late penalties. If your appeal is granted, you will then receive a refund of taxes paid. If you have any questions about the value of your property, please contact the Assessor at (714) 834-2727 or click here.
In addition, if the mailing address has changed or will change prior to the mailing of the secured property tax bills in October, it is imperative that you file a change of address as soon as possible to ensure that you receive your secured property tax bill. Please click here to view/print a Change of Address Notice. You can complete the form and mail it to the Office of the Assessor at the location provided on the form.
Finally, you should receive your secured tax bills in the mail by the end of October and, as soon as the TTC starts mailing the secured tax bills, they will also be available online. The TTC will send out an e-mail when they begin mailing the tax bills, and it takes them approximately three weeks to mail out all tax bills.
If you are not currently using their no cost eCheck payment option, please consider “Going Green Electronically” and join thousands of other taxpayers by paying your property taxes using this option. It is their fastest growing form of payment! This is a free service offered by the TTC. Payments must be made by midnight on the last payment date to be considered timely at ocgov.com/octaxbill. The receipt, which you can receive by e-mail or print and can then staple to your tax bill, is as valid as a receipt you receive in their office, as it is date stamped with the time and date of your payment.
If you have any questions, please e-mail the TTC at ttcinfo@ttc.ocgov.com or call a customer service representative at (714) 834-3411 weekdays from 9:00 AM to 4:45 PM.
|
| AIRPORT ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES |
John Wayne Airport to Change Runway Designations
Due to a gradual shift of the Earth's magnetic poles, John Wayne Airport’s (JWA) runways will get new number designations. Originally scheduled for July, the runway re-designation has been postponed to September to provide sufficient time to complete and publish aeronautical reference materials used by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control, as well as, commercial and general aviation pilots.
JWA's commercial runway will ultimately become two left and two zero right (2L-20R), and the general aviation runway will become two right and two zero left (2R-20L).
For nearly half a century, JWA has operated two runways: a commercial runway – one left and one nine right (1L-19R); and a general aviation runway – one right and one nine left (1R-19L). Runways can be used in both directions and, therefore, have opposite 180 degree headings at each end (e.g. 1L-19R, 1R-19L). The two numbers always differ by 18 (= 180°).
Per the FAA Aeronautical Information Manual, a runway number is the whole number nearest one-tenth the magnetic bearing of the centerline of the runway, measured clockwise from the magnetic north. The magnetic north rotates about one degree every 12 years or five degrees every 60 years.
For more information, please click here.
|
| ENVIRONMENTAL MEMOS |
Exotic Pest Find: Oriental Fruit Fly
One Oriental Fruit Fly has been detected at a property in Huntington Beach. The Oriental Fruit Fly is an exotic pest that is capable of infesting over 125 varieties of fruits and vegetables by laying its eggs in ripening fruit, thus rendering the fruit inedible and unmarketable. The Oriental Fruit Fly is established in Southern Asia and is also established in Hawaii.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture fruit fly trapping program has detected this exotic fruit fly numerous times in past years in Orange County and it has always been successfully eradicated. The California Department of Food and Agriculture will continue trapping with pheromone scented traps to determine if there are other fruit flies present. Should additional flies be found, it is anticipated the state could conduct a ground-baiting program.
Residents can be referred to the California Department of Food and Agriculture Hotline at (800) 491-1899 or visit the state website www.cdfa.ca.gov to learn more about the Oriental Fruit Fly and the eradication program. If you have questions or need additional information, please call Richard Tiffer at the Agricultural Commissioner Office at (714) 955-0123.
For more information, please click here.
|
| NOTES FROM THE FIELD |
Laguna Niguel Regional Park: Amazing Birds of Prey
Get a close-up look at live hawks, owls and falcons from the Orange County Bird of Prey Center. Find out how owls fly silently and discover other raptor survival secrets! The live raptor presentation will be held Saturday, July 19 from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM in Laguna Niguel Regional Park, 28241 La Paz Road, Laguna Niguel.
For more information, please call (949) 497-8324 or click here.
|
| FIFTH DISTRICT SPOTLIGHT |
Saddleback College Surf Team Wins NSSA Title
Saddleback College in Mission Viejo won the biggest of three division titles and took home the team title recently at the National Scholastic Surfing Association Intercollegiate Championships.
San Clemente High School graduate Shaw Kobayashi powered to the collegiate men’s title – the biggest division in the tournament – to lead the way for Saddleback. Competing in 3-foot waves at Dana Point’s Salt Creek Beach, Saddleback rode away with the team title.
Saddleback produced four finalists – Kobayashi and fellow San Clemente High grad Jeremy Carter in the men’s division, Dana Hills High grad Danielle Wyman in the women’s division, and San Clemente High grad Dennis White in longboarding.
South County was well-represented in the finals, as longboard finalist Dane Peterson of UC San Diego is from Trabuco Canyon. Wyman is from Laguna Niguel. Kobayashi, Carter, White, women’s finalist Marissa Shaw of San Diego State and longboard finalist Chase Stavron of Cal State Channel Islands are from San Clemente.
For more information, please click here.
|
| SOUTH COUNTY CALENDAR |
Dana Point Harbor: The America’s Cup
The America’s Cup, the “Oldest Trophy in All Sports”, makes a visit to Dana Point Yacht Club on Saturday, July 19 from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM, bringing you a day filled with fun and excitement in Dana Point Harbor. For more information, please click here.
San Clemente: Ocean Festival
The San Clemente Ocean Festival is celebrating “The Greatest Show on Surf!” Come join the fun Saturday & Sunday, July 19 & 20 at the San Clemente Pier. For more information, please click here and here.
Lake Forest: Summer Concert
Flashback to the good old 80's with the City of Lake Forest’s second summer concert, featuring A Flock of Seagulls with special guest 80z All Stars on Sunday, July 27 from 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM at Pittsford Park, 21701 Pittsford Drive. For more information, please click here.
Laguna Beach: Art Festival Season
Laguna Beach’s world famous summer art festival season runs daily throughout the summer. 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.
Aliso Viejo: Summer Newsletter
Find out the latest news and information in the City of Aliso Viejo’s summer newsletter. For more information, please click here.
|
| FIFTH DISTRICT WRAP-UP |
In addition to my many meetings, briefings, and other supervisorial activities, I also:
- Participated in the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Board of Directors meeting.
- Met with OC Community Resources staff to review Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Youth Program funding for FY 2014-2015.
- Participated in the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) Decommissioning Community Engagement Panel meeting.
My office also:
- Attended the South Orange County Association of Mayors meeting in San Juan Capistrano.
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.
Follow me on Facebook! |
| |
|
