October 31, 2014 |
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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. HEALTH HERALD
5. AIRPORT ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES
6. SAFE SENTRY
7. SOUTH COUNTY CALENDAR
8. FIFTH DISTRICT WRAP-UP
OUR STAFF...
Brian Probolsky:
Chief of Staff
Erik Weigand:
Deputy Chief of Staff
Veronica Carpenter:
Policy Advisor
James Dinwiddie:
Policy Advisor
Ruth Strachan:
Office Manager
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| BOARD BULLETIN BOARD |
The Board of Supervisors met this Tuesday. To view the agenda for the Board meeting please click here.
Our next Board meeting will be held Tuesday, November 18. Regular Board meetings begin at 9:30 AM in the Hall of Administration. For Agenda & Meeting Information, please click here.
Live Internet broadcasts of Board of Supervisors meetings can be viewed online and are archived as video-on-demand. To view live and/or past Board meetings, please click here.
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| SOUTH COUNTY NEWS |
Important information regarding Notification Seals, fees, and Award of Excellence
Orange County Environmental Health will be providing a presentation on Wednesday, November 5 at 3 pm at the OC Sailing and Event Center in Dana Point regarding the proposed changes to the Notification Seals, fees, and Award of Excellence.
In the coming weeks the Board of Supervisors will be considering adopting color-coded seals to give the public a way to see inspection results “at-a-glance.”
OC Environmental Health invites all restaurant businesses and the public to attend.
Please call 714-433-6000 for reservations and details and click here to view the flyer.
Wednesday, November 5th, 3:00 – 4:00
at the OC Sailing and Events Center
34451 Ensenada Pl.
Dana Point, 92629
Help Protect Your Neighborhood During the Holidays: Permits Needed to Ensure Safe Holiday Displays Over Public Roads in Unincorporated Areas
Orange County (OC) Public Works wants to take this opportunity to remind residents in the unincorporated areas of Orange County that they must obtain an “encroachment” permit if they plan to stretch holiday displays, including strings of lights, over public roadways.
Displays fully contained on private property do not need a permit.
Public safety is the County’s top priority, and Public Works want residents and homeowner groups to be aware of the legal requirements to ensure a safe environment as they look to enjoy the holidays through lights and decorations.
The festive over-roadway displays, popular in some neighborhoods during Fall and Winter holidays, require a permit and safety inspection. The permit establishes guidelines to ensure public safety and code compliance for homeowner associations and individuals interested in installing holiday displays over public roads.
The purpose of the required permit is to ensure that displays provide adequate clearance for emergency and service vehicles and are installed with proper electrical connections.
Holiday display encroachment permits are necessary only for those considering lights or decorations stretched across public streets. Displays fully contained on private property do not need a permit.
The fee for a permit is $583, plus payment of a refundable $1,000 surety, which will be returned if no incidents occur during the display period. A $1 million insurance policy naming the County of Orange as additional insured also must be obtained.
To help control permit fees incurred by individuals, OC Public Works allows a homeowners association to purchase one permit for the entire community. OC Public Works would like to coordinate with interested homeowner associations and individuals to provide additional information about the permit process in advance of the holidays.
To learn more about obtaining an encroachment permit, individuals can contact OC Public Works’ Development Processing Center at (714) 667-8888 or visit the web site at www.ocplanning.net/permits.
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| TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION |
Ortega Highway Closure
Ortega Highway will close between I-5 and Del Obispo Street for approximately three weeks beginning at 12:01 a.m. Monday, Nov. 3.
The closure will allow crews to reconfigure the roadway on this stretch of Ortega Highway. During this stage of construction, the southbound I-5 on-ramp will remain closed. The reconfigured roadway and the on-ramp are expected to reopen on Nov. 25
Please note: The Ortega Highway Bridge will be closed to pedestrians for this three-week period.
The closure will limit direct access to downtown. Motorists can use Junipero Serra Road or San Juan Creek Road/Camino Capistrano to get to downtown businesses and restaurants.
Northbound and southbound motorists on I-5 can continue to use the Ortega Highway exit to travel eastbound on Ortega Highway.
Southbound motorists exiting at Ortega will not be able to turn right. Northbound motorists exiting at Ortega who turn left will be redirected back to northbound I-5.
For complete details, including detours, click here.
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| HEALTH HERALD |
Trick or Treating and Food Safety
Protecting children is a full time job, and on Halloween, that job is even more important! Follow the tips below to keep your little “monster” out of harm’s way!
- Don’t eat candy until it has been inspected at home.
- Trick-or-treaters should eat a snack before heading out, so they won’t be tempted to nibble on treats that haven’t been inspected.
- Tell children not to accept—or eat—anything that isn’t commercially wrapped
- Parents of very young children should remove any choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies, or small toys.
- Inspect commercially wrapped treats for signs of tampering, such as an unusual appearance or discoloration, tiny pinholes, or tears in wrappers. Throw away anything that looks suspicious.
- Be careful of food allergies, they can “creep” up on you. Certain candies, while commercially packaged and otherwise “safe,” can contain allergens such as peanuts and other nuts. Some candies handed out at Halloween are not intended for individual sale so they may not list all or any of the ingredients. When in doubt, throw it out!
To view more helpful tips please click here.
Update on Ebola Preparedness
Emergency planning is well underway in Orange County in response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak in the West African countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The risk of contracting Ebola in the United States and in Orange County is very low; there are currently no cases of Ebola in California and no suspect cases. County officials are reviewing communicable disease response plans and conducting drills to exercise those plans.
County officials have developed extensive preparedness procedures in coordination with other local, state and national partners, including the Orange County Health Care Agency, Orange County Sheriff’s Department and its Emergency Management Division, John Wayne Airport, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Los Angeles County Public Health Lab, which is a CDC-designated site with the capability to test for Ebola.
In the event of a case in Orange County, the county’s emergency operations plan will be used to ensure a coordinated approach to monitoring and limiting the spread of the disease. The Health Care Agency routinely works closely with hospitals, health care providers, law enforcement and other government entities to ensure that Orange County is well prepared for any public health threat, including Ebola.
- Ongoing Ebola readiness activities include: Assessing hospitals on infection control and preparedness.
- Conducting training exercises, including demonstrating patient care protocols, and appropriate use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
- Establishing contracts for specialty hazardous-waste needs such as transport of laboratory specimens.
- Distributing information to hospitals, clinics, laboratories and health-care providers on CDC screening protocols and management of suspected and confirmed Ebola patients.
- Assuring that county health workers have protective equipment and proper training as recommended by the CDC.
Additional information about Ebola is available on the Health Care Agency website at http://www.ochealthinfo.com/ebola. The California Department of Public Health has established an Ebola hotline call center to respond to public inquiries related to Ebola at 855-421-5921 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
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| AIRPORT ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES |
JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT LAUNCHES UPDATED USER-FRIENDLY MOBILE SITE
John Wayne Airport (JWA) has launched an updated version of its mobile website,www.ocair.com/mobile, with a fresh look and user-friendly interface. The interactive site features arrival and departure information, travel tips, parking and ground transportation facts, a visual flight tracker and details about Riley Terminal dining and shopping options.
The mobile-optimized website is designed to mirror an app-like experience by featuring a simple navigation structure. Users can bookmark the website by adding it to their home screen for added convenience.
To explore the new mobile site, visit www.ocair.com/mobile on any mobile device.
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| SAFE SENTRY |
The Orange County “Avoid” DUI Taskforce is Deploying Additional Deputies/Officers on Halloween Night
As Halloween is quickly approaching, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department is encouraging all residents to drive sober or designate a sober driver this weekend.
Every Halloween there are people who make the choice to drive after a night of drinking alcohol. The Orange County “Avoid” DUI Task Force is reminding all drivers that Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving. Before you take your first sip of alcohol, designate a sober driver.
The DUI Task Force is deploying extra DUI deputies/officers and staffing multiple DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoints on Halloween night to supplement routine patrol officers on one of the most deadly nights of the year. Both deputies and officers will be looking for signs of alcohol and or drug impairment during every enforcement contact all weekend long.
The Orange County “Avoid” DUI Task Force recommends these simple tips for a safe Halloween:
- Before the Halloween festivities begin, plan a way to safely get home at the end of the night.
- Always designate a sober driver.
- If you are drunk take a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation.
- Walking impaired can be just as dangerous as drunk driving. Designate a sober friend to walk you home.
- If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact local law enforcement.
- If you know someone who is about to drive or ride impaired, take their keys and help them make safe travel arrangements to where they are going.
Funding for this operation is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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| SOUTH COUNTY CALENDAR |
Laguna Niguel: Haunted Trails
Zombie's have taken over the Crown Valley Community Park! Small groups will be escorted by our trained, "Zombie Squad" to experience the Haunted Trails, tents and mazes. Wear comfortable walking shoes, as you weave through the zombie infestation areas and experience the mayhem and madness! At the end of the event you will be checked out at the "infection check station" to safely leave the event. THIS EVENT IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN UNDER 8 YEARS OF AGE. NO REFUNDS For more information, please click here.
Dana Point: Halloween Spooktacular & Moonlight Movie
Join in this fun-filled event for the whole family at Lantern Bay Park!
Fun activities prior to the movie, from 4:30pm – 6:30pm include:
- Carnival Games
- Costume Parade
- Cupcake Decorating
- Marionette Show (6pm)
- Pumpkin Decorating Contest for ages up to 12 yrs
(bring your already carved or decorated pumpkin)
Moonlight Movie: Harry Potter & The Sorcerer’s Stone (PG) – Movie starts at 6:30pm Please click here for more information.
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| FIFTH DISTRICT WRAP-UP |
In addition to my many meetings, briefings, and other supervisorial activities, I also:
- Joint Orange County Transportation Authority/San Diego Association of Governments Leadership meeting
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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