I was pleased to participate on an expert panel this week for the Orange County Business Council (OCBC) to discuss the release of its 2019-20 Workforce Housing Scorecard. In addition to myself, the panel included Anaheim Councilman Trevor O’Neil, Buena Park City Manager Jim Vanderpool, Dave Bartlett (Vice President of Land Entitlement for Brookfield Residential) and Dr. Wallace Walrod (Chief Economic Advisor for OCBC).

Speaking at the OCBC Workforce Housing Forum.

Our panel had a robust discussion on the need for more housing in Orange County and what local governments and businesses could do to streamline certain housing projects. In their report, OCBC estimated job growth to increase by 15.8% in the next 15 years, but housing is only expected to grow by 11.5%, leaving a likely shortfall of about 114,031 units. Consistently high housing demand makes living in Orange County even more expensive, pricing out younger residents and decreasing our future workforce talent pool.

The panel, representing both City and County leaders and a home-builder, remained optimistic about the County’s ability to address these issues through public/private partnerships and increased opportunities for millennials to stay in the County. When we are educating our young people here, we want them to stay here. It’s important for government and the private sector to work together to address workforce housing and career pathways to keep young people in the County.

With the panelists of the Orange County Workforce Housing Forum.

Each panelist also agreed that mixed use projects - which include a combination of retail, restaurants, entertainment and housing - are excellent options to utilize properties to their greatest potential while addressing the community’s needs. I encourage you to read the full report and send me your ideas to attract more business and housing options for current and future residents of Orange County. For more information, click here.

The new Laguna Beach Parking Mobile App is intended to reduce circling, gridlock and congestion in the downtown area. It was developed by a partnership of the City and Frogparking, a leading mobile app system developer of parking and transit. 

Not only does the app help find parking, it can be used to pay for the space and keep track of the remaining time on the meter and even remotely extend the time.

The app is now free to download through the app store and Google Play store. It also can be downloaded here. 

Lauren Conrad, star of "Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County" and "The Hills" reality shows, fashion designer and author, is helping promote the City’s new parking app. “Late for Parking” is a lighthearted PSA on the parking woes in Laguna Beach. It shows Conrad on her way to the video shoot and late because she can’t find a parking space.

Click the image above to view the “Late for Parking” video starring Lauren Conrad and Stephen Colletti.

Actor Stephen Colletti, a former Laguna Beach High School student who co-starred with Conrad on the teenage reality show "Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County" plays himself on the PSA, riding a trolley and telling her she should have used the app! For more information, click here.

I'm pleased to report the official launch of the San Clemente Trolley's highly anticipated newest route - the Blue Line. On Monday, July 8, the Blue Line North San Clemente Trolley Route began operating daily with free rides through September 29.

This summer, the new Blue Line North SC Route will run from the Outlets at San Clemente north along North El Camino Real, Camino San Clemente, Camino Mira Costa, and connect to the Dana Point Trolley on Camino De Estrella at Calle Verano.

The SC Trolley then returns south via Camino Capistrano and North El Camino Real, with stops at Camino Capistrano & Avenida Vaquero, Camino Capistrano & Camino Mira Costa, Camino Mira Costa & Camino De Estrella, and Camino De Estrella & Calle Verano.

Hop on the San Clemete Trolley this summer!

Riders can expect a trolley at each stop about every 15 minutes, and riders can transfer between the two routes at the Outlets at San Clemente (Trolley Stop #9). Trolley stops are clearly marked with signs that have the San Clemente Trolley logo.

For more information about the San Clemente Trolley, including schedules and a detailed map of stops for the whole system, FAQs, and Real-Time Trolley Tracking, please click here.

The Cox Conserves Heroes program honors environmental volunteers who create, preserve or enhance shared outdoor spaces in their local communities. One California Cox Conserve Hero will designate a $10,000 grant to the environmental nonprofit of their choice, given by the James M. Cox Foundation, the Cox-affiliated foundation. The James M. Cox Foundation will also award $50,000 to the national winner’s nonprofit of choice.

Nominate a volunteer today at coxconservesheroes.com through July 31. Nominees must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Their activity creates, protects and/or beautifies an outdoor community space. 
• Their activity is done on a volunteer basis and is not part of paid employment.Their activity inspires others to engage in community conservation.

In California, the Cox Conserves Heroes program is presented by Cox Communications in partnership with The Trust for Public Land. Over the past 11 years, the Cox Conserves Heroes program has contributed nearly $1M to environmental nonprofits and honored more than 200 volunteers across the country.

After 45 years of dedicated service and exemplary leadership as General Manager with El Toro Water District (ETWD), Robert R. (Bob) Hill retired July 1. Along with many other dignitaries, my office was pleased to present Bob with a well-deserved proclamation for his outstanding legacy of accomplishment.

Bob Hill receives a proclamation from my Community Relations Advisor, Sergio Prince.

Bob served as General Manager for ETWD since 2001. Prior to his position as General Manager, Bob was ETWD’s Assistant General Manager for eight years, Operations Manager for ten years and previously held multiple positions spanning from operations to contract administration. Hill’s extensive knowledge of the District and water in Orange County made him an invaluable leader for the District and the customers it serves. 

During Bob’s tenure as General Manager he was responsible for numerous innovative projects, which saved the District and its customers millions of dollars while saving billions of gallons of potable water from being imported to be used for irrigation.  Bob’s successful legacy is due in part to his commitment of diversifying and improving the reliability of ETWD’s water supply over the last four decades.

Bob has been recognized for many programs, initiatives, and infrastructure projects that ETWD customers have benefited from today. A few of his milestone achievements include:

• Leading the effort on ETWD being awarded the Transparency Certificate of Excellence Award and the District of Distinction accreditation both issued by the Special District Leadership Foundation.
• Developed and implemented an expansion plan for the El Toro Reservoir, the largest covered drinking water reservoir in Orange County, increasing the capacity from 223 to 275 million galls of water. This project regionalized the reservoir providing emergency drinking water for El Toro, Moulton Niguel and Santa Margarita Water Districts.
• Led the multi-phase Recycled Water Expansion Project that developed a new Tertiary Treatment Plant that produces over 450 million gallons of water per year for irrigation use within the District.
• Partnered with Irvine Ranch Water District and three South County water agencies in the joint regional Baker Water Treatment Plant that provides 28.1 million gallons per day of drinking water to South County.

Throughout his many years at ETWD, Bob always led by example as a true public servant, and was widely renowned as genuine leader, team player and collaborator within the Orange County water industry. While we wish him all the best in retirement, Bob will sincerely be missed by the ETWD Board, his loyal staff, and my office.

At the Bob Hill retirement ceremony with:

(Front row) Gil Granito, ETWD General Counsel, Redwine and Sherrill; Kay Havens, El Toro Water District Director; Kathryn Freshley, El Toro Water District Director; Sergio Prince, Community Relations Advisor Supervisor Lisa Bartlett’s Office; Bob Hill, Past ETWD General Manager; Saundra Jacobs, Santa Margarita Water District President; Cynthia Conners, City of Laguna Woods Mayor; Doug Reinhart, Irvine Ranch Water District Director; Don Chadd, Trabuco Canyon Water District Vice President; Michael Safranski, Trabuco Canyon Water District President; Donald Froelich, Moulton Niguel Water District Vice President; Michael Perea, Trabuco Canyon Water District Interim General Manager; and

(Back row) Mark Tettemer, City of Lake Forest Mayor; Jim Fisler, Mesa Water District Director; Dan Ferons, Santa Margarita Water District General Manager; Mike Gaskins, El Toro Water District Director; Jose Vergara, El Toro Water District President; Bill Moorhead, Moulton Niguel Water District Director; Rob Hunter, Municipal Water District of Orange County General Manager; Carol Moore, City of Laguna Woods Councilmember; Dennis Cafferty, El Toro Water District General Manager; Paul Cook, Irvine Ranch Water District General Manager; John Lewis, Lewis Consulting Group

As reported in my newsletter last week, the Orange County Health Care Agency has been approved for up to $18 million over three years from the State Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission (MHSOAC) to fund the Behavioral Health System Transformation Innovation (INN) Project.
 
The INN project was born after the community identified the fragmented public and private behavioral health systems as a barrier to receiving the right care at the right time. Oftentimes, patients in need don’t know where to turn for care or how to pay for services that fall outside of their existing health plan, if they have one. Through the INN project, we will create a tool that provides guidance to any member of the public as they seek resources within the complex system.
 
The funding will support the development of this system-transformation at two levels. The INN project will include building a comprehensive digital resource navigator. This tool, which will be available and leveraged through Be Well OC’s mission, will consolidate and integrate disparate directories of resources into a single source, making it easier for users to navigate. 

The budget was approved at the MHSOAC meeting May 23 in Los Angeles. The three-year timeline will begin when funds are first spent or when services are first delivered, whichever comes first. The County will be responsible for submitting an annual report outlining milestones and lessons learned.

The vision of Be Well OC is to lead the nation in optimal mental health and wellness for all residents of Orange County. Be Well brings together a robust, community-based, cross-sector strategy (public, private, academic, faith-based and others) to create a community-wide coordinated ecosystem to support optimal mental health. For more information, please visit bewelloc.org.

New interactive digital wayfinding signage makes traveling through John Wayne Airport (JWA) even more convenient. The easy-to-use touchscreens help travelers locate specific restaurants, retail concessions and amenities throughout the Thomas F. Riley Terminal.

With the new Digital Wayfinding Displays, JWA has established a creative and innovative way to enhance the overall guest experience. The new wayfinding signage allows multiple passengers to engage simultaneously and helps ease their journey through the Terminal.

Signs located at TSA entrances now combine JWA’s Flight Information displays with two 46” touchscreen wayfinding LED screens, and three 37” horizontal LED screens that continually display the overall layout of the Terminal’s concourse and gate numbers.

Guests at JWA now have access to LED digital touch-screen wayfinding signage to easily locate everything in the Thomas F. Riley Terminal from sunglasses to water refill stations. Guests can also view menus, locate vegan-friendly options, and order food directly from a mobile device.

Highlights of the interactive digital wayfinding signage include:

• Identify where retail, food and beverage, airlines, and services (pet relief areas, taxi/ride-app locations, nursing mother’s lounge, ATMs, water refill stations, USO) are located in Terminals A, B, or C.
• Know the distance from one location to another to comfortably judge the time needed to reach the destination.
• Locate a restaurant and view menu options, calorie counts, vegan/vegetarian options, and gluten-free items.
• Download a free HMS Host “Host2Coast” app directly to a mobile device via QR code to pre-order a meal from seven restaurants, pay and schedule a pick-up time up to 4 hours in advance.
• View the JWAlive music program schedule for performance times and locations.
• Find information and links to wheelchairs, airlines, rental cars, and TSA Pre✓™.
• In the coming months, guests will be able to have their mobile food orders delivered while they wait at their gate at no charge.

Applications flooded in after the Board of Supervisors announced the first round of adoptions for the 140 Shih Tzu puppies recently rescued from a home in the City of Orange.

With my Board colleagues and the Shih Tzu puppies.

OC Animal Care staff and volunteers have been working diligently to create a seamless process and ensure a positive experience for each adopter that walks through their door. This includes reviewing applications and scheduling visits with potential adopters to best match each dog with a loving, forever home. Click here for more information.

It is our goal to place every dog into a loving home. We are incredibly proud of our team at OC Animal Care, which pulled together to provide care for these dogs on such short notice, and we’re greatly touched by the generosity and support from our community.

OC Animal Care needs your help! In light of recent events, OC Animal Care is at almost DOUBLE the shelter’s capacity! With an additional 600 shelter pets out in foster care, that's over 1,200 pets who need a home to call their own!

OC Animal Care believes in giving these pets every available chance for a forever family. To that end, the shelter is reducing their adoption fees until they are under 60% of their capacity.

If you are unable to add a new family member at this time, spreading the word is just as important. Let’s give these animals the chances they deserve. For more information, please click here or on the image below.

Click the image above to enlarge.

Presented by Doheny Blues Festival and the City of Dana Point. The Saturday, July 14 concert features two bands, Pyromania (The Def Leppard Experience) at 3 PM, and Aeromyth (The Ultimate Tribute to Aerosmith) at 4:30 PM. Refreshments and food available for purchase. For more info, click here.

Enjoy the Music in the Park summer concerts every Sunday in Laguna Beach from 5 PM to 7 PM starting July 14 at Bluebird Park (Bluebird Canyon Dr./Cress St.) Free trolley service is available to the park.

7/14:  80's Daze (80's Tribute Band)

7/21:  Cubensis (Grateful Dead Tribute)

7/28:  Hollywood Blondie (Blondie Tribute)

8/4:  Bill Magee (Blues)

8/11:  Upstream (Reggae/Calypso)

8/18:  Boys of Summer (Eagles Tribute)

8/25:  LA Sound Machine (Gloria Estefan Tribute)

• Participated in the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Board of Directors meeting.
• Participated in the OCTA Environmental Oversight Committee meeting.
• Participated in the Orange County Business Council (OCBC) Workforce Housing Forum.
• Participated in the National Association of Counties (NACo) Annual Conference and Exposition.

With the panelists of the OCBC Workforce Housing Forum.

• Presented a certificate of recognition in honor of the ribbon cutting ceremony for Fidelity Investments in Mission Viejo.
• Presented a certificate of recognition in honor of the ribbon cutting ceremony for Big Wok Mongolian BBQ in Lake Forest.
• Attended the National Association of Counties (NACo) Annual Conference and Exposition.
• Presented commendations to the 2019 honorees at the San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce Installation Dinner & Awards Banquet, including Scott & Diana Schmitt, who were recognized as Man & Woman of the Year by the City and also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chamber. More on this in next week's newsletter! 

My Community Relations Advisor, Sergio Prince, with Carolyn Franks, Vice Chair of the San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, at the Installation Dinner & Awards Banquet.

At the ribbon cutting for Fidelity Investments in Mission Viejo.
(Photo courtesy of Takata Photo & Design)

At the ribbon cutting for Big Wok Mongolian BBQ in Lake Forest.
(Photo courtesy of Takata Photo & Design)