This week, representatives from across the State of California, County of Orange, City of Orange, CalOptima, and local nonprofit hospital systems came together to celebrate the groundbreaking of the first Be Well OC campus at 265 Anita Drive, Orange.

At the Be Well OC campus ground breaking ceremony.

This marked a momentous occasion in Orange County’s history, as we celebrated the public-private partnership between the County of Orange and our healthcare partners.

The new 60,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility set for completion in fall of 2020, will offer best-in-class mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment programs available to all residents, regardless of payer. Service elements will include triage, psychiatric intake and referral, SUD intake and referral, withdrawal management, transitional residential, residential treatment and an integrated support center.

This first of three Be Well OC campuses marks the initial physical manifestation of the broader Be Well OC initiative. The initiative is the first of its kind in the state of California to leverage the best-in-class capabilities of public, private, academic, faith-based entities, and others, to create a coordinated system of care to solve this pervasive mental healthcare challenge. Currently, more than 100 organizations play a role in the Be Well OC ecosystem.

With my Board colleagues at the ground breaking ceremony.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors committed $16.6 million for the development of the campus, in addition to investments from CalOptima, Kaiser Permanente, Hoag and Providence St. Joseph Health (St. Jude Medical Center and St. Joseph Hospital). The projected cost for the campus is $40 million. For more information about Be Well OC, please click here.

As Chairwoman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, I'm pleased to report that my fellow Supervisors and I issued a resolution last week, recognizing the official launch of StigmaFreeOC.com in partnership with the OC Health Care Agency and the OC Mental Health Board.

Presenting the Board resolution to the OC Health Care Agency and
OC Mental Health Board.

In support of National Mental Health Awareness Week, the launch of StigmaFreeOC.com creates an opportunity to focus on community outreach and public education regarding mental illness. Local businesses, municipalities, non-profits, faith-based organizations and individuals are encouraged to take the pledge and display their Stigma Free OC certificates with pride.
 
The website also features ongoing stigma-reduction efforts happening in Orange County and a robust toolkit that visitors can utilize to take action in building momentum around this important movement. 

 StigmaFreeOC.com additionally includes local resources available to support individuals and families struggling with mental illness and substance use disorders.

The site’s calendar enables visitors to view a list of upcoming activities that promote wellness and recovery, or submit their own for posting. 
 
As the movement progresses, residents can come back to the site often to check the current pledge tally, view the website’s interactive pledge map and learn about new ways to become involved. To read the full press release, click here.  

Last Saturday, I was honored to receive an award from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Los Angeles Section Branch for "Excellence in Promoting Infrastructure." I'm very grateful for this recognition, as I have always been an advocate for strong infrastructure projects through our County agencies and Public Private Partnerships.

L-R: With Steven King (Past President, ASCE Los Angeles Region) and
Yazdan Emrandi, P.E. (Region 9 Section Governor).

In addition, six projects specific to Orange County won the following awards:

• Bikeways and Trails Project of the Year – Rancho Mission Viejo Multipurpose Path
• Construction Project of the Year – The I-5 HOV Improvement Project (between Avenida Pico and Avenida Vista Hermosa)
• Geotechnical Project of the Year – South Cove Development
• Parks and Recreation Project of the Year – Orange County Great Park Sports Complex
• Structural Engineering Project of the Year – Great Park Ice and FivePoint Arena
• Transportation Project of the Year – Los Patrones Parkway

The winners from this year’s ASCE ceremony are now nominated for the statewide awards, which will be announced and awarded in March 2020.

Civil engineers are the backbone supporting our infrastructure, which plays a major role in our day to day operations and economy. Our civil engineers are a part of every project, whether it is transportation, water infrastructure, public works, housing and building construction, and much more.

The ASCE Los Angeles Region is made up of 7 regional branches, which include the following counties:

• Mono County
• Inyo County
• San Louis Obispo County
• Santa Barbara County
• Kern County
• Ventura County
• Los Angeles County
• San Bernardino County
• Orange County
• Riverside County

Click the image above to enlarge.

I'm pleased to report that by performing certain flood control related activities, the County of Orange has helped homeowners in the unincorporated areas of Orange County receive a 25 percent discount in flood insurance premiums.

The County of Orange is a participant in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Flood Insurance Program and Community Rating System (CRS). Property owners whose properties lie within FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Areas or “100-year floodplains” are eligible to receive a discount in flood insurance premiums each year depending on the level of the activities performed by their local jurisdiction.

The CRS program requires completion of various flood control related activities, including construction and maintenance of flood control channels. Additionally, it requires CRS participants to provide an Annual Progress Report (Report) to inform the public of recent achievements in reducing flood risk in their communities. The Report summarizes the activities that the County is undertaking to reduce or eliminate its largest floodplains. The County manages and maintains approximately 380 miles of flood control channels throughout Orange County.

The Report includes activities for projects that are in the design phase or completed construction projects from the County’s 7-Year Flood Control Capital Improvement Program. Major improvements are in the Westminster and San Juan Creek watersheds, which have the largest floodplains in Orange County.

Information about the Report, including a summary of completed projects, can be found on the OC Flood section of the OC Public Works website (see the third item, Annual Progress Report for Floodplain Management Plan).

As your representative on the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Board of Directors, I'm pleased to report that the California Coastal Commission has approved a coastal permit application submitted by OCTA for a restoration project at the Pacific Horizon Preserve, a 151-acre property owned by the county agency and tucked among the Ranch Hotel, Barracuda Way and Loretta Drive.

To that end, OCTA plans to close an unauthorized 843-foot trail and restore a half-acre of habitats disturbed by the unapproved modifications. It also will remove bike jumps and repair any damage caused by erosion.

Plans also include removing invasive plants, including artichoke thistle, pampas grass and ice plant, on about four acres of the preserve and replacing them with native vegetation such as Dudleya multicaulis, a perennial succulent.

OCTA also intends to repair 1,114 feet of fencing and install new signs and three monitoring cameras on the preserve.

Closure of the unauthorized path will not prevent public access to the preserve, officials said. The report describes the path as “duplicative” of the main trail.

Karl Schwing, South Coast District director for the Coastal Commission, said there was no known opposition to the plan’s approval.

The Pacific Horizon Preserve

OCTA purchased the Pacific Horizon Preserve in 2015 as part of the Environmental Mitigation Program included in Measure M — a half-cent sales tax for transportation infrastructure improvements approved by county voters in 1990 and extended in 2006. Measure M is expected to generate more than $13.1 billion through 2041.

The mitigation program allocates funds to acquire land and pay for habitat restoration efforts to offset the environmental effects of freeway projects. Pacific Horizon is one of seven properties the agency has purchased.

The agency will have a five-year authorization for ongoing restoration at the preserve.

As reported in my newsletter last week, I was pleased to present a Board Resolution in honor of 5th District resident Scott Larson, Executive Director at HomeAid Orange County for the last 21 years, who has recently appointed to serve as the new Chief Executive Officer of HomeAid America.

Presenting a Board resolution to Scott Larson, CEO of HomeAid America.

2019 has been a year of change for Scott. Not only did he take time to explore his passions and enjoy some well-deserved rest during his three-month sabbatical provided through the Fieldstone Leadership Network Clare Rose Sabbatical, Scott is now the CEO of HomeAid America.

HomeAid was founded in 1989, by the Orange County chapter of the Building Industry Association of Southern California (BIA/SC), an affiliate of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

In 1995, HomeAid America was created to expand the effort throughout the country. Since that time, HomeAid has expanded to 20 chapters and has inspired the building industry, the business community, governments, and volunteers to take action to help those in need and is now a leading national nonprofit provider of housing and resources for people experiencing homelessness.

While Scott will be missed at HomeAid Orange County, we are all incredibly proud to see him transition into this new role! Congratulations, Scott!

The Orange County Treasurer-Tax Collector (TTC) reminds us that the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-20 Secured Property Tax Bills were mailed to taxpayers the week of September 30. THE TTC will be mailing approximately 850,000 property tax bills over a seven-day period. The property tax bills are now available to view, print or pay on the TTC website. 

The first and second installments are due on November 1, 2019 and February 1, 2020 respectively. The last day to make your timely payment for the first installment will be December 10, 2019 and for the second installment will be April 10, 2020.

Payments made or postmarked after these dates will be assessed a late penalty. If you receive a RED property tax bill, you have a prior year’s property tax bill that is unpaid. To check to see if you have any delinquent property tax bills or any property tax refunds on your property, view your online property tax statement by inputting your parcel or address.

We encourage you to use the ease and convenience of paying your property taxes by eCheck at no cost through the TTC's secure website. You can also pay online using debit/credit cards (service charges apply). 

Please note that the property tax bills for the previous ten years and payment details for the last two years are also available on our website and you can view properties on a GIS map on our new “Mello” app  or at our other GIS site. You can also sign up to receive an email or text reminder!  

The Doheny State Beach Interpretive Association has released the October edition of its e-newsletter, The Doheny UPDATE, featuring information on upcoming events and activities at Doheny State Beach.

• Appeared on THIS DAY on Village Television in Laguna Woods with talk show host Ken Goldenberg and Lora Young of the Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District. To see the interview, click here.
• Participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for our first Be Well OC campus in Orange County.
• Administered the Oath of Office for our new Orange County Auditor-Controller, Frank Davies.
• Participated in the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Board of Directors meeting.
• Participated in the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Mobile Source Committee Technology Committee and Technology Committee meetings, respectively.
• Met with Jacy Sera, my appointee on the SCAQMD Summer Internship Program.
• Presented a certificate of recognition to my outgoing Public Policy Intern, Vincent Huynh.

On THIS DAY on Village Television in Laguna Woods with talk show host
Ken Goldenberg and Lora Young of the Orange County Mosquito and 
Vector Control District.
Click the image above to view the interview.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for our first Be Well OC campus
in Orange County.

With my Board colleagues at the Be Well OC campus groundbreaking ceremony.

Administering the Oath of Office for our new Orange County
Auditor-Controller, Frank Davies.

L-R: With 4th District Supervisor Doug Chaffee, Auditor-Controller Frank Davies, and 1st District Supervisor Andrew Do and the Swearing-In Ceremony.

With Jacy Sera, my appointee on the SCAQMD Summer Internship Program.

 With my outgoing Public Policy Intern, Vincent Huynh.

• Attended the homelessness presentation by Congressman Harley Rouda in Laguna Beach.
• Presented a certificate of recognition in honor of the dedication ceremony for the new Nieves Observatory at Soka University of America in Aliso Viejo.
• Presented a certificate of recognition in honor of the ribbon cutting ceremony for Wyland Foundation in Rancho Santa Margarita.
• Presented a certificate of recognition in honor of the ribbon cutting ceremony for Bright Family Acupuncture in Lake Forest.

My Community Relations Advisor, Sergio Prince (center), with Aliso Viejo Mayor Ross Chun (far left) and Soka University President Daniel Habuki (far right) at the dedication ceremony for the Nieves Observatory.

At the ribbon cutting for Wyland Foundation in RSM.
(Photo courtesy of Takata Photo & Design)

At the ribbon cutting for Bright Family Acupuncture in Lake Forest.
(Photo courtesy of Takata Photo & Design)