This week, the Board of Supervisors took action to restrict the proliferation of group homes and sober living homes in the unincorporated areas of the County.

As a result, sober living homes in the South County communities of Ladera Ranch, Coto de Caza, Las Flores, Rancho Mission Viejo, Wagon Wheel, Stonecliffe, and Emerald Bay cannot be within 1,000 feet of any other sober living home or State-licensed alcohol or drug treatment facility.

The ordinance also requires sober living homes with six or fewer occupants to have a house manager onsite 24 hours. To report sober living homes or other group homes out of compliance with the ordinance, please call the Neighborhood Preservation number at 1-866-552-8120.

Learn about the benefits of Orange County’s transition to Vote Centers, such as being able to register to vote, cast an in-person ballot, obtain replacement ballots and more. 

They key benefits of the transition to Vote Centers include:

• There will now be 188 fully staffed Vote Centers. Voters can choose to vote in-person at any location starting February 22, 2020.
• Election Day now lasts 11 days. Voters voting in the March Presidential Primary election will be able to vote at any Orange County Vote Center anytime between February 22 and March 3, 2020 
• Every voter will now receive a vote-by-mail ballot. Voters will be able to save time and vote at home with multiple options for returning their ballot. Ballots will begin mailing on February 3, 2020.
• There will be 110 secure ballot drop box locations throughout Orange County. Voters will be able to deposit their ballot into a secure drop box between February 3 and March 3, 2020.

Click here for more information. To see a video interview with myself and Orange County Registrar of Voter Neal Kelly, discussing Orange County’s transition to Vote Centers on Village Television in Laguna Woods, click here or on the image below.

Click the image above to view the TV interview.

Click the image above to enlarge.

The most celebrated holiday of the year for the nearly 1.5 million people of Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese descent living in Southern California, Lunar New Year gets a big welcome in Los Angeles at the Golden Dragon Parade and Festival. Now in its 121st year, the celebration will take place February 1 and is expected to attract thousands.

LA’s Chinatown is easily accessible by Metrolink, and a train ride is a pleasant and low-stress way for whole families to travel together to the parade while avoiding traffic and parking expenses.

OCTA is giving away free Metrolink tickets to the parade. There are two ways to win.

Join us for our festive kickoff event on February 1 at Irvine Station, where the first 200 visitors will receive a free roundtrip Metrolink ticket. This popular event starts at 8 a.m. and features a traditional lion dance, prizes, and refreshments before the train departs for L.A. Union Station at 9:28 a.m.

You can also enter online for a chance to win two free round-trip Metrolink tickets.

Also, Metrolink weekend day passes are just $10 for unlimited rides all day either Saturday or Sunday. Three kids age 5 and under ride free with each fare-paying adult. Learn more here.

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Human trafficking is a billion dollar business around the world, and it thrives here in Orange County. The crime deprives a person of their liberty through the use of force, fraud or coercion for the purposes of labor or sexual exploitation.

As it has for the past six years, this month OCTA is using its award-winning Be the One campaign to raise public awareness of human trafficking through multilingual signs at transit centers, public service announcements, brochures, bus wraps, social media, and bus shelters in high-traffic areas.

Because victims might be using Orange County buses, stops and transit centers, coach operators are trained to recognize and help victims. Hundreds of coach operators have received annual training from members of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Transit Police and the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force.

Click here to learn more about human trafficking and what you can do to join the fight against it.

The OC Health Care Agency (HCA) confirmed Orange County's first case of novel coronavirus January 25. The man, a traveler from Wuhan, China in his 50s, is currently in isolation at a local hospital and reported in good condition.

HCA has received many questions from concerned community members as to why they have not shared a precise timeline of his movements in OC in the days leading up to his hospitalization, as they normally would with infectious diseases like the measles.

With measles, HCA shares potential exposure sites with the public because they have a detailed understanding of how measles spreads, and how long the virus can live in the air and on surfaces. HCA also wants to promote the message of vaccination as a way to protect yourself. 

With novel coronavirus, a new and emerging virus, there is still a lot the public health community is learning.

Right now, novel coronavirus has not been found to be spreading from person to person in the United States, so there are no additional precautions recommended for the general public to take. Our residents should go about their daily lives with no changes to planned activities.

If that changes, you will be hearing from us.

Another reason HCA hasn’t shared more is because they are required to protect patient privacy under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA). Because there is only one case in OC, any information HCA shares outside of his gender and general age range could reveal his identity (which we have a duty to protect).

So what can you do? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, which includes regular handwashing and covering coughs and sneezes. Click here for more detailed preventative actions.

Our Public Health Services and doctors from the CDC who are here assisting with our investigation continue to follow-up directly with all individuals who have had close contact with the case and are at risk of infection.

• Delivered the closing remarks at the The Joyful Child Foundation's 3rd Annual BRAVE RACE 5K in Aliso Viejo.
• Participated in the OC Board of Supervisors meeting, during which Chair Michelle Steel presented me a 5-Year Pin in honor of my time on the Board and a Commemorative Gavel for serving as 2019 Chairwoman, and I adjourned the meeting in memory of James Walters, brother of my former Chief of Staff, Paul Walters.
• Participated as CSAC President at the Platinum Leadership Forum.

Delivering the closing remarks at the The Joyful Child Foundation's 3rd Annual BRAVE RACE 5K in Aliso Viejo.

L-R: With Erin Runnion (Founder of The Joyful Child Foundation), and the female and male winners of the BRAVE RACE 5K, Carly Corsinita and Kaito Cotter.

With Aliso Viejo Councilman Ross Chun BRAVE RACE 5K.

Chair Michelle Steel presenting me a 5-Year Pin in honor of my time on the Board of Supervisors.

Receiving a Commemorative Gavel in honor of serving as 2019 Board Chairwoman.

• Presented a certificate of recognition in honor of of outgoing Laguna Beach Assistant City Manager Christa Johnson, who is now Del Mar City Manager.
• Attended The Joyful Child Foundation's 3rd Annual BRAVE RACE 5K in Aliso Viejo.
• Attended the South Orange County Association of Mayors meeting in Laguna Beach.
• Attended the Ladera Ranch Civic Council meeting.

My Community Relations Advisor, Sergio Prince, presenting a commendation to former Laguna Beach Assistant City Manager Christa Johnson.

At The Joyful Child Foundation's BRAVE RACE 5K in Aliso Viejo.

At the South Orange County Association of Mayors meeting in Laguna Beach.

At the Ladera Ranch Civic Council meeting.