I would like to announce my recent appointment by the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) to the newly-formed California Massage Therapy Council (CMTC) Board of Directors. The CMTC was formed in response to the passage of Senate Bill 731, which Governor Schwarzenegger signed into law September 27, 2008. I am honored to receive CSAC's appointment to the CMTC. The massage therapy industry is growing at a rapid pace and plays a bigger role each year in our holistic approach to health and treatment, and the lack of a consistent licensing procedure can lead to inconsistent enforcement. It is time for California to develop professional standards under which this industry can truly thrive.

Appointments and Reappointments

It is my honor to announce the following appointments and reappointments I have made to the following Orange County Boards, Commissions, and Committees:

• The appointment of Mr. Scott Weimer to the Assessment Appeals Board No. 5.
• The appointment of Dr. Paul Chang to the Emergency Medical Care Committee.
• The reappointment of Mr. Tony Lam to the Orange County Planning Commission.
• The reappointment of Ms. Tish Leon to the Orange County Historical Commission.
• The reappointment of Mr. Lee Lowrey to the Development Processing Review Committee.
• The reappointment of Ms. Alberta Christy to the Community Action Partnership of Orange County.
• The reappointment of Mr. Bert Ashland to the Orange County Parks Commission.
• The reappointment of Mr. Nolan Alejandro to the Assessment Appeals Board No.3.
• The reappointment of Mr. Gerald London to the Regional Recreational Trails Advisory Committee.
• The reappointment of Mr. John Acosta to the Airport Arts Commission.

Health Care Agency Announces Appointment

I am pleased to announce the appointment of a resident of the First District, Mr. Michael Kelly, to the Orange County Health Care Agency's (HCA) Alcohol & Drug Advisory Board. This board advises and reports to HCA on policies and goals of county alcohol and drug programs.

Comprehensive Employment Services at YFRC's

The Comprehensive Employment Services Program that Providence Community Services provides at the North and Central Youth and Family Resource Centers (YFRC) was renewed by the Board of Supervisors at the January 27, 2009 Board Meeting. The YFRC were created to meet the need of the County's Juvenile Justice System to provide swift and sure responses to the growing problem of serious juvenile crime activity, as well as to improve the outcomes of probation supervision and institutional program services. The Comprehensive Employment Services Program is just one component of the YFRC and provides between 60 and 90 at-risk juvenile probationers at each site the opportunity to gain employment skills, obtain knowledge and abilities needed to secure and maintain gainful employment, and meet their court-ordered offender accountability requirements (financial obligations). In some cases, Comprehensive Employment Services also provides assistance to the parents of YFRC juveniles, with the goal of strengthening the family unit.

Community Resource Collaborative Services

An amendment has been made to the Agreement with Community Service Programs, Inc. for the provision of Community Resource Collaborative Services. The original Agreement was for the North, Central, and West Orange County Youth and Family Resource Centers, for the period January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009, but with the close of the West YFRC, the Agreement was amended to eliminate services at the West YFRC effective February 1, 2009. The original budget for the West YFRC was $248,609, but has been reduced to $20,942 to reflect the one month of service provided at the location. This has a cost savings of $227,667, bringing the overall total contract amount from $734,558 to $506,891, under the same terms and conditions, per Board policy.

In-Home Family Intervention Services

The In-Home Family Intervention Services (In-Home Services), which were scheduled to terminate on January 31, 2009, were extended for five months, until June 30, 2009, at both the North and Central Orange County Youth and Family Resource Centers. The five-month term extension will have a corresponding cost of $41,914, for a new total contract amount of $162,833 for the 17-month period of February 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009.

Workforce Investment Act Subgrant Agreement

At the January 27, 2009 Board Meeting, my colleagues and I on the Board of Supervisors approved a $359,275 funding increase from the State for the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Subgrant Agreement. The State of California requires that the WIA Subgrant Agreement be signed between the Employment Development Department and the WIA grant recipient, which is the County of Orange. Subgrants allow WIA funds to be dispersed to the Orange County Workforce Delivery Area to provide services in accordance with the WIA Local Plan that was approved by the Board on December 16, 2008. The WIA Subgrant Agreement provides general provisions for compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and standards of conduct, and delineates required accounting, contracting, auditing, and recordkeeping requirements for WIA grant recipients. On June 24, 2008, the Board authorized OC Community Resources Director or designee to sign the WIA Subgrant Agreement documents and accept funding increases or decreases from the State. The State issues modified WIA Subgrant Agreements each time there is an increase or decrease in funding and grant awards. The Projected Funding was $8,989,112 and the Actual Funding was $9,348,387, making the difference $359,275.

OC Planning Fee Ordinance Update

On January 27, 2009, I and my colleagues on the Board of Supervisors took action to reduce fees for plan check, permit inspection, and planning services.

OC Planning made organizational changes that adjusted staffing to match workload levels. Position count reduction in the last five to seven years is a response to the reduced workload and has contributed to the department's ability to stabilize rates for a full cost recovery fund. With fewer personnel working in OC Planning, the savings will be passed on to those building new home and to those improving existing homes. OC Planning serves the unincorporated areas of Orange County, including the community of Midway City.

Go Local Project Update

On January 22, 2009, at the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Board Meeting, Booz Allen Hamilton of Orange was selected to be the project management consultant for the development of Go Local Fixed-Guideway Transit Systems. This begins Step Two of the Go Local program, which strives to enhance connections between the Metrolink stations and surrounding communities. Step One of the Go Local program awarded $100,000 grants to Orange County cities to study possible extensions linking major activity and employment centers with a Metrolink station. During the Step One Analysis, the Cities of Santa Ana and Garden Grove, working together, developed a vision for transit, improved highway access, and economic development. The vision includes a transportation gateway to central Orange County, in each city, that takes advantage of the Santa Ana regional Transportation Center (SARTC) on the east and the Pacific Electric Right-of-Way (PE ROW) on the west. The gateways are linked by a five mile, east-west multi-modal transportation corridor that integrates fixed guideway transit, bus rapid transit, autos, bicycles, and pedestrians.

After evaluating the Step One proposals, both the City of Anaheim and the City of Santa Ana were awarded $5.9 million by the OCTA Board of Directors to continue with detailed planning, preliminary design, alternatives analysis, financial planning and environmental work for the Fixed-Guideway Project (modern streetcar). Booz Allen Hamilton was selected to provide consultant services to assist OCTA in overseeing and managing the OCTA-funded Step Two project development work that will be performed by Anaheim and Santa Ana and evaluated prior to entry into Go Local Step Three. The project management consultant will function as an extension of staff to provide technical expertise in the review of Step Two work products and support in the development of an application process for entry into Step Three. To learn more about the Go Local program, click here.

OCTA Continues to Oppose Any Shift of Transportation Funding

On January 9, 2009, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger officially released an 18-month budget plan in an attempt to resolve the states $41.6 billion structural deficit. This proposal calls for a series of program cuts, revenue increases, special fund transfers, and additional borrowing to cover the monetary shortfalls that the state is facing and provide an estimated $2 billion reserve. The Governor's proposed budget continues to use transportation dollars to cover General Fund expenditures, which in turn will impact the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA). OCTA is very concerned regarding the elimination of state grants to transit operators throughout the state and the redirection of all spillover funds for General Fund relief and continues to oppose any shift of transportation funding away from designated purposed to fulfill General Fund obligations disproportionate to cuts to other state funded programs. To read a Summary of Major Changes by Major Program Areas for the Governor's proposed budget, click here.

Metrolink Service Expansion Program Update

On June 26, 2006, the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Board of Directors approved an agreement with PB Americas, Inc. to provide project management consultant services for the Metrolink Service Expansion Program (MSEP). The MSEP would bring high frequency service between Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo and Fullerton Metrolink stations by early 2010. This agreement was later amended to include funding for project management of the Rail-Highway Grade Crossing Safety Enhancement and Quiet Zone Program. Not only would service be expanded, additional safety measure and quiet zone improvements at 51 rail-highway crossings in Orange County. I am pleased to announce that Santa Ana is a beneficiary of this project, with improvements planned for ten separate crossings within the city limits.

At the January 22, 2009, I and the rest of the Board of Directors voted in favor of allocating additional resources in order to continue the project management consultant services to support MSEP, bringing safer and quieter rail-highway crossings one step closer for Santa Ana residents.

Fiscal Year 2010 Transportation Appropriations Project List

The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) recommended requests totaling $48 million for nine projects to be submitted to the Orange County Congressional Delegation for consideration in the Fiscal Year 2010 Transportation Appropriations Bill. On January 22, 2009, the OCTA Board of Directors approved the recommended list, which included Santa Ana Freeway (Interstate 5) Segment Improvements and Bristol Street Multimodal Corridor Widening.

The Santa Ana Freeway Segment Improvements would focus on I-5 between Fourth Street and Newport Avenue and on State Route 55 between Fourth Street and Edinger Avenue. The project will reconstruct the I-5 southbound entrance ramp at First Street to a loop ramp thereby providing more merging room for traffic getting on and off the freeway. The project also calls for the construction of a new lane on southbound SR-55 through the McFadden Avenue exit ramp to Edinger Avenue to eliminate the current weaving movement between the I-5 southbound connection and SR-55 southbound McFadden exit ramp.

The request for funding for the Bristol Street Multimodal Corridor Widening will support the widening of Bristol Street in the City of Santa Ana, which also supports OCTA's plan to expand transit service on the Bristol Street corridor via bus rapid transit service. Updates will be provided once they become available.