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Welcome to this edition of “Bill Campbell’s Third District Report,” an electronic newsletter keeping you updated about the events taking place in the County of Orange and in the Third 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.bill.campbell@ocgov.com
IN THIS ISSUE…1. BOARD ACTION
2. PENSION REFORM UPDATE
3. ORANGE COUNTY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY
4. TRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR AGENCIES
5. LOCAL AGENCY FORMATION COMMISSION
OUR STAFF…
Laura Cunningham Chief of Staff Anaheim Hills, Yorba Linda
Christine Compton Deputy Chief of Staff Irvine
Louis Bronstein Policy Advisor Orange, Orange Park Acres, Villa Park
Michael Johnson Policy Advisor Silverado, Santiago, Modjeska, Trabuco Canyons
Whitney Ayers Policy Advisor North Tustin, Tustin
Renee Chinchilla Office Manager/Executive Secretary
Brent Kuluris Executive Aide |
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| February 10, 2012 |
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Volume: 10 Issue: 6 |
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| BOARD ACTION |
2012 Chairman’s Goals– Chairman of the Board of Supervisors John Moorlach presented his Goals for 2012. Among the goals put forth by the Chairman were to continue the County’s efforts at pension reform, to protect the County’s fair allocation of property taxes and to produce a budget that lives within our means. To view the 2012 Chairman’s Goals presentation, please click here.
Property Tax Management System Update– The Board received an update on the development of the County’s Property Tax Management System (PTMS). The development of the PTMS system is now being led by the County’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) Mahesh Patel in the absence of the Auditor-Controller. The CIO reported to the Board that progress on PTMS has encountered problems with the development of the programing code; design of the system requirements needed to function between the Clerk of the Board, Treasurer Tax Collector, and Auditor-Controller departments; and resource constraints of subject matter experts and the vendor’s delivery schedule. Due to these development problems, the “go live” date for the completed PTMS system will be delayed until December 2013. In addition, the CIO will report back to the Board in March with further recommendations to put PTMS back on a solid footing. To review the presentation, please click here.
Second Quarter Budget Report– The Board received the Second Quarter Budget Report from the County’s Budget Director, Frank Kim. The report presented an overall positive financial picture for the County. The County’s General Fund cash balances and reserves are trending better than projected. Net County Cost (NCC) expenditures and revenues continued to perform better than expected and Prop. 172 sales tax revenues continue to see steady growth. If current trends continue for the remainder of 2011-2012 fiscal year, funds will be available for carry-over into the 2012-2013 budget; however, there is no estimate available at this time. To review the Budget Director’s presentation, please click here.
Appointment of Public Defender– The Board appointed Frank Ospino to the position of Public Defender. Frank has served in the OC Public Defenders Office for 24 years. To read his resume, click here.
Clerk of the Board Appointment– The Board appointed Chief Deputy Susan D. Novak to serve as the new Clerk of the Board of Supervisors. Susan has served in the Clerk’s Office for 14 years, and over 28 years in various County departments. To read her resume, please click here.
Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones– The Board adopted an Ordinance designating Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones within the County as part of CAL FIRE’s requirement to map areas of significant fire hazards based on fuels, terrain, weather, and other factors. These zones define the application of various mitigation strategies to reduce risk associated with devastating wildland fires.
Drug Abuse is Life Abuse Grant– The Board accepted the donation of $150,000 from the non-profit organization Drug Use Is Life Abuse, to fund one Deputy Sheriff position for the Department’s Community Programs/Drug Education Unit.
Probation Department K9– The Board approved the transfer of ownership of a narcotic detection dog to her handler, Deputy Probation Officer (DPO) Handler. The 11 year old dog named Christa has reached an age where she is no longer capable of performing at the level she did once, and will retire under the care of DPO Bolton for the rest of her life.
Orange County Leadership Academy– The Board recognized the graduates of Orange County Leadership Academy Class # 16. The Leadership Academy is a management training program conducted in collaboration with Chapman University. To view pictures from the presentation, please click here. |
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| PENSION REFORM UPDATE |
| Orange County IRS Legislation– The County was informed this week that Congressional Members Loretta Sanchez, Ed Royce, Ken Calvert, John Campbell, and Dana Rohrabacher submitted a request to the Joint Committee on Taxation to have the County’s sponsored legislation, H.R. 2934, “scored” by the Congressional Budget Office. H.R. 2934 will amend the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Code to allow current County employees the option to select a one-time voluntary lower retirement benefit formula. This action is a first step in having a bill considered in the House of Representatives. I want to thank all the members of our congressional delegation for helping to support the County’s pension reform efforts. To view the letter sent by the delegation, please click here. |
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| ORANGE COUNTY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY |
Capital Programs Division Performance Metrics Update– The OCTA Executive Committee received a presentation on the Capital Programs Division’s Capital Action Plan and its performance during the second quarter of the fiscal year in comparison to the goals established for the plan. To view a summary of the second quarter performance report, click here.
Planning Division Performance Metrics– The Executive Committee also received a presentation from the OCTA Planning Division regarding metrics to evaluate the Division’s performance. To view the presentation, click here.
91 Express Lanes Toll Gantry Update– At Wednesday’s Finance and Administration Committee, staff provided an update on the relocation of the 91 Express Lanes toll gantry. The gantry needed to be moved to accommodate the SR-91 Widening Project from SR-55 to the SR-241. To view the presentation, click here.
91 Express Lanes’ Traffic and Revenue Update– The 91 Express Lanes reported toll revenues of $2,593,186 and transactions of 994,493 for the month of January. Revenues were down 1.0% and transactions were down 0.8% over the January 2010 figures. |
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| TRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR AGENCIES |
Traffic and Revenue Update– The Foothill Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency (F/ETCA) reported toll revenues of $8,555,361 and transactions of 4,522,581 for the month of January. Revenues were up 7.1% and transactions were up 0.1% over the January 2011 figures. The San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agency reported toll revenues of $7,345,053, a 4.6% increase from January 2011. The SJHTCA transactions were 2,022,808 for the month of January which represented a 1.1% decrease.
Paleontology and Archeology Outreach Program– Both the F/ETCA and the SJHTCA Boards of Directors received a presentation on TCA’s Paleontology and Archeology Outreach Program. The program provides in-class presentations by professional paleontologists and archaeologists to local Orange County schools about fossils and artifacts found during the construction of the toll roads. The program also provides for the fossils to be displayed at various community events throughout the county. Following the presentation, the boards approved funding for the program through 2014. To view the presentation given to the boards, click here.
Spring Native Habitat Program– TCA has announced its 12th annual Spring Tour and Native Habitat Tour Series. The program offers Orange County residents the opportunity to hike through significant areas of protected open space and to view TCA’s long-term environmental planning and restoration projects. Four tours are being offered this year during March, April and May. Reservations are required and space is limited. For more information about the tours, click here.
USMC Cpl. Christopher Singer’s Funeral Procession– On January 21, 2012, USMC Cpl. Christopher Singer, an Orange County Marine, was killed in combat in Afghanistan. Last Friday, the memorial service for Cpl. Singer was held at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest near the SR-241 toll road. Following the service, the funeral procession utilized the SR-241 toll road to reach the Riverside National Cemetery. TCA staff coordinated with the OC Sheriff’s Department and the service’s organizers to allow the 227 vehicle procession to move through the toll plazas without stopping. Since TCA is not able to waive tolls due to the agency’s bond indentures, TCA staff and Board Members donated funds to pay the tolls for the entire procession. To view pictures from the procession, click here.
Oaths of Office– As Chair of the F/ETCA, I administered the oath of office to Tustin Councilman Al Murray. Director Murray is the City of Tustin’s alternate on the F/ETCA Board of Directors. For pictures, please click here.
Outgoing Board Member Recognitions– The F/ETCA Boards of Directors honored one of the Board members who will not be returning to the Boards this year, Director Peter Herzog. Director Herzog served nearly 10 years on the F/ETCA Board of Directors. During that time he was a passionate advocate for the completion of the system. To view the pictures of the recognition, click here. |
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| LOCAL AGENCY FORMATION COMMISSION |
| Island Annexation Legislative Update– The Commission received an update on existing state law that allows for annexations of small islands under 150 acres without resident protest. The current law is set to expire on January 1, 2014. CALAFCO, the statewide coalition of LAFCOs, recently surveyed LAFCOs throughout the state regarding support to seek an extension. |
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On Saturday, I visited the Discovery Science Center with my grandchildren Kassidy and Adrian. If you plan to visit the Star Wars Exhibit, we recommend arrival in the morning because the exhibit is very popular. For pictures, click here. To learn more about the exhibit, click here.
I met with Orange County Treasurer-Tax Collector Shari Freidenrich to discuss the County’s bridge loan program to provide cash flow support to K-12 school districts in Orange County. Additionally, I was updated on the secured and supplemental property tax receipts.
I met with Raul Amezcua and Fernando Guerra, Ph.D. of De La Rosa and Company to hear about the current refunding opportunities on the OCTA 91 Express Lane bonds.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
City of Orange Santiago Creek Bike Trail Dedication and Ribbon Cutting– Rain or shine this event will take place on Saturday, February 11 behind the Sports Center at Grijalva Park. Festivities are scheduled from 12 to to 1:30 pm. For more information, click here.
SR-91 Eastbound Off Ramp at Lakeview– The SR-91 Westbound and Eastbound Lane Addition Project will add a new lane in each direction on the 91 freeway between the State Route 55 and the SR-241 toll road. In order to add the additional lanes, however, 15 freeway ramps along that stretch of freeway need to be realigned. As a result, ramps along that segment of the freeway will be intermittently closed. Beginning on February 14 at midnight, the eastbound Lakeview off-ramp will be closed for approximately 6 weeks until March 25th. Major detour routes will include exiting at Lincoln Avenue/Nohl Ranch, Tustin Avenue and Imperial Highway. For more information about the closure, click here.
Yorba Linda Chamber of Commerce– Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District Superintendent will present the “State of the School District Address” on Wednesday, February 29th. For more information on the breakfast meeting, please contact the Chamber at (714) 993-9537 or click here.
Light Brown Apple Moth Quarantine Zone– The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has directed that a quarantine zone be established in the Seal Beach, Cypress, Garden Grove and Los Alamitos area for the Light Brown Apple Moth. The Moth has been detected in the Long Beach area and has been considered a serious agricultural pest. The quarantine zone would limit the movement of commercial agriculture crops, homegrown fruits and other agricultural products. For more information on the Light Brown Apple Moth, click here. For resident inquiries related to the quarantine, please call the CDFA hotline at 1-800-491-1899.
It is a pleasure to serve the constituents of the Third District.
Please pray for our armed forces and our foreign services personnel. |
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