OC Political

This came over the wire from Supervisor Bill Campbell’s office yesterday…

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. ORANGE COUNTY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY 3. CHILDREN AND FAMILIES COMMISSION 4. ADJOURN IN THE MEMORY   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 Click here to subscribe. Click here to unsubscribe May 4, 2012   Volume: 10 Issue: 16 BOARD ACTION Third Quarter Budget Report– The Board approved the Third Quarter Budget Report. Overall, the budget continues to trend in a positive direction with general revenues, expenses, Net County Cost, and sales tax revenue performing better than projected. In addition, the report forecasted a potential Fund Balance Available (FBA) for the start of the next fiscal year. Currently, staff is projecting an FBA of $23 million. The Third Quarter Budget report is usually used as a true-up period in the fiscal year. The recommended actions for this period included a draw-down of General Fund reserves to support departments and agencies meeting their requirements for the rest of the current fiscal year. To review the staff presentation on the Third Quarter Budget report, please click here. To read the report in its entirety, please click here. Fletcher Retarding Basin– The Board approved an agreement between the Orange County Flood Control District and the Orange County Water District to support construction of improvements to the Fletcher Retarding Basin. The basin is located near the intersection of Batavia and Fletcher Avenue in the city of Orange. This mutually beneficial project will restore the basin’s flood control capacity and provide groundwater conservation functions. To see a copy of staff’s presentation, please click here. Veterans Advisory Council– The Board appointed Bobby McDonald to serve as the Third District appointee to the Orange County Veterans Advisory Council. To read Bobby’s biography, please click here. For a picture, click here. ORANGE COUNTY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY 7th Street Bridge Dedication– Last Friday, I attended the dedication and reopening of the 7th Street Bridge. The 7th Street Bridge which connects the northbound San Diego Freeway (I-405) and westbound Garden Grove Freeway (SR-22) to Long Beach has been closed for the past year. The closure was necessary to reconstruct the bridge in order to accommodate the widening of the I-405. The reconstruction of the bridge required 322 driven piles and 1.3 million pounds of reinforced steel. For pictures, clickhere. For more facts and figures about the bridge, click here. The West County Connectors Project will be completed in 2014. Work on the project is continuing. Completion of the Valley View Street Bridge is expected mid-summer and following the completion of that bridge, construction of the Seal Beach Boulevard Bridge. Because of that bridge work, several large closures are necessary. The eastbound SR- 22 to southbound I-405 connector will be closed for 12 days, tentatively scheduled for mid-June, and a 10-month closure of the eastbound SR-22 to northbound I-405 connector is tentatively scheduled to begin in July. For more about the West County Connectors Project and the scheduled closures, click here. CHILDREN AND FAMILIES COMMISSION Health Standards in Schools Presentation– The Commission received a presentation from Dr. Marc Lerner who is the Medical Officer at the Orange County Department of Education. His position was established in September 2011 and is jointly funded by the Commission, Hoag Hospital, and the County of Orange/Proposition 63 Mental Health Services Act. The presentation focused on the importance of children’s health on learning by promoting the practice of exemplary school health standards. To view the presentation, please click here. ADJOURN IN THE MEMORY The Board adjourned in the memory of Esther Cramer, a noted historian and author of several books chronicling the history of north Orange County. Esther represented the Third District on the Orange County Historical Society since 1973. Please keep Esther and her family in your thoughts and prayers. To read her adjournment, please click here. Metrolink-Coaster Service Upgrade– I met with OCTA CEO Will Kempton, Assistant CEO Darrell Johnson, San Diego’s North County Transit District (NCTD) Chairman Chris Orlando and NCTD CEO Matt Tucker to discuss a pilot program for improved rail service among San Diego, Orange and Los Angeles Counties. Current Metrolink and Coaster Trains terminate in the City of Oceanside. Passengers wishing to go further south or north must get off one train and transfer to the other at the Oceanside Depot. The pilot program envisions two or three Metrolink trains beginning in Los Angeles and traveling to San Diego and returning. Two or three Coaster trains would begin in San Diego travel to Los Angeles and return. Both train sets would stop at all normal Metrolink and Coaster stops along the way. OCTA and NCTD agreed to have staff begin working on a plan to present to Metrolink so that services could begin before year end. Mary and I took part in the Villa Park Women’s League Home and Garden tour. This annual event showcases some of the wonderful homes in Villa Park. For pictures, please click here. Third District Staff received an update on the Olinda Alpha landfill gas generation project. The project is on schedule and nearing the commissioning phase of the project. During the construction phase of the project, an average of 100 full time workers were employed onsite and, on some days, the number of workers was over 150. To date, Broadrock Renewables LLC, the project developer has hired11 people. These positions range from highly skilled technical engineers to operators, technicians, safety, and administrative positions. If you are interested in employment, please contact Lora Tuttle at ltuttle@broadrock.com. I attended the National Day of Prayer service in Yorba Linda with Congressman Ed Royce, Yorba Linda Councilwoman Nancy Rickel and Placentia Mayor Jeremy Yamaguchi. The ceremony took place at the Hurless Barton Park Amphitheater. To see a list of pastors who prayed, please click here. For pictures, click here. ANNOUNCEMENTS Magic of Tustin Garden Tours– On Saturday, May 5, from 9 am to 3 pm, the Tustin Area Historical Society is hosting self-guided garden tours in Tustin. For more information, please click here. OC Tastefest– The annual Taste of Orange County will be held on Friday, May 4 and Saturday, May 5 at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa. For more information, please click here. Orange Park Acres Barn, Home and Garden Tour– The Orange Park Acres Women’s League is hosting its annual Barn, Home and Garden Tour on Sunday, May 6 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Ticket proceeds will benefit Beverley’s House, Santiago Canyon College Scholarship Fund and Orange Park Acres Beautification projects. For more information about the tour and tickets, please click here. Denim and Diamonds– The Orange Park Acres Association will host its annual Denim and Diamonds Dinner and Dance on Saturday, May 5 at The Villa in Orange. The evening will include a silent auction, raffle, music and dancing. For more information about Denim and Diamonds, please clickhere. Tucker Wildlife Event– On Sunday, May 6 from 1 to 3 pm, explore the cultural history of local Native Americans at Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary. For more information, please call 714-649-2760 or click here. Essentials for Young Lives Campaign– The Children and Families Commission, in partnership with HomeAid Orange County, is hosting its annual “Essentials for Young Lives” campaign. The Campaign is seeking to collect baby supplies for homeless shelters throughout Orange County. If you bring a baby supply item to Pretend City between Friday, May 4 and Friday, May 11, you will receive a complimentary VIP pass for your next visit to the museum. For more information about the locations to drop off baby supplies, click here. Taste of Anaheim– On Thursday, May 10, the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce will host the 17th Annual Taste of Anaheim at the Shops of Anaheim Garden Walk from 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm. For more information, please click here. Orange County Crop Report– Each year, the Agricultural Commissioner compiles Orange County agricultural production information and then forwards the data to the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Highlights from the 2011 report are: Strawberry value increased by 7 percent due to an improved value per ton. Nursery stock value decreased by 12 percent due to a decrease in production. Field crop values increased by 32 percent primarily due to a rise in value per ton. Vegetable crop value increase by 12 percent due to an increase in production. To view the full report, please click here. It is a pleasure to serve the constituents of the Third District. Please pray for our armed forces and our foreign services personnel.