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Wildfire Preparedness Week: Wildfire is Coming . . . Are You Ready?

As CAL FIRE, reminds us, Wildfire is coming . . . Are you ready?

This is Wildfire Preparedness Week.

Each year California highlights the importance of wildfire prevention and preparedness by declaring the first full week of May as “Wildfire Preparedness Week.”

This year during the week of May 5-11, CAL FIRE, Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) and fire departments across the state will remind residents of the dangers posed by wildfires and the simple steps that should be followed to prepare for and prevent them.

Despite getting some much-needed rain this winter, we’re expecting another dangerous fire season.

You can learn more about wildfire prevention at OCFA’s press conference on Tuesday, May 7, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. at Station 41, located at Fullerton Airport.  For more information, contact OCFA PIO at 714-357-7782.

One Less Spark, One Less Wildfire!

Approximately 95 percent of all wildfires are sparked by the activity of people, which means that almost all wildfires are preventable.

One of the leading causes of wildfires is outdoor powered equipment. Use powered equipment before 10 a.m. and never on hot and windy days. When clearing dead or dying grass don’t use a lawn mower or weed trimmer with a metal blade.

Make sure your vehicle is properly maintained with nothing dragging on the ground like trailer chains. All residents and vacationers need to be extra cautious outdoors because one less spark means one less wildfire.

Learn more by clicking here. 

Ready, Set, Go! 

With fire activity already above average, Californians should remember “Ready, Set, Go!”

Ready: Protect your home ahead of time by taking steps to mitigate wildfire risk.

Set: Prepare for an emergency by assembling a bag of important items that you would need in the event of emergency. This includes clothes, medication and other personal items. Develop a family emergency plan that details escape routes and reunification plans.

Go: Leave early in the event of an emergency. Avoid traffic congestion and other complications by evacuating at the earliest opportunity. In the event of evacuation, all City of Irvine emergency shelters will have options available for pets.

Learn more by clicking here.

Be Prepared and Take Action!

As climate changes, and as home-building expands ever closer to more areas subject to wildfire, the danger to our lives and property increases.

Watch an OCFA video on wildfire preparedness by clicking here.

Please learn what you should do to help our firefighters keep your family safe!

 

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Operation “Southern Wind” — Our First Responders Train for a “Dirty Bomb” Terrorist Attack

This week, as a board member of the Orange County Fire Authority, I had the amazing opportunity to observe the 2019 Urban Search and Rescue Multi-Task Force Mobilization Exercise “Southern Wind” at the Del Valle Regional Training Center in Castaic, California, in which our first responders trained to deal with a “dirty bomb” terrorist attack.

The scenario was that a vehicle containing a “dirty bomb” had exploded, spreading radioactive contamination and toxic smoke across a wide area and demolishing a mall and a hospital, with many fatalities and injured victims, as well as many people trapped in the rubble.

The participating agencies included the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), Cal Trans, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Branch, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the California Highway Patrol, the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA), California US&R Task Force 5 (CA-TF5) from OCFA, California US&R Task Force 6 (CA-TF6) from the Riverside Fire Department, California US&R Task Force 8 from the San Diego Fire Department, and the HazMat Task Force from the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

The goal of the exercise was to demonstrate the ability of Southern California-based local, state, and federal US&R Task Forces to meet FEMA Operational Readiness Exercise Evaluation Program requirements, and demonstrate Multi-Task Force cooperation in response to an incident involving a Radiological Dispersal Device.

The overall Incident Commander, and most of the section commanders, were with the Orange County Fire Authority.

Among the actions taken were decontamination and securing of the area, searching for victims (including using search dogs), and extraction of victims from the rubble (including using cranes to lift debris and motor vehicles).

Due to the danger of exposure to radiation, the crews needed to rotate frequently.

My very helpful and patient “guide” during the exercise was OCFA US&R Coordinator Captain Richard Ventura.

Also taking time to keep me informed was OCFA Captain Wendy Norwood, whose normal duty station is OCFA Fire Station 27 in Portola Springs.

I was tremendously impressed by the smoothness and thoroughness of the operation, the coordination and cooperation among the different agencies, the amazing level of skills demonstrated, and the dedication of all the participants.

I was also extremely proud of the leadership role taken by our own Orange County Fire Authority.

Thank you to all our dedicated first responders for continually training to keep us safe!

Here are some more of the photos and videos I took during the exercise:

 

 

 

 

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Irvine Shares the Way: Improving the Safety of Everyone in Irvine, Whether Walking, Bicycling, or Driving.

Irvine Shares the Way!

Irvine is world-famous as a safe place to live and raise our families. But it won’t stay that way unless all Irvine’s motorists obey the stop signs and respect pedestrians’ right-of-way.

Residents of Irvine are very concerned — and rightfully so — about their safety and the safety of their children because of the consistent failure of drivers to come to a full and complete stop at our stop signs and obey all the rules of the road.

It’s not just our reputation as America’s safest city that is on the line.  Our lives, and the lives of our children, are at stake.

As member of the Irvine City Council, I’ve taken an active and leading role in making Irvine safer for pedestrians, drivers, and bicyclists.  I’ve participated in the Ride of Silence, I’ve put stop sign safety on the top of the Transportation Commission agenda, I’ve met with our police chief to discuss traffic safety improvements and ensure traffic law compliance, and I’ve held a Town Hall on Traffic Safety.  

Now Irvine has introduced a new initiative called Irvine Shares the Way.

Irvine Shares the Way is a project to improve the safety of everyone in Irvine, whether they are walking, bicycling, or driving. Irvine Shares the Way is a broad-based campaign, including educational materials, safety workshops, and other activities across the City of Irvine.

The campaign will help raise awareness of traffic laws and remind residents how they can reduce the chances of a collision when they are walking, bicycling, and driving.

In the coming months, the City of Irvine will roll out new materials and features on our website and host workshops, family-friendly events, and more!  Stay informed of news and events; sign up for our email list at sharestheway@cityofirvine.org.

Learn how you can Share the Way and Move with Care. 

Strategic Active Transportation Plan

As part of the Irvine Shares the Way campaign, the Strategic Active Transportation Plan, with your input, will help guide the development of pedestrian and bicycle facilities and implement upgrades to existing facilities. The Plan will create one master document, which will review and recommend best practices, such as:

  1. Technology needed to implement a citywide bicycle and pedestrian count program; 
  2. Design standards for bicycle and pedestrian facilities;
  3. Ranking criteria for prioritizing bicycle and pedestrian projects and;
  4. Methodology and software applications for forecasting bicycle and pedestrian travel.

The completed Plan will also aid the preparation of grant applications to fund active transportation projects that are a result of this initiative.

Want to learn more and hear about our future activities?  Sign up for our announcement list at sharestheway@cityofirvine.org.

Take Our Survey!

Bikeways

The City of Irvine provides a network of on-street and off-street bikeways to encourage the use of bicycles as a safe and convenient means of transportation for both commuting and recreational purposes. This is evident by 301 lane miles of on-street and 61.8 miles of off-street bikeways provided in the City today.

Bikeway Directions Through Google

  • In Google Maps, click “Get Directions”. Input the starting and ending addresses and then click on the Bike Symbol.
  • The directions via bikeways will be highlighted in blue.

The City of Irvine Bicycle Transportation Plan illustrates the network of bikeways throughout the City. While every effort is made to provide accurate and timely information, please keep in mind the bikeway routes are intended for informational purposes only.

No guarantee is made regarding the bikeway safety because conditions change. In addition, we cannot guarantee anyone’s safety by conforming to the safety tips. Please use good judgment and be responsible for your own safety at all times.

Please note, OCTA is responsible for maintaining their bikeways information, which is posted as a courtesy to Irvine residents on the City’s website. 

For questions regarding OCTA’s Orange County bikeways information, contact 714-560-5319 or ShareTheRide@octa.net(link sends e-mail).

More Information

Check out these links:

City of Irvine Bicycle Transportation Plan

City of Irvine Active Transportation Plan

Bicycle Safety Tips and Information

Bicycle-Friendly Community

Irvine Station Bicycle Lockers

City Bicycle Safety Video 

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Happy Earth Day 2019!

Today, Monday, April 22, is Earth Day.

Nearly 50 years ago, on April 22, 1970, millions of people took to the streets to protest the negative impacts of 150 years of industrial development.

In the US and around the world, smog was becoming deadly and evidence was growing that pollution led to developmental delays in children. Biodiversity was in decline as a result of the heavy use of pesticides and other pollutants.

The global ecological awareness was growing, and the US Congress and President Nixon responded quickly.  In July of the same year, they created the Environmental Protection Agency, and robust environmental laws such as the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act, among many.

Earth Day is now a global event each year, and more than 1 billion people in 193 countries now take part in what is the largest civic-focused day of action in the world.

The City of Irvine has been a leader in earth-friendly environmental policies, green technology, and environmental awareness.  Irvine’s environmental programs have been on the leading edge of advances in green building and construction, environmental education, recycling, water conservation, waste disposal, and energy-saving.

Irvine’s San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary. Photo by Geoff Fox.

Unfortunately, when Steven Choi was Irvine’s mayor, our city took several steps backwards. The term “climate change” was banned from all city documents and not enough Councilmembers made appointments to the Green Ribbon Environmental Committee to enable a quorum.

Mayor Steven Choi even refused to participate in the National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation, sponsored by Irvine’s own Wyland Foundation.

When I joined the Irvine City Council, I successfully pushed for revitalization of the Committee, which has now resumed its work of serving as the official environmental advisory committee, increasing public participation in energy conservation and sustainable practices, and helping the city serve the community through advancing environmental policy initiatives and programs.

I am delighted that the Committee now has the full support of the entire City Council, and both Mayor Don Wagner and Mayor Christina Shea have joined with other mayors across the country in asking residents to make a commitment to conserve water and protect this vital resource by taking part in annual Wyland Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation, through the month of April.

One of the best — and most distinctive — qualities of Irvine is our commitment to preserving open space. The City of Irvine has more than 16,000 acres of permanently preserved parkland and open space – remarkable for a city of our size.

“The Sinks” — Irvine’s own Grand Canyon.

In 1974, early in our city’s history, voters approved multi-million dollar measures to fund public parks and recreational facilities, and for the acquisition and development of bicycle trail and hiking trail improvements.

In 1989, the City negotiated an historic agreement with the Irvine Company that set aside more than 9,500 acres as permanent open space marshlands, bike trails, parks, nature conservancies and agricultural areas, protecting fully one-third of the city from development.

In addition, in 2006, nearly 37,000 acres of the Irvine Ranch were selected as a National Natural Landmark, a designation which reflects the outstanding condition, rarity, diversity, and value to science and education of the natural resources on the land.

As our Irvine Open Space Preserve website explains, “Since its incorporation in 1971, Irvine has had a strong desire to balance the built and natural environment. As this incredible master-planned community has grown, each phase of development has been accompanied by the preservation and enhancement of natural open spaces, creating the network of parks, trails, and wildlands that residents and visitors may enjoy today and for generations to come.”

Bommer Canyon. Photo by Sanjay B. Dalal.

A crucial environmental issue facing Irvine in the near future is whether to switch from purchasing energy from SoCal Edison to utilizing a Community Choice Energy provider.

Community Choice Energy (CCE) is a program that brings local control and freedom of choice and competition into the electricity marketplace. Community Choice allows cities and counties to purchase power on behalf of their residents and businesses to provide cleaner power options at a competitive price.

It has been operating in California since 2002 following passage of Assembly Bill 117.

On September 25, 2018, the Irvine City Council approved conducting a feasibility study to determine the pros and cons of implementing a CCE program, including potential economic benefits for the community.

Community Choice programs enable local government control over energy procurement to purchase power, set competitive rates, and collect revenue. The local utility still maintains the electricity grid, deliver energy, and bill customers.

Community Choice Energy programs offer automatic enrollment to businesses and residences in its jurisdiction, with the ability for the customer to opt out and continue to purchase electricity from the utility. Customers have the option of choosing increased percentages of renewable energy.

Councilmember Melissa Fox with the artist Wyland at his studio in Irvine.

CCE programs in California generally procure and resell a power mix between 50 percent and 100 percent renewable energy to their customers.

Community Choice Energy can be one of the most powerful ways to accelerate the transition from fossil to cleaner renewable energy.

Community Choice introduces competition and consumer choice into the electricity sector with a focus on local, renewable energy to stimulate rapid innovations in clean energy systems.

By the mid 2020s, as much as 85% of Californians will be served by a Community Choice Energy program.

When our feasibility study is completed, I hope Community Choice Energy will soon be available in Irvine and throughout Orange County.

At our best, the City of Irvine has striven to be simultaneously people-friendly, business-friendly, and earth-friendly.

We must continue to insist that each phase of our City’s development be informed by science, accompanied by careful planning, and prioritize the preservation and enhancement of our environment.

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Visiting the California Firefighter Memorial: Honoring Those Who Gave All

I made a visit to the California Firefighter Memorial this afternoon and it deeply touched my heart.

Fire and firefighters are in the news today, as hundreds of brave firefighters risk their lives to battle the flames trying to consume the irreplaceable and magnificent Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris.

These days, fire and firefighters are often in my thoughts, both as a member of the board of directors of the Orange County Fire Authority and as the mother of a 20-year-old who is studying firefighting at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and serves as an EMT and member of the Fairbanks North Star Borough HazMat Team.

In fact, fire and firefighters should be in all our thoughts, as California’s wild land fire season expands to year-round, and more and more Californians live on the very edge of extreme fire-danger zones.

The truth is, fires in California have become more frequent and more dangerous, and Californians have never relied more on well-trained, well-equipped, well-led and brave firefighters risking all to keep our lives and property safe.

The California Firefighters Memorial is located on the grounds of the California state capitol in Sacramento and honors the more than 1,300 California firefighters who have died in line of duty or of other duty-related illness or injury.

The California Fire Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created by California Professional Firefighters, raised the money to construct the Memorial and is responsible for its ongoing upkeep. Ongoing fundraising ensures the continued maintenance of the Memorial with no taxpayer dollars.

The California Firefighters Memorial was unveiled on April 6, 2002, carrying the names of 855 fallen California firefighters. Since the unveiling, more than 400 names have been added at annual Memorial ceremonies.

The Memorial has three components that work together seamlessly:

The Memorial Wall: A two-sided brushed limestone wall on which is inscribed the names of every firefighter who has died in the line of duty since California became a state. The wall is flanked by bronze statues of firefighter “turnouts” – the protective garments worn by firefighters in action

“Fallen Brother”: A bronze statue, directly adjacent to the wall, that honors our fallen heroes. It depicts an anguished firefighter removing a lifeless colleague from the flames. The statue was created by Jesus Romo, a retired Sacramento firefighter

“Holding the Line”: A bronze statue depicting four firefighters in action working a hose line. The statue was created by artist Lawrence Allen Noble.

You can see the names on the Memorial Wall here.

Be sure to visit when you come to Sacramento.

In addition, the California Fire Foundation invites you to join in memorializing the sacrifice and dedication of California’s fallen heroes at the 17th Annual California Firefighters Memorial Ceremony on September 28, 2019, at 11:30 a.m.

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Orange County Veterans Deserve a Final Resting Place. The ARDA is the Only Site that has a Real Chance of Receiving the Necessary Funding. Let’s Get it Done!

I have been fighting for a veterans cemetery on the hallowed grounds of the former El Toro Marine Air Station for many years, beginning in 2013.

As I wrote to the Irvine City Council in early 2014:

“Orange County has a long and proud military tradition. Currently, more than two million veterans live in California – more than in any other state.  This military tradition continues into the present, as nearly 7,000 veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars live in Orange County. Yet Orange County veterans do not have their own official military cemetery and those in Orange County who want to visit a veteran’s grave in a national cemetery must travel to Riverside, San Diego or Los Angeles counties.”

“It is time that Orange County offered its veterans – who have sacrificed so much for us – a final resting place close to their families and loved ones.  I believe that a portion of the Great Park in Irvine, which was once the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, would be an altogether fitting and proper location for this Orange County Veterans Cemetery, as well as a lasting memorial to the Great Park’s military heritage.”

“As an Irvine resident and a member of the Irvine Community Services Commission – and as the daughter of an Orange County Korean War combat veteran – I urge you to create an Orange County Veterans Cemetery and, also, to locate this cemetery in a portion of the Great Park that was once the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station.”

On March 11, 2014, I cheered when the City Council unanimously voted to designate the Amended and Restated Development Agreement [ARDA] site in the Orange County Great Park in Irvine as the future site of a verterans cemetery.

But when I became an Irvine City Councilmember in 2016, I learned that there had been no progress on a veterans cemetery in the intervening two years because, I was informed, of the high cost of the decontamination and demolition necessary on the originally designated ARDA site.

Because the ARDA site did not appear to be financially viable, I, along with the Orange County Veteran’s Memorial Park Foundation and many national and local veterans organizations, supported the Strawberry Fields site as a less expensive, more practical, and faster alternative.

When the voters rejected the Strawberry Fields site as causing too much traffic and being too close to the freeway, I then proposed, along with Irvine City Councilmember Christina Shea, using a portion of the Orange County Great Park (and the former MCAS El Toro) that is currently planned for a golf course to be used instead for a veterans cemetery.

Subsequently, a site was proposed in Anaheim Hills near the 91 Freeway.  While I am not opposed to that site, the fact is that it has not received support from the Assembly, has not received any financial backing from either the county, state, or federal government, and is not located on the historically appropriate grounds of the former MCAS El Toro. It does not appear to be viable.

Now several of our state legislators have recently indicated a strong preference for the ARDA site originally designated by the Irvine City Council.

Assembly Bill 368, authored by Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva (AD 65) and currently before the Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee, states that the California Department of Veterans Affairs “shall acquire, study, design, develop, construct, and equip a state-owned and state-operated Southern California Veterans Cemetery, which shall be located at the site of the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, on 125 acres known as the Amended and Restated Development Agreement [ARDA] Site in the Orange County Great Park in the City of Irvine.”

Significantly, several Orange County members of the legislature, from both sides of the aisle — Democrats Senator Thomas J. Umberg (SD 34) and Assemblymembers Sharon Quirk-Silva (AD 65) and Tom Daily (AD 69) and Republican Assemblymembers Tyler Diep (AD 72), William Brough (AD 73) and Philip Chen (AD 55) — have pledged to allocate the funds necessary for the decontamination of the site and the construction of a veterans cemetery in that location and urged the Irvine City City to re-designate it as the official site.

Their letter states, “Today, we are ready to work with State and Federal officials to secure funding for the Southern California Veterans Memorial Park and Cemetery.  We ask that you stand by your previous commitment to provide a resting place for California veterans at the ARDA site.”

In addition, Nick Berardino, President of VALOR (Veterans Alliance of Orange County) and a Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War, who has been advocating for a veterans cemetery for years, has responded to the legislators’ letter by saying “We are excited that the legislature is poised to support the veterans cemetery and impressed that the Orange County delegation is able to secure the funding in this years budget.”

This week, on April 9, 2019, Assembly Bill 368 was unanimously approved (10-0) for passage by the Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee and referred to the Appropriations Committee.

Accordingly, it is now clear that the only site that has a real chance of receiving the necessary funding for an Orange County veterans cemetery is the ARDA site.

For this reason, I am withdrawing my support for the golf course site option and joining with these state legislators in calling for the Irvine City Council to again designate the ARDA as the site for a veterans cemetery and calling on the state and federal government to provide the funding needed to build a veterans cemetery on the ARDA site in the Great Park on the hallowed grounds of the former El Toro Marine Station.

Further, this month, United States Representative Gilbert Cisneros (CA 39), a retired naval officer and a member of the Congressional Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies has urged the federal government to step up and provide financial help for our long-overdue veterans cemetery in Orange County.

He wrote to the Subcommittee: “I urge you to provide increased funding for the Veterans State Cemetery Grant program in order to support a veterans cemetery in Orange County. With 3.19 million residents, Orange County has a disproportionately high population of veterans. However, it does not have a single veterans cemetery. Local veterans have been campaigning for a veterans cemetery for years, but the federal government has failed to rise to the occasion. While local entities are pursuing a state veterans cemetery, federal funding should be made available in order to get this project across the finish line. I urge you to increase the VA’s State Cemetery Grant program funding to ensure this long overdue project does not suffer any further delays.”

Along with the Orange County Veterans Memorial Park Foundation, which has led the fight years-long fight for an Orange County veterans cemetery, I say “Hurrah!” to Rep. Cisneros’ letter.

Based on all these factors, as a member of the Irvine City Council and the daughter of a combat veteran, I hereby fully commit to the goal of building a Southern California Veterans Cemetery on the grounds of the former MCAS El Toro at the ARDA site.

I have never approached this issue from a partisan perspective, or with concern for anything but properly honoring O.C. veterans like my father. My sole concern now — as it has been from the beginning of this effort — is doing whatever I can to ensure that an O.C. Veterans Cemetery becomes a reality.

I look forward to working in a positive, bipartisan way with our state and federal representatives, other Irvine City Councilmembers, the Orange County Veterans Memorial Park Foundation, veterans organizations, community groups, and private donors, doing whatever it takes and pulling together in the same direction, to finally establish the Orange County veterans cemetery that we have fought for and needed for so long.

Our veterans deserve a final resting place close to their families and loved ones.

Let’s get it done.

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Irvine Returns to the Orange County Fire Authority and I am Returning to the OCFA Board of Directors

I want to thank Irvine Mayor Christina Shea and my colleagues on the Irvine City Council for their decision to re-appoint me to the Board of Directors of the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA).

Irvine City Councilmember Melissa Fox on the scene of a structure fire in Irvine.

For many years, there has been a dispute between the City of Irvine and OCFA over Irvine’s disproportionately large financial contribution to the fire service.

Because of these concerns, last June, the City of Irvine notified OCFA that it intended to withdraw from the agency in 2020.

In the months that followed, the City of Irvine and OCFA engaged in intensive negotiations with the purpose of finding a way to resolve our differences, particularly the disparity between Irvine’s financial contributions and the services we receive.

Happily, the result of these negotiations was an agreement under which Irvine will receive substantial benefits and considerations in returning to OCFA.

OCFA will contribute $20.5 million to a police-fire training facility in Irvine that will be utilized by the Irvine Police Department and OCFA to meet both separate and joint training needs.

Irvine City Councilmember Melissa Fox with OCFA Fire Chief Brian Fennessy.

Also, OCFA will establish a drone program as part of the agreement that allows monitoring of Irvine’s open space areas with the objective of quickly detecting, assessing, and preventing fires and other hazards.

Significantly, the agreement also includes a pension pay-down, under which OCFA will pay $2 million per year for a total of $22 million over 11 years into an irrevocable pension trust that can be used only for payment of employee pension liability. Approximately 58% of those funds will be earmarked to pay down any portion of OCFA’s unfunded pension liability that is attributed to Irvine.

You can read the full agreement and the Irvine staff report online here.

As Irvine’s representative on the OCFA Board, I am delighted to work again with the dedicated professionals of the Orange County Fire Authority.

I am honored to serve the residents of Irvine and Orange County in this crucial role and pledge to ensure that OCFA continues to provide the very best in fire protection, fire suppression, and emergency services.

In today’s heightened, year-round, wildfire season, having a well-trained, well-equipped and well-led fire service has never been more important.

 

 

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Sunday, March 30, is Earth Hour 2019

This Saturday, March 30, join millions of people around the world in switching off your lights and electronics from 8:30 – 9:30 p.m. for Earth Hour.

Starting as a symbolic lights out event in Sydney in 2007, Earth Hour is now the world’s largest grassroots movement for the environment, inspiring millions of people to take action for our planet and nature.

As a member of the Irvine City Council, I have been able to reinstate and vitalize the Irvine Green Ribbon Environmental Commission, which seeks to increase public participation in energy conservation and sustainable practices, helping the City serve the community through advancing environmental policy initiatives and programs.

I’ve also helped move the City toward adopting Community Choice Energy, which allows cities and counties to purchase power on behalf of their residents and businesses to provide cleaner power options at a competitive price.

In addition, I’ve helped to make Irvine a national leader in finding non-toxic solutions to weed and pest control, and finding effective, non-toxic and eco-friendly ways to maintain Irvine’s open spaces and reduce fire danger.

I’ve helped Irvine increase our iShuttle program by 50 percent, and worked to improve Irvine’s bike trails for recreation and commuting.

But we need to do more, and faster. Most importantly, we need to step up efforts to switch from using fossil fuels – the biggest cause of climate change – to clean, renewable energy.  And we need to help people and nature adapt to the inevitable changes ahead.

Climate change is perhaps the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced.  It affects every corner of our planet – from the poles to the tropics, and from the mountains to the oceans. People and nature worldwide are already feeling the effects: water supplies are shrinking, extreme weather events increasing in frequency and intensity, forests burning, and coral reefs dying.

All around the world, governments and communities are coming together to act –- and we can still escape the worst impacts of climate change, and build a safer future for all.

You can find out more about Earth Hour and how you can participate at EarthHour.org.

You can also find out more about what Irvine is doing to preserve and protect our planet, and what else you can do, at https://www.cityofirvine.org/environmental-programs/make-earth-day-every-day.

Our connection to Earth and nature is undeniable: our planet’s gain is everyone’s gain.

Nature not only provides us with all the things we need to live — from the air we breathe to the water we drink, and from the shelter we need to the economy we rely on — but also makes our lives better.  But its growing loss puts this all under threat.

This Earth Hour, join millions around the world to turn off the lights and speak up about why nature matters!

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Democracy Requires an Election to Fill the Vacancy on the Irvine City Council

When Irvine Mayor Donald Wagner took office as an Orange County Supervisor, Mayor Pro Tem Christina Shea automatically took his place as Mayor.

As a result, there is now a vacancy on the Irvine City Council.

Democracy requires an election rather than an appointment to fill this vacancy.

According to law, a vacancy on the Irvine City Council can be filled by appointment by the remaining four members of the Council or by election by the vote of all the residents of Irvine.

Even if the City Council appoints a new member, the people can still override that appointment and demand an election by filling a petition signed by seven percent of the voters of the City.

Some argue that precedent and financial concerns support appointing the third-place runner-up in the previous election to the open seat on the Irvine City Council, rather than holding an election in which the people will choose the person to serve as their representative.

In fact, neither precedent nor principle support an appointment over the people’s choice as determined by an election.

Since the incorporation of Irvine as a City in 1971, there have been three times that a vacancy needed to be filled for a councilmember.

In the first instance, on October 15, 1985, Ralph A. “Ray” Catalano, a professor at UCI and a former planning commissioner, was appointed to serve the remaining three years of Councilmember David Sills term when Sills resigned from the Council to become a superior court judge.

Significantly, Catalano was not the next highest vote-getter in the previous election.  Catalano was not even a candidate in that election and had never run for office. The person who was the next highest vote-getter in the previous election, Mary Ann Gaido, was not appointed to the open seat. Catalano later explained that he was a political compromise choice and was picked by Sills as his successor.

That is the only time that the Irvine City Council has used an appointment by Councilmembers rather than an election by the people to fill a vacancy on the Council.  In every other case of a vacancy on the City Council, the seat has been filled by a vote of the people in a special election.

Our very first Irvine City Council election was a special election, held on December 21, 1971, when Irvine residents approved the City charter.

On November 6. 1990, a special election was held to fill the vacancy on the City Council when Councilmember Sally Anne Sheridan was elected Mayor the previous June. The next highest vote-getter from the previous election – again it was Mary Ann Gaido – was not appointed.  Bill Vardoulis, who had not run in the prior election, entered that race and won that special election.

On November 3, 1992, a special election was held to fill the vacancy on the City Council when Councilmember Art Bloomer resigned with two years remaining in his term.  The next highest vote getter from the year of Bloomer’s election – and it was again Mary Ann Gaido — was not appointed. Greg Smith won that special election.

Additional special elections have also been called numerous other times for various reasons, such as voting on charter amendments, measures and ordinances.

In fact, in the history of municipal elections in Irvine, special elections seem to be the rule rather than the exception.

Third-place candidates have been elected to the City Council under Measure A, which was adopted by the voters in 1991.

Measure A provides in that in City Council elections where one of the sitting Councilmembers is running for Mayor, the voters can cast three ballots for candidates for the office of City Council, so that “if a council member whose term of office has not yet expired is elected to the office of Mayor, the vacancy in the office of that Councilmember shall be filled by the candidate for Councilmember receiving the third highest number of votes.”

So far, this situation has happened four times.

On June 7, 1988, third-place City Council candidate Cameron Cosgrove was elected when Larry Agran was elected Mayor.

On November 7, 2000, third-place City Council candidate Beth Krom was elected when Larry Agran was elected Mayor.

On November 2, 2004, third-place City Council candidate Sukhee Kang was elected when Beth Krom was elected Mayor.

On November 4, 2008, third-place City Council candidate Larry Agran was elected when Sukhee Kang was elected Mayor.

Our current situation is very different from those cases.

In those cases, the voters were given the explicit opportunity to vote for three candidates for City Council.

As a result, the third-place candidate gained his or her seat on the City Council directly and democratically through the knowing vote of the people, not by appointment based on coming in third when the voters only had the choice of two.

Indeed, as I have shown, our City has NEVER appointed a Councilmember based on a third-place or next-highest finish in a previous election.

Some have argued that we should use this method of appointment – which we’ve never used before – simply in order to save the money that would need to be spent on an election.

First, it should be noted that other local cities are conducting special elections for councilmembers that could easily be coordinated by the Orange County Registrar with our own, thereby reducing the cost of the election.

Most importantly, however, I believe that democracy is worth the cost.

Democracy is far from perfect.

Many of us are convinced that we could pick better officials than those the people elect.

But that is not what our nation is about.

We elect our officials as our representatives; they are not appointed over us.

Democracy is messy, inefficient, and, yes, sometimes expensive.

In the words of Winston Churchill, “democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”

I agree.

We should fill the vacant seat on the City Council with the choice of the people as determined by an election.

UPDATE:

On Wednesday, April 3, 2019, the Irvine City Council officially declared a vacancy on the Council.

I have been informed by the city’s attorney and the city manager this declaration “starts the clock” regarding the process of filling the vacant council seat. We now have 60 days from April 3, 2019, to come to an agreement on the appointment of a new Councilmember or there will be an election.

Residents have 30 days from April 3, 2019, to file a petition signed by seven percent of Irvine’s registered voters to require an election regardless of what the council does.

UPDATE:

There is now a Republican proposal to circumvent this voting process by using an arbitrary ‘point proposal,’ under which “each Councilmember shall list three (3) applicants [candidates] in order of preference.” The candidates will be assigned the following point values: Top candidate 3 points, second candidate 2 points, and third candidate, 1 point.

Under this proposed procedure, the applicant receiving the most points will be appointed.

This proposed “point ” procedure:

(1) has never been used by the Irvine City Council to decide how to fill a council vacancy or to make any other appointment;
(2) violates the most crucial principle of a representative democracy — that the people’s representatives are selected by majority rule.

Arbitrarily assigning points to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice applicants, and then saying the applicant with the “most points” wins, is simply a way to avoid majority rule. It undermines the basic legitimacy of Irvine’s government.

Please attend the next Irvine City Council meeting on Tuesday, April 9, at approximately 3:00 p.m. to make sure your voices are heard.

UPDATE:

While the so-called “point” procedure was defeated at the last meeting, the question of whether to appoint or have an election is still not settled.

Please attend the next Irvine City Council meeting on Tuesday, April 23, where the Council will likely decide either on a process for appointment of the 5th council member to the vacant seat or deadlock to cause an election.

Closed session starts at 4:00 p.m. and the open meeting begins at 5:00 p.m. The agenda is packed so this may run late.

Let the voters have their say!

 

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Irvine History Happy Hour: The Portola Expedition

You are invited to join the Irvine Historical Society on Sunday, March 24, from 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. for an engaging and fun “Let’s Talk History” Happy Hour.

The topic this month is Gaspar de Portola and the Year 1769.

Did you know that the Portola expedition was motivated in part by expelling the Jesuits from Alta California and replacing them with Franciscans?

Did you know that of the original 219 men of the Portola expedition who left Baja California for the north on three ships, only about 100 survived to begin their journey from San Diego to Monterey?

Did you know that the Santa Ana River was originally called Río de los Temblores because Portola and his expedition experienced an earthquake while they were camped there?

Did you know that the Portola expedition arrived in what is now Irvine on July 26, 1769?

Did you know that we have fairly detailed information about the expedition because Portola and Father Juan Crespi kept diaries of the journey, and the expedition’s engineer, Miguel Constanso, later wrote up an official narrative of the trek?

You can learn more fascinating details about Gaspar de Portola, Father Junípero Serra, and their expedition, at the Irvine History Happy Hour on March 24.

Light refreshments will be served. A $5 donation is requested.

The Irvine Historical Society is located in the San Joaquin Ranch House, commissioned by James Irvine in 1868 and considered the oldest standing structure within the original boundaries of Irvine Ranch.

Standard hours of operation are Tuesday and Sunday from 1 to 4; closed holidays. Members are free; a $1.00 donation per non-member is appreciated.

One-hour walking tours of Old Town Irvine are available on the first Sunday of each month at 11:30 a.m. Free for members; $5 for non-members.

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Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! Mark Your Calendars for the Irish Festival in June at the Great Park!

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

Last year, I was named an Irish Honoree by the City of Los Angeles.  The award came as a result of my help in bringing the annual Irish Fair and Music Festival to the Great Park in Irvine.

I am tremendously honored to have been named an Irish Honoree.  Irish Americans have contributed enormously to our nation, and I am proud to help share and celebrate Irish culture.

This year, the Irish Fair and Music Festival will return to the Great Park in Irvine!

Festival dates are Father’s Day weekend, Saturday, June 15 and Sunday, June 16, 2019. 

The Irish Fair and Music Festival is dedicated to preserving and promoting Irish and Irish-American culture in the Southern California area by presenting Irish music, dance, theater, language, sports and all other aspects of the Irish heritage.

Now in its 45th year, the Irish Fair has become a landmark for Irish and Irish American culture and family entertainment. Over 30,000 people attend the event annually. It has been described as the happiest and most fun filled event in all of Southern California!

Among the many artists appearing at the Festival at the Great Park this year are The Fenians,  The Humble Hooligans,  Craic in the Stone,  Sligo Rags,  Young Dubliners , Marys Lane, and The Ploughboys.

The Irish Fair also features Irish Step Dancing, historical reenactments, Irish and Scottish import shops and arts & craft vendors.

You can find more information, and tickets, online at the Irish Fair and Music Festival.

See you there!

In the meantime, you can get your Irish on and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by enjoying this phenomenal musical performance of “Rocky Road to Dublin” from last year’s Irish Festival at the Great Park:

 

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Join Me for a Community Choice Energy Workshop!

Join me on Sunday, March 17, 2019, 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., for Community Choice Energy Workshop!

SoCal Edison rates are going up in March 2019 under the new time of use rate plan, so there’s never been a better time to look into a local not-for-profit alternative – Community Choice Energy.

What is Community Choice Energy?

Community Choice Energy (CCE) is a program that brings local control and freedom of choice and competition into the electricity marketplace. Community Choice allows cities and counties to purchase power on behalf of their residents and businesses to provide cleaner power options at a competitive price.

It has been operating in California since 2002 following passage of Assembly Bill 117.

On September 25, 2018, the Irvine City Council approved conducting a feasibility study to determine the pros and cons of implementing a CCE program, including potential economic benefits for the community.

Community Choice programs enable local government control over energy procurement to purchase power, set competitive rates, and collect revenue. The local utility still maintains the electricity grid, deliver energy, and bill customers.

Community Choice Energy programs offer automatic enrollment to businesses and residences in its jurisdiction, with the ability for the customer to opt out and continue to purchase electricity from the utility. Customers have the option of choosing increased percentages of renewable energy.

CCE programs in California generally procure and resell a power mix between 50 percent and 100 percent renewable energy to their customers.

Community Choice Energy can be one of the most powerful ways to accelerate the transition from fossil to cleaner renewable energy.

Community Choice introduces competition and consumer choice into the electricity sector with a focus on local, renewable energy to stimulate rapid innovations in clean energy systems.

By the mid 2020s, as much as 85% of Californians will be served by a Community Choice Energy program.  When will it be available in Orange County?

Join us Sunday, March 17th to learn:

  • What is Community Choice Energy?
  • How 160 cities across California are already benefiting from community choice energy.
  • What is the status of Irvine’s community choice study & what comes next?
  • What you can do to advocate for community choice in Irvine or your city.

Featuring:

The Workshop location is Irvine United Congregational Church, 4915 Alton Parkway, Irvine, CA 92604

This event is free and open to the public.

Donations appreciated to offset the cost of food/drink and/or to support Climate Action Campaign’s expansion to Orange County.

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Irvine Happiest City in California! Second Happiest City in the Nation!

Congratulations to us!

Irvine has recently been named the 2019 Happiest City in California and the second Happiest City in the USA by the personal finance website WalletHub!

According to their report, WalletHub “drew upon the various findings of positive-psychology research in order to determine which among more than 180 of the largest U.S. cities is home to the happiest people in America. We examined each city based on 31 key indicators of happiness, ranging from depression rate to income-growth rate to average leisure time spent per day.”

The factors examined included depression rates, sleep rates, income growth, sports participation, and separation and divorce rates.

Married couples in Irvine will be happy to know that Irvine has the second lowest separation and divorce rate in the nation!

Read the WalletHub report online here.

Does Irvine have problems?

Of course, we do!

But just for today, let’s remind ourselves that, for the most part, we really love living here!

 

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Congratulations to Chief Greg McKeown on His Retirement! Wishing Chief McKeown and His Family All the Best in the Future!

Congratulations to Orange County Fire Authority Division 2 Chief Greg McKeown on your retirement.

He will be greatly missed.

Chief McKeown is a life-long resident of Orange County who started his career with the Orange County Fire Authority in 1989. Serving the OCFA for nearly thirty years, Chief McKeown has held many positions within the fire service.

Moving up through the ranks, he has held the position of Firefighter, Paramedic, Fire Captain, Battalion Chief, and Division Chief. Chief McKeown’s most recent position has been leading Division 2, serving the City of Irvine and John Wayne Airport.

Chief McKeown has been very active in the ensuring the safety of our Irvine community, serving as the city’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) representative and instructor; as well as coordinating a comprehensive drowning prevention plan.

I will miss Chief McKeown’s day-to-day leadership and I am grateful for his decades of service, especially his stalwart leadership of Orange County Fire Authority Division 2.

During the worst fires in our region, I knew that our fire service was under the leadership of the best of the best.

From myself, the residents of Irvine, and all of us in Orange County, I wish Chief McKeown and his family all in best in the future!

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What I’m Listening for in the Mayor’s 2019 State of the City Address

Irvine Mayor Don Wagner will give his “State of the City” address at the Irvine City Council meeting on Tuesday, February 26, 2019.

The Mayor will have many positive things to talk about, including the tremendous progress that we’ve made on fulfilling the promise of the Great Park — a new 80,000 square-foot ice arena, a 1200-seat Great Park Championship Baseball Stadium and new additional baseball and softball fields, a 5,000-seat Championship Soccer Stadium, a 2.5 mile nature corridor, plus an agreement with Wild Rivers to build a new water park and an exclusive negotiating agreement with Pretend City Children’s Museum to relocate in the Great Park

He will remind us that Irvine remains America’s safest city and was recently declared one of the safest cities in the world.

He will also note that Irvine was rated the number one city in the nation in fiscal strength.

He can also speak positively about the advances that our City Council has made in providing for greater openness and transparency in our budget process, pointing to our new two-year budget cycle, our new five-year planning program and our new Irvine Sunshine Ordinance that expands public notice of agenda items to four times longer than California law requires.

These are indeed wonderful accomplishments that the Mayor, the entire City Council, and all residents of Irvine should be proud of.

But much more remains to be done and problems remain to be solved.

Here is what I would like to hear the Mayor address:

Climate and the Environment

Irvine must become ever more environmentally responsible and should be a national leader in meeting the existential ecological demands of the future.

As Chair of the Irvine Green Ribbon Environmental Committee, I have helped guide Irvine toward greener policies related to energy, recycling and waste management, mobility, open space and water issues.

But more must be done.

I would like to hear the Mayor commit to establishing a Climate Action Plan for Irvine, with the goal of eliminating half of all greenhouse gas emissions in the city and aiming for all electricity used in the city to be from renewable sources by 2035.

Climate Action Plans make it easy for the public to see what cities plan to do to meet state targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Sprinkling such actions throughout the General Plan is not as transparent and is not in the best interest of the public.

Other cities, including San Diego, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Seattle, Baltimore, Phoenix and Houston already have Climate Action Plans.  As the self-proclaimed City of Innovation, Irvine should be a leader in this national effort.

An Irvine Climate Action Plan would benefit both the environment and the regional economy, creating new jobs in the renewable energy industry, improve public health and air quality, conserve water, more efficiently use existing resources, increase clean energy production, improve the quality of life, and save taxpayer money.

Most importantly, a Climate Action Plan would fulfill our obligation to ensure that Irvine remains a beautiful green city for future generations.

Traffic Congestion and Traffic Safety

We have made significant progress in alleviating Irvine’s traffic congestion.  We expanded the iShuttle to provide more transportation.  We’ve enabled left-hand turns in some intersections to allow traffic to move faster and more efficiently.  We’ve widened roads and made other improvements.

But we need to do more.

I would like to hear the Mayor announce a plan to create a greener, smarter, and more efficient transportation future by further expanding our iShuttle.  For example, a route that would take people from UCI to the Spectrum would be good for both Irvine traffic reduction, Irvine’s air quality, as well as for UCI students and Spectrum businesses.

Our roads are not only too often congested, they are also becoming too dangerous, as people fail to obey stop signs and follow the rules of the road.

I have been working with residents and the Irvine Police Department on improving the safety of our pedestrians and bicyclists, especially our children, and I held a Town Hall Meeting on Traffic Safety with the Chief of Police, but more must be done.

I would like to hear the Mayor propose a major comprehensive traffic safety project, focusing on ensuring motorists come to a full stop at stop signs.  This project would involve education, increased enforcement and deploying more advanced stop sign technology.

Many cities have lighted stop signs.  Irvine should have them as well.  Our Irvine Police should also receive a clear mandate from the Mayor and the City Council to take whatever enforcement actions are necessary to make our streets safer for our residents.

The Great Park

Irvine has made tremendous progress on fulfilling the promise of the Great Park and all of us should be proud of what we’ve accomplished.

I am looking forward to the Grand Opening of the new 270,000-square-foot Great Park Ice Area — the largest ice-skating facility in California and one of the largest in the United States.

I am also looking forward to the announcement of further progress on the return of Wild Rivers Water Park.

I also continue to support a veterans cemetery within the hallowed grounds of the former Marine Air Station El Toro, where so many brave men and women flew to Vietnam and other war zones, some never to come back.  My proposal (along with Christina Shea) to locate the veterans cemetery on land that had been intended as a golf course has been through the Commission process and will soon come before the City Council.

What I would like to hear the Mayor speak about tonight is a vision and a plan for completing the next crucial phase of the park – the Cultural Terrace.

The City Council entered into an exclusive negotiating agreement to bring Pretend City Children’s Museum to the Cultural Terrace.  When the relocation of Pretend City to the Great Park Cultural Terrace initially came before the City Council in 2017, I strongly supported it and was disappointed when we did not have the votes to act at that time.  I am extremely pleased that we have moved forward this year.

But much more needs to be done to truly create the Cultural Terrace as the jewel of the Great Park.

I believe the Great Park’s Cultural Terrace would be the ideal location for a natural history museum, showcasing the natural history of our area.

Importantly, the history of the Juaneno/Acjachemen and Gabrielino/Tongva — our County’s indigenous people — needs to be told!

In fact, while Orange County is the only county in Southern California that does not have a natural history museum, Orange County is already home to a fabulous collection of fossils and artifacts in the Dr. John D. Cooper Archaeological and Paleontological Center, now located in several warehouses in Santa Ana.  This rich history of fossils and artifacts, perhaps one of the most important fossil-bearing areas in North America, if not the world, needs to be curated and displayed.

Our county’s rich store of fossils and artifacts ought to be open to all in a magnificent museum – a new Orange County Natural History Museum in the Great Park!

I have also made clear my support for the California Fire Museum and Safety Learning Center, and for preserving the heritage of our California firefighters in a permanent facility in the Great Park.

I have also long been a strong advocate for botanical gardens in the Great Park’s Cultural Terrace.  In fact, every survey we’ve done has shown that gardens are among amenities that people most want in the Great Park.

I agree with the Great Park Garden Coalition that “We need places where children can experience nature and explore, where all can find refuge from the ever-increasing urban density and traffic, where people of all ages and abilities can experience beautiful outdoor spaces. All great urban parks have great garden spaces: Golden Gate Park, Central Park, Balboa Park.”

The Great Park in Irvine should, too.

Homelessness and Attainable Housing

As we all know, Irvine is among the most expensive real estate markets in the nation; for this reason, there is a tremendous need for, and tremendous obstacles to, affordable housing.

Finding solutions to the housing crisis and alleviating homelessness has been a priority for me, both as a member of the Irvine City Council and as Chair of the Irvine Community Land Trust.

Irvine has been a model in this area and the Land Trust concept, now being adopted by Orange County and many other cities, is something that Irvine has pioneered.  No other city has a Land Trust like we have, and other cities are working to copy ours.

I’m proud of what the Irvine Land Trust has accomplished in the past year.

In 2018, we opened Parc Derian, which brings 80 new units of housing for working families, veterans, and special-needs residents of Irvine.  We also began work on Salerno, a new 80-unit rental community. Like Parc Derian, Salerno will provide permanent affordable housing for working families, veterans, and special-needs residents of Irvine.

Significantly, we have begun to develop our first homes for ownership with help from a new partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Orange County. This new Irvine community, called Chelsea on Native Spring, located north of Irvine Boulevard, will include 68 affordable home for sale to income-eligible veterans, working families, and young professionals.

In all, that’s 466 households, and more than a thousand people, who can comfortably live, work and raise families in Irvine directly because of the work of the Irvine Community Land Trust.

In addition to my work on the Irvine Land Trust, I have traveled to Pittsburgh and San Antonio to see what other cities have done to successfully combat homelessness, and I have traveled to Sacramento to encourage the legislature to revise regulations and the tax code to make it easier to build affordable housing.

I would like to hear the Mayor reaffirm Irvine’s commitment to support the Irvine Community Land Trust as successful model for other cities to emulate in providing housing for diverse income levels.

I would also like to hear the Mayor present his vision for alleviating the homelessness crisis, and especially what role he envisions Irvine should play in providing shelter and services, especially in light of the case in federal court.

How will he work with the federal court and Board of Supervisors to tackle this crisis on a truly regional basis, and how will he get the Board of Supervisors to spend the money and resources that they have been given specifically to deal with homelessness on an actual solution?

Working Together in an Inclusive Democracy  

Our City Council is no longer gridlocked in the partisan bickering that prevented progress for so many years; we have seen that we need to work together to improve the lives of all of Irvine’s residents.

I would like to see our city leaders display the truly democratic spirit that united all decent people in our community in condemning religious and racial bigotry, and not the divisiveness that is created when wedge issues, outside our jurisdiction and purview, are brought before the City Council.  Focusing on these wedge issues does not produce positive policies that bring our city together, but instead a theatrical politics of division that can only drive us apart.

I would like to hear the Mayor reach out to those of us on the other side of the aisle, as he has often done, recognizing that it is best for our city and our residents when we work for the common good by looking for common ground.

A Vision for our Great City of Irvine

Our great City of Irvine is truly blessed with wonderful people, a beautiful natural environment, thriving businesses, and remarkable schools.

What Irvine needs is a vision for the future that focuses and energizes our continued quest for being the very best place in the world to live, work and raise a family.

The event begins with a reception at 5:00 p.m., followed by the Mayor’s address at 6:00 p.m.

Both the “State of the City” address and the reception are open to the public. No RSVP is necessary to attend.

The Civic Center is located at 1 Civic Center Drive, Irvine CA 92606-5207.  Call 949-724-6077 for more information.

I hope to see you there!

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Irvine Police Department Offers Traffic and Bicycle Safety Class for Kids!

As an Irvine City Councilmember who has been actively working with the Irvine Police and the community to increase traffic safety, I am very pleased to announce that the Irvine Police Department invites kids ages 6-11 and their parents to attend a fun, new and informative Traffic STARS (Safety Training and Riding Skills) class.

The class will be held on Saturday, March 9, 2019, from 9:00 a.m. — 11:00 a.m.

Students will learn:

* How to travel along safe routes.
* Situational awareness.
* Pedestrian safety.
* Practical, emergency, and defensive riding.
* Common courtesy skills.
* Bicycle and equipment maintenance.

Designed to enhance kids’ safety when out in the community, this class will combine classroom and practical riding skills components.

Kids are encouraged to bring their bikes, their helmets, and a parent/guardian (basic bike riding skills are required).

RSVP by March 1st to STARS@CityofIrvine.org.

See the Facebook Event Page here.

The class will be held at Irvine City Hall, 1 Civic Center Plaza, Irvine, CA 92606-5207

Can’t make this date?  More classes will be offered in the future.

Thank you, Irvine Police Department!

 

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Irvine History Happy Hour: Irvine’s First Schoolhouses

You are invited to join the Irvine Historical Society on Sunday, February 24, from 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. for an engaging and timely “Let’s Talk History” Happy Hour.

The topic this month is first schoolhouses in Irvine.

Did you know that the first schoolhouse in Irvine was built in 1898, when James H. Irvine had a school constructed for the children of his tenant farmers.

The school was located on Central Avenue (now Sand Canyon).  By 1911, the school had an enrollment of 100 pupils with an average daily attendance of 80.

A second and larger schoolhouse was built in 1929, on the northeastern edge of town, near present day Sand Canyon and the 5 Freeway.

You can learn about the tragic history of what happened to this schoolhouse, and more fascinating details of Irvine history at the History Happy Hour on February 24.

Light refreshments will be served. A $5 donation is requested.

The Irvine Historical Society is located in the San Joaquin Ranch House, commissioned by James Irvine in 1868 and considered the oldest standing structure within the original boundaries of Irvine Ranch.

Standard hours of operation are Tuesday and Sunday from 1 to 4; closed holidays. Members are free; a $1.00 donation per non-member is appreciated.

One-hour walking tours of Old Town Irvine are available on the first Sunday of each month at 11:30 a.m. Free for members; $5 for non-members.

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Zot! The Dramatic Success of UC Irvine is Making Our City Better Educated and More Diverse!

Everyone knows that Irvine is changing.  Our city is becoming more populous and more diverse.

One of the major reasons for this change is the remarkable success of our city’s foundational institution and largest employer: The University of California, Irvine (UCI).

Founded in 1965, UCI now has more than 30,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy.

UCI is now the most sought-after campus in the entire University of California system, according to a recent article in the Orange County Register.

The article reports that “The Irvine campus announced recently that 70,540 California students applied for admission as freshmen in the upcoming fall semester,  the most among the nine campuses in the UC system.”

Much of this growth is recent.  In fact, applications to UCI have increased by an amazing 32 percent just since 2015!

UCI’s growth has also led to a significant increase in the diversity of our City.  UCI has made a strong commitment to being an engine of social mobility for qualified individuals from nontraditional and disadvantaged circumstances.

As a result, UCI is now the top choice among UC schools for first-generation students and those from underrepresented minority groups and lower-income families.  Almost half of UCI’s freshman applicants come from immigrant backgrounds and are first-generation students.

As a member of the Irvine City Council, a former UCI student, and the wife of someone who who received his Masters and Ph.D. from UC Irvine, I want to congratulate UCI on its great success and pledge to help it continue making our city, our state, and our nation better educated and more diverse while ensuring a brighter future for Orange County and California!

Zot!

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Irvine in Top 10 Healthiest Cities in the United States!

Irvine is among the top 10 healthiest places to live in the United States, and ranks as the No. 2 best city in the nation in health care, and No. 2 in the percentage of physically active adults, according to a survey recently conducted by WalletHub.

To determine which areas prioritize residents’ well-being, WalletHub compared more than 170 of the most populated U.S. cities across 42 key indicators of good health.

Their data set ranges from cost of medical visit to fruit and vegetable consumption to fitness clubs per capita.

Irvine rated high among U.S. cities in health care (2), physically active adults (2), green space (11) fitness (16), and healthy food (30).

Clearly, our parks and open space are a large part of Irvine being a healthy city and attracting people and families that want to be physically active.

To me, one of the best — and most distinctive — qualities of Irvine is our commitment to preserving open space. The City of Irvine has more than 16,000 acres of permanently preserved parkland and open space – remarkable for a city of our size.

I’m proud of Irvine’s recognition as a healthy city — and we are getting even healthier.

Our new Great Park Sports Complex will provide even more space and facilities for active recreation, and our new Bosque walking trails and Great Park Wildlife Corridor will provide even more opportunities for actively connecting with nature.

We’re opening new community parks.

And City of Hope is planning to build a $200 million cancer center, which would anchor a future medical campus south of the Orange County Great Park in Irvine.

Irvine is a great place to live, work and raise a healthy family — and getting even better!

 

 

 

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Irvine Police Announce “Text to 9-1-1” Service in Irvine!

My father suffered hearing loss from flying air combat missions over North Korea and his hearing loss has gotten much worse with age.  Like many people, he has a hard time on the phone.  In an emergency, calling 9-1-1 would be a problem for him.

On February 6, 2019, however, the Irvine Police Department, along with emergency response agencies throughout Orange County, launched Text to 9-1-1.  The system has been implemented jointly in every public safety agency in the County.

Texting during an emergency could be helpful if you are deaf or hard of hearing, like my father, or have a speech disability, or if a voice call to 911 might otherwise be dangerous or impossible.

When texting 9-1-1, begin by texting your location and the type of services you need (law, fire, or medical.) It’s important that you know your location or know the city you’re in and can describe your exact location to the dispatcher. Location accuracy varies by carrier and should not be relied upon.  Also, messages should be sent in plain language. Do not use acronyms, short code messages, or emojis.

You must have a data plan to use Text to 9-1-1. Currently, language translation services are not available through the system, and dispatchers cannot receive photos, videos, or texts sent to a group.

The Irvine Police Department worked closely with the County to ensure that our Irvine Communications Center is equipped for this service.

Remember: Call 9-1-1 if you can, text if you can’t!

 

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Help Bring a Natural History Museum to the Great Park!

I am proud of all that we’ve recently accomplished at the Great Park  — a new 80,000 square-foot ice arena, a 1200-seat Great Park Championship Baseball Stadium and new additional baseball and softball fields, a 5,000-seat Championship Soccer Stadium, a 2.5 mile nature corridor, plus an agreement with Wild Rivers to build a new water park — the time has come to focus on creating what should be the real jewel of the Great Park: The Cultural Terrace.

To me, the Great Park Cultural Terrace needs a natural history museum, showcasing the natural history of our area.

In fact, while Orange County is the only county in Southern California that does not have a natural history museum, Orange County is already home to a fabulous collection of fossils and artifacts in the Dr. John D. Cooper Archaeological and Paleontological Center, now located in several warehouses in Santa Ana.

This rich history of fossils and artifacts, perhaps one of the most important fossil-bearing areas in North America, if not the world, needs to be curated and displayed.

Importantly, the stories and history of the Juaneno/Acjachemen and Gabrielino/Tongva — our County’s indigenous people — needs to be told!

I recently had the opportunity to tour the Cooper Center for a second time, this time with our new Irvine City Manager John Russo and Assistant City Manager Marianna Marysheva.

The rocks of Orange County contain the fossilized remains of plants and animals from every major time period since the Jurassic – over 180 million years of prehistory! At this point, only a small fraction of the collection has been inventoried – about 20,000 specimens out of an estimated 3,000,000 or more from over 1,000 localities.

Notable collections include: Eocene terrestrial mammals; late Oligocene-early Miocene terrestrial mammals; and Miocene-Pliocene marine mammals.

The Cooper Center’s archaeological holdings range in age from at least 12,000 years ago until historic times, including materials from all areas and environmental zones throughout the County including the coast, major and minor rivers, and foothill zones.

Sites from these various areas include, but are not limited to, villages, fishing, milling activities associated with acorn and hard seed processing, and stone tool manufacture.

Some of the artifact types recovered from these sites include cogstones, metates and manos, mortars and pestles, shell beads, hammerstones, projectile points, scrapers, incised stone and pottery sherds. Historical artifacts from the last century include glass bottles and toys. The artifacts held by the Cooper Center are the most extensive collection of Orange County history and prehistory anywhere and they provide archaeologists with a comprehensive view of what life was like in Orange County.

Unfortunately, this fabulous collection is not now open to the public. Although a county ordinance and federal preservation laws require that fossils, mostly uncovered by construction, be saved and kept in the county they were found, for the “benefit and inspiration of the public”.

Our county’s rich store of fossils and artifacts cannot now be displayed, and are warehoused out of sight of the public. This collection ought to be open to all in a magnificent museum – a new Orange County Natural History Museum in the Great Park!

You can positively impact the next phase of development by the Great Park Cultural Terrace by becoming involved in the grass-roots organization that is working toward a natural history museum in the Great Park:

California Cultural Resources Preservation Alliance (CCRPA)
Website: http://www.ccrpa.com/
Facebook: Click here.

You can contact the Irvine City Council/Great Park Board and tell them you want a natural history museum in the Great Park.

You can also help by signing a petition to urge the creation of a natural history museum in the Great Park.

 

Thanks!

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Video: Councilmember Melissa Fox’s Irvine Traffic Safety Town Hall

On Saturday, January 26, 2019, I held a Town Hall meeting on Irvine Traffic Safety.

Irvine residents, Transportation Commissioners, Irvine Police Chief Mike Hamel, and Traffic Unit police officers discussed ways to make the streets of America’s Safest City even safer.

Here is a video of the meeting.

Thank you to Irvine Police Chief Mike Hamel, officers of the Irvine Police Department Traffic, Irvine Transportation Commissioners Ken Montgomery, Carrie O’Malley and Steven Greenberg, and IUSD Board Members Lauren Schenkman Brooks and Ira Glasky for attending.

It’s an honor to represent a city where so many residents care about each other!

 

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Irvine’s Kids Need You! Volunteers Needed for Irvine Children, Youth and Families Advisory Committee

The City of Irvine is accepting applications to fill two community member-at-large vacancies on the Irvine Children, Youth and Families Advisory Committee (ICYFAC).

Comprised of 15 members, the ICYFAC is an advisory body to the Community Services Commission.

The Committee provides ongoing review and evaluation of programs and services that support the development of Irvine children and youth.

Goals included in the ICYFAC work plan for 2018–19 include:

  • Minimizing stress, anxiety, and depression by strengthening resiliency of young people
  • Connecting children and youth to their schools and community
  • Valuing youth as a vibrant section of the Irvine community
  • Collaborating with youth and community serving agencies

Applicants must live or work in Irvine and be willing to commit to a voluntary two-year term of active participation.

Committee meetings are held quarterly on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Irvine Civic Center.

The application period begins Monday, February 4, 2019. Applications are available at Irvine Civic Center, 1 Civic Center Plaza, 2nd Floor, Community Services Department, or online here.

Completed applications must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 4, 2019, to: City Clerk, City of Irvine, 1 Civic Center Plaza, Irvine, CA, 92623

Thanks!

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New: Flashing Yellow Arrows and Other Improvements to Increase Irvine’s Traffic Flow!

As a member of the Irvine City Council, I am happy to report that Irvine has taken a number of significant actions to reduce traffic congestion and improve traffic flow in the City.

Significantly, Irvine is implementing a new type of traffic signal in 2019 that increases the efficiency of left turns and improves traffic flow.

Watch the video on “Irvine’s Flashing Yellow”:

The Protected-Permissive Left Turn or Flashing Yellow Arrow signal is a new type of display that accommodates left turns at select signalized intersections.

 When approaching an intersection with a flashing yellow arrow, motorists are permitted to turn left while yielding to oncoming traffic, bicyclists and pedestrians.

Flashing yellow arrow signals are opening in January 2019 at these locations: 

  • Tesla at Irvine Center Drive.
  • Oldfield at Rockfield Boulevard.
  • Odyssey at Irvine Center Drive.
  • Towngate at Sand Canyon Avenue.
  • Florence at Culver Drive. 

The City of Irvine has also taken the following additional actions to improve traffic flow:

  • A third travel lane along University Drive in each direction, between Campus Drive and MacArthur Avenue.
  • Two new northbound right-turns lanes and a new northbound through lane on Culver Drive at the Culver/University Drive intersection.
  • A third eastbound through lane on University Drive and a second northbound right-turn lane on Ridgeline Drive at the University/Ridgeline intersection.
  • A fifth northbound through lane on Jamboree Road at the Jamboree/Barranca Parkway intersection.
  • A Jamboree Road pedestrian bridge at Michelson Drive.
  • A new, third westbound left-turn lane on Alton Parkway at the Alton/Jeffrey Road intersection.
  • Widening of eastbound Walnut Avenue to accommodate two left-turn lanes, at the Walnut/Jeffrey Road intersection.
  • A new, fourth northbound and southbound through lane on Jeffrey Road at the Jeffrey/Irvine Center Drive intersection.
  • A northbound third through lane from Ridgeline Drive to the southbound I-405 on-ramp at University Drive.

Other projects include signal synchronization, sidewalk improvements, signal vehicle and bicycle detection systems, and new cameras and a system that monitors traffic throughout the City.

In addition, staff is exploring an adaptive traffic signal system to monitor traffic conditions and automatically adjust signal timing.

Please note:

I am very concerned about both traffic flow and traffic safety.  Both are legitimate and important resident concerns.

Our Irvine Police and City staff will be monitoring the results of the flashing yellow arrows closely and I will insist on changes in the event that it makes our streets less safe.

Don’t forget to attend my Irvine Traffic Safety Town Hall on Sat., Jan. 26, 2019, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Woodbury Community Park.

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Support Pretend City Children’s Museum at the Great Park at Tonight’s Irvine City Council Meeting!

At tonight’s Irvine City Council meeting on Tues., January 22, 2019, the Council will discuss entering into an exclusive negotiating agreement (ENA) with Pretend City Children’s Museum regarding the relocation of the museum to the Great Park’s Cultural Terrace.

Pretend City Children’s Museum, which opened in Irvine in 2009, is an interactive children’s museum that builds better brains through whole body learning experiences, educational programs, and creative exhibits.  It is is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization serving all children.

Designed as a small city, with a grocery store, construction site, art studio, house, café, bank, emergency services, health center and farm, Pretend City is a familiar environment in which children infant through eight-years-old will have joyful opportunities to build problem solving and critical thinking skills, develop creativity and begin a life-long love of learning.

Pretend City is dedicated to ensuring that each child is ready for school success by providing the ideal real-world learning experiences needed by children to develop their essential foundational learning skills.

When the relocation of Pretend City to the Great Park Cultural Terrace initially came before the City Council in 2017, I strongly supported it and was disappointed when we did not have the votes to act at that time.

I strongly support taking action in support of Pretend City at the Great Park now!

Irvine is a wonderful city for families, but will be even better with more educational opportunities for young children.

The Pretend City Children’s Museum is an amazing asset for Irvine and will be a fantastic addition to the Great Park Cultural Terrace.

If you’re a fan of Pretend City, be sure to attend!

Pretend City Children’s Museum is currently located at 29 Hubble, Irvine CA 92618

Learn more about Irvine City Council meetings here.

 

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Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr Day at Pretend City on Monday! Support Pretend City at the Irvine City Council on Tuesday!

Our friends at Pretend City Children’s Museum have put together a wonderful program for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in Irvine on Monday, January 21, 2019, from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm.

Here is what they have to say:

“Every child is unique, and they should know that no matter how different their friend may look from them, everyone should be treated fairly. On this special day at Pretend City, we want to have an open discussion with your child about equality. Don’t miss out on this important life lesson for your child!”

MLK Day Activities include:

Smart Art (in the Art Studio): Today in our Art Studio we will learn all about the word Peace and create a Dove of Peace handprint to encourage peaceful play at Pretend City and at home.

Cultural Connection (11:30 am): As children create their very own self-portrait, they will engage in discussions that show them that even though we are different in many ways (skin color, hair color, eye color, age, etc.) – everyone is special, and we have many of the same hopes, dreams and feelings on the inside.

Loud & Proud (3:00 pm): Dr. King had a dream of peace! What is your child’s dream? After we sing-along to the Martin Luther King Song children will be given the opportunity to share their dream with others.

The cost of the program is included in museum admission. You can purchase your ticket here.

Pretend City Children’s Museum is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization serving all children. The museum is a child-size interconnected city built with rich educational intention, where children can assume various real-world roles. It is designed for children to learn how the real-world works.

Through interactive exhibits and activities facilitated by highly trained professional staff, children learn foundational math, reading and science skills while fostering curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork.

Pretend City Children’s Museum is located at 29 Hubble, Irvine CA 92618

Call 949-428-3900 for more information.

Note: At the Irvine City Council meeting on Tues., January 22, 2019, the Council will discuss entering into an exclusive negotiating agreement (ENA) with Pretend City Children’s Museum regarding the relocation of the museum to the Great Park’s Cultural Terrace.

If you’re a fan of Pretend City, be sure to attend!

When the relocation of Pretend City to the Great Park Cultural Terrace initially came before the City Council in 2017, I strongly supported it and I was disappointed when we did not have the votes to act at that time.

I strongly support taking action now.

The Pretend City Children’s Museum is an amazing asset for Irvine and will be a fantastic addition to the Great Park Cultural Terrace.

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Join Councilmember Melissa Fox at an Irvine Traffic Safety Town Hall!

Join me on Saturday, January 26, 2019, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Woodbury Community Park, for a Town Hall Meeting on Traffic Safety.

Please Note: This is a new time — 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (but the same date)!

Irvine residents are very concerned about traffic safety, especially for their children.

Based on these concerns, I recently met with Irvine Police Department (IPD) Chief Mike Hamel to discuss ways to improve stop sign compliance and overall traffic safety in Irvine.

As a result of our meeting, the IPD is taking the following steps:

  • increasing educational outreach to the public about the importance of compliance with stop signs and overall traffic safety rules, including increased outreach in Mandarin.
  • Increasing traffic enforcement and IPD visibility at all Irvine schools during pick-up and drop-off.
  • Increasing traffic enforcement and IPD visibility at Cypress Village, Northpark, Woodbury, and other locations throughout Irvine.
  • Adding crossing guards at intersection of Arborwood and Canyonwood in Northwood Point (near Canyon View Elementary School).

In addition, the Irvine Police Department has created a new Facebook page specifically related to the traffic law enforcement and traffic safety.  IPD will post information and notices about traffic enforcement activity and residents are welcome to respond and comment about their concerns regarding traffic enforcement and safety.

As a result of IPD’s Heightened Visibility Enforcement operations, hundreds of citations — primarily for moving violations have been issued.

Just this week, more than 50 citations were issued as the result of a Heightened Visibility Enforcement operation in Northpark.

IPD explains that “the goal of any enforcement operation from IPD’s Traffic Bureau is to encourage safe driving, which means fewer accidents. We want everyone to get to their destination safely!”

To continue this important community discussion, I will be holding a Town Hall on Traffic Safety on Saturday, January 26, 2019, from 2:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m. at Woodbury Community Park, located at 130 Sanctuary, Irvine, CA 92620.

Traffic Commissioner Ken Montgomery and members of the Irvine Police Department will participate in the Town Hall on Traffic Safety.

Residents are encouraged to attend and participate in the Town Hall on Traffic Safety with their concerns, questions, and suggestions.

I am looking forward to a Town Hall meeting focused on traffic safety and making Irvine an even safer place to live and raise a family. In Irvine, we’re proud that community engagement is an essential element of our approach to law enforcement.

You can find a Facebook Event Page for the Town Hall here. Please invite your neighbors!

Important Parking Information: Please park in either Woodbury Community Park at the intersection of Sanctuary and Long Meadow or on Sanctuary adjacent to the park.

What: Councilmember Melissa Fox Town Hall on Irvine Traffic Safety

When: Saturday, January 26, 2019, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Where: Woodbury Community Park, 130 Sanctuary, Irvine, CA 92620.

See you there!

 

 

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Irvine Rated Among Top Ten Safest Cities in the World!

Irvine is not only the safety city in America, it is among the safest cities in the world, according to a recent article in CEOWorld magazine.

The safety index ranked 338 cities. The crime index is an estimation of the overall level of crime in a given city.

Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates was ranked as the safest city in the world, with Doha in Qatar in 2nd place.  The remaining top 10 safest cities in the world were Osaka, Singapore, Basel, Quebec, Tokyo, Bern, Munich, and Irvine, CA.

According to the article, the next safest city in the United States is Madison, Wisconsin, at number 35 overall.

Irvine’s top ten world ranking is in accord with Irvine’s number one national ranking by the ​FBI.

Each year the FBI ranks the public safety levels of U.S. cities according to population and considers a number of factors including murder, rape, assault, burglary, arson and auto theft.  Irvine has held the top spot as America’s Safest City among cities with a population of 250,000 or more for 13 years in a row.

As a resident of Irvine and a member of the Irvine City Council, I am extremely grateful to the outstanding work of our Police Chief Mike Hamel and the brave men and women of the Irvine Police Department.

We are America’s safest city because the men and women of the Irvine Police Department continue to perform their duties at the very highest levels of professionalism and integrity.  Our community knows that our police officers treat everyone with fairness and respect, and are dedicated to ensuring the safety of our residents and defending the Constitution of our country.

I am also extremely proud of my neighbors and fellow Irvine residents, who care deeply about the safety of our City and look after each other.  In Irvine, we’re proud that community engagement is an essential element of our approach to law enforcement.

As Irvine Chief of Police Mike Hamel has said, “The safety of our City is truly a collaborative effort. The dedicated men and women of the Irvine Police Department work tirelessly every day to keep our community safe. Our residents and members of the business community partner with IPD to prevent and help solve crime. Our City leaders have always made public safety a top priority, ensuring IPD has the resources necessary to provide only the highest level of service to the public. It is this comprehensive effort that has allowed Irvine to preserve the safety and quality of life our residents have long enjoyed.”

Of course, even in Irvine, we can do better.

In particular, we can, and must, do better when it comes to obeying traffic signs and overall traffic safety.

Please attend my Irvine Town Hall on January 26, 2019, focused on traffic safety and making Irvine an even safer place to live and raise a family.

You can find a Facebook Event Page for the Town Hall here. Please invite your neighbors!

What: Councilmember Melissa Fox Town Hall on Irvine Traffic Safety

When: Saturday, January 26, 2019, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Where: Woodbury Community Park, 130 Sanctuary, Irvine, CA 92620.

See you there!

 

 

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Great Park Ice Arena Opens for Public Skating! Official Grand Opening Set for March 7!

As Vice Chair of the Great Park, I’m pleased to announce that the new 270,000-square-foot Great Park Ice Area — the largest ice skating facility in California and one of the largest in the United States — opened today, January 2, 2019, for public skating.

Hundreds of people showed up for the opportunity to be the first to skate on the new Irvine ice!

Skaters enjoying the Great Park Ice Arena on January 2, 2019. Photo by Ken Montgomery.

Although only one rink is now open, the Great Park Ice Arena will have three National Hockey League-standard ice rinks and one Olympic size rink, and include seating for more than 2,500 spectators. The Great Park Ice Arena will also have a restaurant and a Ducks team store.

Located near the Great Park’s Palm Court and adjacent to the Festival Site parking area, the Community Ice Arena will be open daily from about 5 a.m. to midnight, with most of the time reversed for public use.

Ice sports and recreation activities available to the public at the Arena will include youth and adult hockey programs, regional and national tournaments, figure skating, and open public skating.

Also, the Anaheim Ducks are expected to practice occasionally at the 13.5-acre site.

The Arena is owned by the Irvine Ice Foundation, a nonprofit organization, which will be made up of locally, based civic leaders, and operates on a 50-year lease with the City of Irvine.

The $100 million plus facility will be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certified as part of the NHL Green initiative.

All proceeds will go to further the growth of ice sports and activities locally.

Additionally, the new facility will create 15 full-time and 150 part-time positions while serving more than 10,000 local youth each year.

An exciting official Grand Opening is scheduled for March 7, 2019!

See you there!

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Join Councilmember Melissa Fox at an Irvine Traffic Safety Town Hall!

Please join me on Saturday, January 26, 2019, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Woodbury Community Park, for a Town Hall Meeting on Traffic Safety.

Irvine residents are very concerned about traffic safety, especially for their children.

Based on these concerns, I recently met with Irvine Police Department (IPD) Chief Mike Hamel to discuss ways to improve stop sign compliance and overall traffic safety in Irvine.

As a result of the meeting, the IPD is taking the following steps:

  • increasing educational outreach to the public about the importance of compliance with stop signs and overall traffic safety rules, including increased outreach in Mandarin.
  • Increasing traffic enforcement and IPD visibility at all Irvine schools during pick-up and drop-off.
  • Increasing traffic enforcement and IPD visibility at Cypress Village, Woodbury, and other locations throughout Irvine.
  • Adding crossing guards at intersection of Arborwood and Canyonwood in Northwood Point (near Canyon View Elementary School).

In addition, the Irvine Police Department has created a new Facebook page specifically related to the traffic law enforcement and traffic safety.  IPD will post information and notices about traffic enforcement activity and residents are welcome to respond and comment about their concerns regarding traffic enforcement and safety.

To continue this important community discussion, I will be holding a Town Hall on Traffic Safety on Saturday, January 26, 2019, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Woodbury Community Park, located at 130 Sanctuary, Irvine, CA 92620.

Traffic Commissioner Ken Montgomery and members of the Irvine Police Department will participate in the Town Hall on Traffic Safety.

Residents are encouraged to attend and participate in the Town Hall on Traffic Safety with their concerns, questions, and suggestions.

I am looking forward to a Town Hall meeting focused on traffic safety and making Irvine an even safer place to live and raise a family. In Irvine, we’re proud that community engagement is an essential element of our approach to law enforcement.

You can find a Facebook Event Page for the Town Hall here. Please invite your neighbors!

What: Councilmember Melissa Fox Town Hall on Irvine Traffic Safety

When: Saturday, January 26, 2019, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Where: Woodbury Community Park, 130 Sanctuary, Irvine, CA 92620.

See you there!

 

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Connect to the New Irvine Police Traffic Department Facebook Page!

I am pleased to report that the Irvine Police Department has created a new Facebook page specifically related to the traffic law enforcement and traffic safety.

You can find the page — Irvine Police Department Traffic — here.

IPD will post information and notices about traffic enforcement activity and residents are welcome to respond and comment about their concerns regarding traffic enforcement and safety.

IPD Chief Hamel and I just met just to discuss stop sign compliance and overall traffic safety in Irvine.

Our residents are very concerned about traffic safety, especially for their children.  Chief Hamel immediately followed through on his commitment to me to increase the visibility and frequency of traffic enforcement.

This new IDP Traffic Department Facebook page is another positive step in the right direction.

As IPD Chief Mike Hamel has said, “Traffic safety is of the utmost importance to the Irvine Police Department.”

I also want to remind residents that I will be holding a Town Hall Meeting on Traffic Safety on Saturday, January 26, 2019, at 10:30 a.m. at Woodbury Community Park.

Residents are encouraged to attend and participate in the Town Hall on Traffic Safety with their concerns, questions, and suggestions.

A Facebook event page for the Traffic Safety Town Hall has been posted here.  Please invite your Irvine friends and neighbors!

Together, we can make Irvine an even safer place to live and raise a family.

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Help Shape the Future of Irvine’s Community Programs! Take Our Resident Activity Survey Today!

The City of Irvine, through the Community Services Department, is conducting a Resident Activity Survey about recreational activities offered to the community.

Results from the survey will be used to assess how City activities and programs meet the needs of the community, and how the City can continue to accommodate future needs.

We value input from the community and welcome you to take this important survey.

Questions cover City activities that you and members of your household may have participated in, and those you might want to see offered in the future.

The survey may be taken in English, Chinese, Korean, Persian, Spanish or Vietnamese.

Share your feedback and take the online survey here!

For questions, contact 949-724-6156.

Help shape the future of Irvine programs and take our survey today!

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Councilmember Melissa Fox Details Results of Meeting on Traffic Safety with Irvine Police Chief Mike Hamel and Announces Traffic Safety Town Hall

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Allison Binder 949-724-6226

IRVINE CITY COUNCILMEMBER MELISSA FOX DETAILS RESULTS OF MEETING ON TRAFFIC SAFETY WITH IRVINE POLICE CHIEF MIKE HAMEL AND ANNOUNCES TRAFFIC SAFETY TOWN HALL 

Irvine, CA (December 12, 2019) – On Monday, December 10, 2018, Irvine City Councilmember Melissa Fox met with Irvine Police Department (IPD) Chief Mike Hamel to discuss ways to improve stop sign compliance and overall traffic safety in Irvine.  Councilmember Fox also announced a Town Hall Meeting on Traffic Safety to be held on Saturday, January 26, 2019, at 10:30 a.m. at Woodbury Community Park.

“Chief Hamel and I take this issue very seriously,” Councilmember Fox said. “We hear residents’ concerns and are committed to improving traffic safety across the city.”

In addition to Councilmember Fox and Chief Hamel, IPD officers Lt. Kyle Turner and Sgt. Tom Goodbrand also participated in the meeting.

Lt. Turner heads the Traffic Unit, which is responsible for enforcing the traffic laws, investigating traffic collisions, and assisting the Public Works Department in finding solutions to traffic related challenges. The Traffic Unit also oversees the Parking Enforcement Unit, Commercial Enforcement and the Crossing Guards at or near the local schools.

Sgt. Goodbrand supervises IPD’s School Resource Officers, who work in partnership with the Irvine and Tustin Unified School Districts to provide safe school campuses throughout the Irvine community. Through enforcement of the law and education, the School Resource Officers are a direct link between the Irvine youth community and the Irvine Police Department.

As a result of the meeting, Councilmember Fox is pleased to announce that the IPD is taking the following steps:

  • Increase educational outreach to the public about the importance of compliance with stop signs and overall traffic safety rules, including increased outreach in Mandarin.
  • Increase traffic enforcement and IPD visibility at all Irvine schools during pick-up and drop-off.
  • Increase traffic enforcement and IPD visibility at Cypress Village and Woodbury.
  • Add crossing guard at intersection of Arborwood and Canyonwood in Northwood Point (near Canyon View Elementary School).

Councilmember Fox and Chief Hamel also invited residents to contact their representatives with concerns, questions, and suggestions regarding traffic safety:

Lt. Kyle Turner, IPD Traffic Unit, kturner@cityofirvine.org, 949-724-7217.

Allison Binder, Councilmember Fox’s Lead Executive Council Assistant, abinder@ci.irvine.ca.us., 949-724-6226.

Commissioner Ken Montgomery, Councilmember Fox’s appointee to the Irvine Traffic Commission, kenmontgomery@cityofirvine.org.

Councilmember Fox also announced that she will be holding a Town Hall on Traffic Safety on Saturday, January 26, 2019, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Woodbury Community Park, located at 130 Sanctuary, Irvine, CA 92620.

Councilmember Melissa Fox, Traffic Commissioner Ken Montgomery, and members of the Irvine Police Department will participate in the Town Hall on Traffic Safety.

Residents are encouraged to attend and participate in the Town Hall on Traffic Safety with their concerns, questions, and suggestions.

“I am looking forward to a Town Hall meeting focused on traffic safety and making Irvine an even safer place to live and raise a family,” Councilmember Fox said.  “In Irvine, we’re proud that community engagement is an essential element of our approach to law enforcement.”

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Note: A Facebook Event Page for the Irvine Town Hall on Traffic Safety has been posted here.  Please invite your friends and neighbors.  See you there!

UPDATE: Following up on the commitment made in my meeting on traffic safety with Chief Mike Hamel, the Irvine Police Traffic Bureau conducted a high visibility enforcement detail on the loop in Woodbridge. In 90 minutes, traffic personnel issued 50 citations for cell phone use, stop sign and other traffic violations. Thank you, Irvine Police Department! #DriveSafeIrvine

 

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Press Release: Irvine Transportation Commission Adopts Councilmember Melissa Fox’s Initiative for Comprehensive “Stop Sign Compliance Study” to Increase Safety of Irvine’s Streets

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Allison Binder 949-724-6226

IRVINE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION ADOPTS COUNCILMEMBER MELISSA FOX’S INITIATIVE FOR COMPREHENSIVE “STOP SIGN COMPLIANCE STUDY” TO INCREASE SAFETY OF IRVINE’S STREETS

Irvine, CA – On December 4, 2018, the Irvine Transportation Commission unanimously adopted Councilmember Melissa Fox’s initiative for a comprehensive “Stop Sign Compliance Study” for the purpose of increasing the safety of Irvine streets.

Based on the motion of Councilmember Melissa Fox’s appointee, Commissioner Ken Montgomery, the Transportation Commission voted 5-0 to support Councilmember Fox’s request to direct the staff to conduct a comprehensive “Stop Sign Compliance Study.”

Several members of the public spoke at the meeting to support Councilmember Fox’s request for this intensive study. They spoke of accidents and near misses caused by people running stop signs. The individual Transportation Commissioners all had personal experiences with stop sign runners causing accidents and even fatalities in their neighborhoods.

Irvine Police Department (IPD) Officer Brian Smith told the Commission that IPD issued 2000 stop sign violation citations this year-to-date; there have been 139 vehicular collisions involving stop-sign noncompliance; five of these collisions have resulted in an injury; IPD conducts high-visibility enforcement in areas during rush hour; and that high-visibility enforcement can net 50-55 citations over a two hour morning rush period.

City staff was directed to study how extensive “rolling stops” are at stop signs in Irvine; how many accidents result from “failure to yield” violations at stop controlled intersections; determine whether electronic enhancements to stop signs, like flashing beacons, improves compliance; review the current and best thinking from the nation’s police, traffic engineers, and public safety professionals on increasing stop sign compliance and traffic safety; determine whether other cities are achieving better stop sign compliance and, if so, what are they doing differently from Irvine; and to work with the Irvine Police and Public Safety to determine whether the current strategies used for stop signs compliance are as effective as can be.

City staff will determine whether the study can be performed in-house or whether an outside consultant familiar with this type of work is needed to do the study.  When the study is completed, the Transportation Commission will develop recommendations for the City Council.

“Residents of Irvine are very concerned — and rightfully so — about their safety and the safety of their children because of the consistent failure of drivers to come to a full and complete stop at our stop signs,” Councilmember Fox said. “Irvine is world-famous as a safe place to live and raise our families. But it won’t stay that way unless Irvine’s motorists obey the stop signs and respect pedestrians’ right-of-way. It’s not just our reputation as America’s safest city that is on the line. Our lives, and the lives of our children, are at stake.”

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Happy Hanukkah! Let the Lights of Hanukkah Inspire the Spirit of Love in Each of Us!

The Jewish Holiday of Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, lasts eight days and commemorates the re-dedication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem in 165 BCE by the Maccabees after its destruction by an invading force that prohibited the practice of the Jewish religion.

It is marked by the successive lighting of eight candles on the menorah.

Sadly, now, as then, Jews and others are targeted for violence because of their faith.

Now, as then, let us celebrate the lights of Hanukkah overcoming the darkness of bigotry and hate.

Let us recommit to the promise that President George Washington made in 1790 to the Jews at Toro Synagogue in Newport, Rhode Island, that that the United States “gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance.”

Let the lights of Hanukkah inspire the Spirit of Love in each of us during this Holiday Season and the coming year!

 

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Irvine Councilmember Melissa Fox Puts Stop Sign Safety on the Next Transportation Commission Agenda

Residents of Irvine are very concerned — and rightfully so — about their safety and the safety of their children because of the consistent failure of drivers to come to a full and complete stop at our stop signs. 

Many of you have expressed your concerns to me and I have read what you have posted on social media.

I share you concerns.

As I’ve said before, Irvine is world-famous as a safe place to live and raise our families. But it won’t stay that way unless all Irvine’s motorists obey the stop signs and respect pedestrians’ right-of-way.

It’s not just our reputation as America’s safest city that is on the line.  Our lives, and the lives of our children, are at stake.

In response to these concerns, my appointee to the Transportation Commission, Ken Montgomery, has placed the lack of compliance with stop signs in Irvine on the agenda of the next Transportation Commission meeting on Tuesday, December 4, 2018, at 5:30 PM at the Conference and Training Center Room, One Civic Center Plaza, Irvine, California 92606

Please attend!

Commissioner Montgomery has also asked that our Irvine Transportation Director Mark Linsenmayer and City staff be prepared to answer the following questions:

  • How widespread is the problem of drivers not stopping at stop signs in Irvine?
  • Are there any visibility problems with our stop signs?
  • Would center-mounted stop signs help with compliance?
  • Would advanced warning stop signs help with compliance?
  • Would lights around stop signs, or flashing beacons, increase compliance and public safety?
  • Are other local cities seeing better stop sign compliance?  If so, what are they doing differently from Irvine?
  • What measures have the Irvine Police Department undertaken to increase stop sign compliance, and what recommendations does the Irvine Police Department have to increase stop sign compliance and better driver behavior?
  • What is the current and best thinking from the nation’s police, traffic engineers and public safety professionals on increasing stop sign compliance and traffic safety?

Of course, you may bring your own questions and suggestions for the Commissioners and City staff to the meeting.

You can also contact Transportation Commissioner Ken Montgomery with your concerns, questions, and suggestions.  Send him an email at kenmontgomery@cityofirvine.org.

Commissioner Ken MontgomeryTraffic is a retired Civil Engineer with more than 40 years of experience in managing public works and traffic and transportation issues as Director of Public Works for three Southern California Cities: Norwalk, Redondo Beach, and Laguna Niguel.  Ken retired from the City of Laguna Niguel in 2009 after 18 years as that City’s first Director of Public Works/City Engineer.  He holds a degree in civil engineering from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.  Ken and his wife Judy have resided in Irvine for 39 years and have lived in the same Woodbridge home since 1980.  He been closely following transportation issues in Irvine for decades and was appointed to the Irvine Transportation Commission by Councilmember Melissa Fox in May 2017.

He is looking forward to seeing you and hearing from you at the Transportation Commission meeting!

What:  Stop Sign Safety Discussion at Irvine Transportation Commission Meeting

When: Tuesday, December 4, 2018, at 5:30 PM

Where: Conference and Training Center Room, One Civic Center Plaza, Irvine, California 92606

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An Irvine Guide and Thank You for Giving Tuesday

Today is Giving Tuesday.

The City of Irvine’s website provides Irvine Gives, a comprehensive online resource to help locate the giving opportunities you seek.  If you want to donate time, money or materials, this is the place to start.

Donating online is as easy as clicking a button. Select blue “Donate Now” button on the right side of this page to link directly to the area of your choice. All donations to City programs are tax-deductible

The City of Irvine’s website also provides information on many volunteering opportunities.

I also want to take a moment to suggest some charitable organizations that our family supports.

Our family supports Families Forward, an Irvine-based organization that assists Orange County families in financial crisis to achieve and maintain self-sufficiency and helps these families to once again become independent, productive residents of the community. During the holidays, Families Forward also provides in-need families with festive food baskets and personalized holiday gifts.

We also support the California Association of Food Banks, founded in 1995 to help hungry people throughout California, including our local Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County and the Community Action Partnership of Orange County Food Bank.

Our City of Irvine proudly and gratefully supports the Irvine 2/11 Marine Adoption Committee, which provides charitable and educational activities and support for the benefit and welfare of the United States Marines and their families assigned to Camp Pendleton, California, with special emphasis on the Marines and families of the 2nd Battalion, 11th Marines.

Donations of toys can be made to the 2/11 Marines Holiday Toy Drive benefiting families of Irvine’s adopted 2/11 Marine Battalion. Help bring joy to these families during the holidays by donating a new, unwrapped gift suitable for infants or children ages 12 and younger.  Donations can be dropped off through December 14 at the Irvine Civic Center, Irvine Police Headquarters, and the Great Park Visitors Center.

We support ClothingDonations.org, a service of Vietnam Veterans of America.  ClothingDonations.org will pick up your used clothes and household goods at your convenience and use them to support programs that address the needs of all our veterans.

We also endorse giving to Socks for Heroes, which ships socks along with other essentials to United States Marine Corps combat infantry units, provides Marine children the ability to take advantage of swimming lessons, sports, and camps, and provides other programs for single Marines and Marine families during deployments.  Socks for Heroes was founded by friends of ours from Orange County whose son, Lance Corporal Donald Hogan, 20, was killed by a roadside bomb while his unit was on foot patrol in southwest Afghanistan’s Helmand province. LCpl Hogan noticed a command detonated, pull-string IED being activated and hurled his body into the Marine next to him, throwing him out of harm’s way. He then yelled to his squad, warning them of the impending blast and giving them the split second needed to move to relative safety. For his heroism and sacrifice, LCpl Hogan received the Navy Cross, our nation’s second highest military honor.

We are a firefighter family and the needs of firefighters and other first responders are often on our minds during the holiday season. Gift cards for Firefighters can be mailed or delivered to the OCFA Firefighter’s Benevolent Association for Firefighters in need.  Monetary donations can be made to Firefighter organizations such as the OCFA Foundation and the Wildland Firefighter Foundation.

Donations can also be made to the California Fire Museum and Safety Leaning Center, a local organization dedicated to preserving our California firefighter heritage and advancing community knowledge of fire safety.

Of course, not all giving is through monetary donations.  Irvine is fortunate to have so many residents who give their time and their personal efforts to support our many community events and organizations.  Thank you all!

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Take a Sneak Peek at the New Anaheim Ducks’ Community Ice Arena at the Great Park in Irvine! Updated with New Video!

Last December, I was privileged to take part in the groundbreaking for the new 270,000-square-foot Anaheim Ducks’ Community Ice Arena at the Great Park, which will be the largest ice skating facility in California and one of the largest in the United States.

Now, the Great Park Ice Arena is nearly ready to open!

Click here to watch a new video of the progress at the Great Park Community Ice Arena!

Click here to watch a video of the progress at the Great Park Community Ice Arena!

The Ice Arena will have three National Hockey League-standard ice rinks and one Olympic size rink, and include seating for more than 2,500 spectators.

Located near the Great Park’s Palm Court and adjacent to the Festival Site parking area, the Community Ice Arena will be reserved most of the time for public use.

Great Park Community Ice Arena groundbreaking.

Ice sports and recreation activities available to the public at the Arena will include youth and adult hockey programs, regional and national tournaments, figure skating, and open public skating.

Also, the Anaheim Ducks are expected to practice occasionally at the 13.5-acre site.

The Arena is owned by the Irvine Ice Foundation, a nonprofit organization, which will be made up of locally, based civic leaders, and operates on a 50-year lease with the City of Irvine.

The $100 million plus facility will be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certified as part of the NHL Green initiative.

All proceeds will go to further the growth of ice sports and activities locally.

Additionally, the new facility will create 15 full-time and 150 part-time positions while serving more than 10,000 local youth each year.

A grand opening of the Community Ice Arena is expected in early February 2019.

 

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Join Irvine Senior Services for a Twilight Holiday Social!

Join Irvine Senior Services at Trabuco Senior Center on Thursday, December 13, 2018, from 2:30pm – 4:30pm for an evening of holiday cheer, including hor d’oeuvres, entertainment, and pictures with Santa.

Event fee is $7 per person; register online at yourirvine.org.

For more information, visit irvineseniors.org or call 949-724-7300.

We all know that Irvine is a great city for young families, but Irvine is for seniors, too!

Irvine’s strategic plan addresses the needs of all our community members — children, youth, families — and seniors.

Irvine’s Senior Centers — Lakeview Senior Center, Rancho Senior Center, and Trabuco Senior Center — provide a tremendous variety of social, recreational, and wellness programs for seniors, including health, nutrition and outreach services through community collaborations.

For more information on assistance programs, support groups, transportation services and more, visit the Senior Services Resources & Services page.

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Happy Thanksgiving from the Fox Family!

We have much for which we are grateful.

We are grateful for this great nation, for our freedoms, and for those whose sacrifices, past and present, have made those freedoms endure for generations.

We are grateful for our families and friends, and for the love that makes life worthwhile.

We are grateful for our beautiful City of Irvine.

We are grateful for the blessings of our beautiful planet and our beautiful state of California.

We are grateful for our Police and Firefighters, our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen and Airmen.

We are grateful, too, for everyone in our community and our nation who protects us and serves those in need.

We are grateful for the volunteers who comfort the sick, care for the young and the aged, share their knowledge and skills, and keep us moving forward.

We are also grateful that we are fortunate enough to be able to help others.

Our family, especially during the holidays, supports ClothingDonations.org, a service of Vietnam Veterans of America. ClothingDonations.org will pick up your used clothes and household goods at your convenience and use them to support programs that address the needs of all our veterans.

We also support Families Forward, an Irvine-based organization that assists Orange County families in financial crisis to achieve and maintain self-sufficiency and helps these families to once again become independent, productive residents of the community. During the holidays, Families Forward also provides in-need families with festive food baskets and personalized holiday gifts.

Another worthy organization is the California Association of Food Banks, founded in 1995 to help hungry people throughout California, including our local Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County and the Community Action Partnership of Orange County Food Bank.

Our City of Irvine proudly and gratefully supports the Irvine 2/11 Marine Adoption Committee, which provides charitable and educational activities and support for the benefit and welfare of the United States Marines and their families assigned to Camp Pendleton, California, with special emphasis on the Marines and families of the 2nd Battalion, 11th Marines.

Donations of toys can be made to the 2/11 Marines Holiday Toy Drive benefiting families of Irvine’s adopted 2/11 Marine Battalion. Help bring joy to these families during the holidays by donating a new, unwrapped gift suitable for infants or children ages 12 and younger.  Donations can be dropped off through December 14 at the Irvine Civic Center, Irvine Police Headquarters, and the Great Park Visitors Center.

We also endorse giving to Socks for Heroes, which ships socks along with other essentials to United States Marine Corps combat infantry units, provides Marine children the ability to take advantage of swimming lessons, sports, and camps, and provides other programs for single Marines and Marine families during deployments.

Gift cards for Firefighters can be mailed or delivered to the OCFA Firefighter’s Benevolent Association for Firefighters in need.  Monetary donations can be made to Firefighter organizations such as the OCFA Foundation and the Wildland Firefighter Foundation.  Donations can also be made to the California Fire Museum and Safety Leaning Center,

Many other worthy non-profit organizations that provide assistance to the residents of Irvine and surrounding areas can be found on the Charity Directory of the City of Irvine’s website.

Each year at Thanksgiving, we remember our friend Michael Kinslow and his beautiful Prayer of Thanksgiving for those who protect and those who serve:

Thank you God for every woman and man who risks their life for my freedom and safety.

Please bless their families with peace.

Thank you God for every child, woman, and man who volunteers in my community. All of those who feed the hungry, provide shelter, and all who put their hearts, minds, and souls into building up others and caring for all of your creatures.

Please bless them in their own time of need.

Amen.

Melissa

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Irvine Will Deliver Your Letters to Santa Claus!

Irvine will deliver your letters to Santa Claus!

Santa is busy getting ready for the holidays, and he would love to hear from his friends in Irvine!

Heritage and Turtle Rock community parks will be accepting and sorting Santa’s mail this holiday season. All letters will receive responses, which can be picked up where the letter is dropped off. Allow one week for individual responses; for classrooms, allow two weeks.

A drop-off and pick-up box will be located at both parks.

Send letters to:

SANTA CLAUS SANTA CLAUS
c/o Heritage Park Community Center c/o Turtle Rock Community Park
14301 Yale Ave., 1 Sunnyhill
Irvine, CA 92604 Irvine, CA 92603

For more information, call Heritage Community Park at 949-724-6750 or Turtle Rock Community Park at 949-724-6734.

Also, join me for Irvine’s Winter Wonderland Celebration on Sunday, Dec. 2 from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. as “snow” falls over the Irvine Civic Center and the community gathers for games, crafts, entertainment, food, and a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony!

And don’t forget to join the City of Irvine and the Irvine 2/11 Marine Adoption Committee to support the Irvine 2/11 Marines Holiday Toy Drive, brightening the season for military families by donating a new, unwrapped gift suitable for infants or children ages 12 and younger.

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Remembering Traffic Victims — and Preventing Them in Irvine

Sunday, November 18, 2018, is the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.

This day is dedicated to remembering those killed or injured in road crashes, as well as to pay tribute to the dedicated emergency crews, police, fire and medical professionals who daily deal with the traumatic aftermath of road death and injury.

Unfortunately, this Day of Remembrance has increasing significance for the City of Irvine.

At our most recent City Council meeting, residents told us about witnessing extremely dangerous driving behavior and very close calls involving their children.

I am sure you also witnessed close calls or have heard similar frightening stories from your neighbors.

I am very concerned — as are others — that we will see an increase in serious injuries and deaths in Irvine because a motorist did not obey a stop sign, respect a pedestrian’s right of way, or pay attention.

I have set a meeting with our Chief of Police to step up traffic enforcement and to make sure that our police have every resource they need to ensure that our city is safe for children, other pedestrians, and bicycle riders.

I will be discussing numerous ways to increase pedestrian and bicyclist safety, especially for children, including stepped-up enforcement, more illumination of crosswalks, and better lighting and visibility at stop signs. Your suggestions are invited.

The truth is, we can greatly improve the safety of our streets simply by being better and more respectful drivers, and by all of us — drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians — following the rules of the road.

The most common cause of vehicular accidents is driver behavior, especially distracted driving.  In fact, distracted driving accounts for an astonishing 95 percent of all auto collisions.  According to the National Safety Council,  using a mobile phone while driving now the most prevalent cause of a traffic collisions.

Globally, road traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for people aged 15-29 and claim more than 1.25 million lives each year. In the United States, motor vehicle fatality is the leading cause of accidental death among teenagers, representing over one-third of all teenager deaths.

As I have said, Irvine is world-famous as a safe place to live and raise our families, but it won’t stay that way unless Irvine motorists make a conscious decision to reject distracted driving, obey stop signs, and respect pedestrians’ right-of-way.

It’s not just our reputation as America’s safest city that is on the line.  Our lives, and the lives of our children, are at stake.

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Join Me to Celebrate Irvine’s Winter Wonderland!

Celebrate Irvine’s Winter Wonderland with me on Sunday, December 2, as “snow” falls over the Irvine Civic Center and the community gathers for games, crafts, entertainment, food, and a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony!

Irvine’s Winter Wonderland Celebration includes a Joyful Jingles program and a visit from Santa Claus.

At 5 p.m., there will be a festive tree-lighting that includes “snow” falling over the Civic Center Plaza.

This year, for the first time, the City will also showcase traditional Hanukkah, Kwanza, and Winter Solstice displays to celebrate our diversity and honor the various faiths traditions that make up our diverse community.

Guests to Winter Wonderland are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped gift suitable for infants or children up to age 12. Toy donations aid the Irvine 2/11 Marine Adoption Committee Holiday Drive, which benefits the families of Irvine’s adopted 2/11 Marine Battalion. Help bring joy to these families during the holidays by donating a new, unwrapped gift suitable for infants or children ages 12 and younger. Donations can be dropped off at the Civic Center.

Admission is to Irvine’s Winter Wonderland Celebration is free; registration is not required.

For more information, call 949-724-6606.

What: Irvine Winter Wonderland Celebration

Where: Irvine Civic Center Plaza

When: Sunday, December 2, 2018 – 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Don’t miss this wonderful community event!

See you there!

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Irvine History Happy Hour: “A Traditional Irvine Ranch Thanksgiving”

You are invited to join the Irvine Historical Society this Sunday, November 18 from 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. for an engaging and timely “Let’s Talk History” Happy Hour.

The topic this month is “A Traditional Irvine Ranch Thanksgiving.”

Come share your holiday traditions and a favorite recipe!

Light refreshments will be served. A $5 donation is requested.

The Irvine Historical Society is located in the San Joaquin Ranch House, commissioned by James Irvine in 1868 and considered the oldest standing structure within the original boundaries of Irvine Ranch.

Standard hours of operation are Tuesday and Sunday from 1 to 4; closed holidays. Members are free; a $1.00 donation per non-member is appreciated.

One-hour walking tours of Old Town Irvine are available on the first Sunday of each month at 11:30 a.m. Free for members; $5 for non-members.

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Learn How to Keep Your Family and Your Community Ready for Wildfires!

Do you know how to protect against wildfire?  Are you prepared for an emergency?

On Monday, November 5, 2018, you can learn how to keep yourself, your family, and your community safe at a free informational meeting on wildfire preparedness from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) Fire Station 27, located at 12400 Portola Springs, Irvine CA 92618.

A plane drops fire retardant in the Cleveland National Forest behind homes along Crystal Ridge Court in Lake Elsinore as the Holy fire burned near homes on Wednesday afternoon, August 8, 2018. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The outreach focuses on the “Ready, Set, Go” strategy championed by OCFA and will include a Question and Answer Session.

The wildfire outreach campaign emphasizes these key messages:

Ready: Protect your home ahead of time by taking steps to mitigate wildfire risk.

Set: Prepare for an emergency by assembling a bag of important items that you would need in the event of emergency. This includes clothes, medication and other personal items. Develop a family emergency plan that details escape routes and reunification plans.

Go: Leave early in the event of an emergency. Avoid traffic congestion and other complications by evacuating at the earliest opportunity. In the event of evacuation, all City of Irvine emergency shelters will have options available for pets.

Irvine neighborhoods most at risk of wildfire include Turtle Rock, Shady Canyon, Quail Hill, Orchard Hills and Portola Springs.

Irvine residents are further encouraged to sign up to receive emergency notifications at AlertOC.org.

Visit cityofirvine.org or ocfa.org/rsg for more information on wildfire preparedness.

You can visit the Facebook event page here.

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Irvine Harvest Cup Tournament is a Great Success at the Great Park Soccer Stadium!

The Irvine Harvest Cup is an annual inter-school soccer tournament that gives kids the opportunity to represent their school, learn to play, have fun and complete against other Irvine schools as part of the Irvine Tournament of Champions.

The proceeds from the Tournament of Champions benefit the Irvine Public Schools Foundation.

A Stonegate player battles for possession during the 38th annual Harvest Cup Soccer Tournament at Great Park in Irvine on Sunday. (Photo by Bill Alkofer, O.C. Register).

This year on Sunday, October 21, the 38th annual Harvest Cup was held on our new Great Park Sports Complex soccer fields and in the beautiful new Great Park Championship Soccer Stadium.

Almost 1,500 Irvine boys and girls from 35 Irvine schools competed.

Harvest Cup winners were:

Girls (3rd/4th): Vista Verde Elementary School

Boys (3rd/4th): Canyon View Elementary School

Co-Ed (3rd/4th): Deerfield Elementary School

Girls (5th/6th): Woodbury Elementary School

Co-Ed (5th/6th): Oak Creek Elementary School

Girls (7th/8th): Venado Middle School

Boys (7th/8th) Vista Verde Middle School

Watching hundreds of young Irvine athletes smiling and enjoying the competition reminds me of why I love serving on the Irvine City Council and as Vice Chair of the Great Park — so our children have the very best places to learn and play.

For far too many years, the Great Park was a symbol of gross mismanagement and government gone very wrong, with allegations of corruption and massive waste, and with little to nothing to show for the expenditure of hundreds of millions of public dollars except a balloon, a carousel, and great expanses of dirt, dust, and debris.

Now the Great Park is home to thousands of smiles!

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Irvine Needs You: Irvine Sports Committee Seeks Applicants for Two Volunteer Positions!

The City of Irvine is accepting applications to fill two volunteer member-at-large vacancies on the Irvine Sports Committee.

The Irvine Sports Committee, which meets quarterly at Irvine City Hall, serves in an advisory capacity to the Community Services Commission, conveying the needs of the community pertaining to youth sports programs and ensuring equitable allocation of athletic facilities and maximum participation for all.

The Committee is composed of representatives from Irvine’s youth sports organizations. While most committee members represent a specific program and sport, members-at-large are selected through a public recruitment process to provide general perspective and guidance.

Applicants must reside in the City of Irvine and be willing to commit to a two-year term of active service. Committee meetings are held quarterly on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. at the Irvine Civic Center.

The City of Irvine offers adult sports leagues (softball, soccer and basketball); tennis lessons, leagues and tournaments for all ages; provides athletic fields (including more than 40 soccer fields, more than 40 baseball diamonds, and more than 85 tennis courts) for more than 25 Irvine-based non-profit youth sports organizations; and facilitates several world-class events and elite sports tournaments.

Applications are available at the Irvine Civic Center, 1 Civic Center Plaza, on the second floor in the Community Services Department, and online at irvineathletics.org.

Completed applications must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. Friday, November 9, 2018, to:
City Clerk’s Office
City of Irvine
P.O. Box 19575
Irvine, CA 92623-9575

For more information, contact Community Services Manager Dena Diggins at 949-724-6155 or ddiggins@cityofirvine.org.

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Join Me on Saturday, October 13, at the Orange County Fire Station Open House!

Come meet your local Irvine Orange County Firefighters!

On Saturday, October 13, OCFA’s Fire Station Open House will give visitors an opportunity to meet and greet their neighborhood firefighters, tour their local fire stations, and learn about ways they can stay fire safe.

It will also be a great opportunity to thank your firefighters for their everyday heroism and tell them that you appreciate their bravery and professionalism.

The OCFA Fire Stations in Irvine participating in the Open House on Saturday, October 13, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. are:

  • Station 4, 2 California Ave., Irvine CA 92612
  • Station 26, 4691 Walnut Ave., Irvine CA 92604
  • Station 27, 12400 Portola Springs, Irvine CA 92618
  • Station 36, 301 East Yale Loop, Irvine CA 92604

See you there!

P.S. Did you know that every OCFA Fire Station has a special nickname? When you visit, ask them the nickname of the Fire Station and why it’s called that name. 

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Help Our Emergency Services at the Great Park on October 18 and Get a Free Tote Bag and Pumpkin!

You are invited to attend the multi-city Point of Dispensing (POD) exercise at the Great Park and help OC cities plan for emergencies and practice the rapid distribution of medicine in the event of a public health outbreak.

In a real emergency, PODs save lives by getting needed medication and supplies to our community quickly and efficiently.

The Great Park POD exercise on Thurs. October 18 from 4 to 6 p.m. will offer both a walk-up option and a drive-thru option. During the event, participants will be directed through the exercise by local police and fire authorities and will be asked to complete a brief intake form, proceed to a nurse or nursing student who will distribute exercise materials, then be directed through the exit station.

Participants will receive a commemorative tote bag, local emergency planning materials, information about the AlertOC emergency notification system, and a free holiday pumpkin!

Watch an informative POD video here.

No reservation or RSVP is required.

For more information on the POD, visit ochealthinfo.com/PODevent.

To receive vital communications in the event of an actual emergency, residents are encouraged to sign up for notifications at AlertOC.org .

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Join Me at the Orange County Fire Open Houses!

Come meet your local Orange County Firefighters!

OCFA’s station Open Houses will give visitors an opportunity to meet and greet their neighborhood firefighters, tour their local fire stations, ride a fire engine, see fire suppression techniques, see rescue dogs in action, and learn about ways they can stay fire safe.

It will also be a great opportunity to thank your firefighters for their everyday heroism and tell them that you appreciate their bravery and professionalism in containing recent fires, such as the Holy Jim Fire!

Irvine Community Services Commissioner Lauren Johnson-Norris and Councilmember Melissa Fox at OCFA Open House.

This year, the Orange County Fire Authority will host two Open House events:

  • Saturday, October 6, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at OCFA Headquarters, and
  • Saturday, October 13, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m, at participating OCFA stations.

OCFA Headquarters is located at  s located at 1 Fire Authority Road, Irvine, CA 92602 (off Jamboree Road).

The event schedule for the OCFA HQ Open House on Saturday, October 6, includes:

  • 11:00 a.m. — Kidde Fire Extinguisher Demonstration, Burn Demonstration.
  • 11:45 a.m. — Urban Search and Rescue, Dog Demonstration.
  • 12:30 p.m. — Vehicle Extraction Demonstration.
  • 1:15 p.m.  — Urban Search and Rescue, Dog Demonstration.
  • 2:00 p.m. — Burn Demonstration.

The OCFA stations in Irvine participating in the Open House on Saturday, October 13, are:

  • Station 4, 2 California Ave., Irvine CA 92612
  • Station 26, 4691 Walnut Ave., Irvine CA 92604
  • Station 27, 12400 Portola Springs, Irvine CA 92618
  • Station 36, 301 East Yale Loop, Irvine CA 92604

See you there!