8/24/10
 Cal Fire has released its Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps for Orange County cities. These maps are now subject to a comment period, closing October 1. The Division strongly encourages cities to engage in this review process, as the final maps can impact local land use decisions as well as local insurance rates and other issues impacting city residents and elected officials.
The maps for all jurisdictions can be found here. Questions on the maps and on the review process can be directed to
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or
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with Cal Fire. 8/18/10
Stay up to date with the Orange County Division with its August Newsletter. 8/10/10The Green Economy’s Footprint Expands to OC; Ranked 2nd in State for "Green" Businesses
If there were ever a rivalry between Northern California and the Southern part of the state concerning the creation of green businesses, it would appear that Southern California would come out on top. In particular, Orange County has been ranked as the second best location in the state for the highest number of green workplaces, according to the Environmental Defense Fund. Overall, Orange County has 275 green businesses and is only topped by Los Angeles. The rankings were based on companies whose principal products and services are in environmental efficiency and similar sectors.
Read More. 8/6/10“Hold 'Em, Fold 'Em, Save 'Em" Poker Tournament in Tustin Raises Funds for MADD
The Orange County chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) recently hosted its annual poker tournament in the city of Tustin to raise funds for programs and services that support victims of drunk driving. The tournament, entitled “Hold 'Em, Fold 'Em, Save 'Em,” raised almost $4,000 this year and was held at the Tustin Community Center. Read More. 7/14/08Stay up to date with the Orange County Division with its July Newsletter. Get the latest on the State Budget, pending legislation, reviews of the Division's Medical Marijuana Forum and more. 7/8/10Preceding the Division’s July 8 Division Meeting, member cities gathered for a Business Meeting in which appointments were made to the Division Board and Advocacy Committees. The Division also hosted a meeting of the City Selection Committee, comprised of the Mayors of each of Orange County's 34 cities.
Most prominent among the appointments made was the election of Cheryl Brothers, Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Fountain Valley to serve as Division President. The Division also elected Robert Ming, Council Member of the City of Laguna Niguel to serve as Division 1st Vice President. Read a full list of appointments here. 7/5/10Independence Day was not short on celebrations in cities all across Orange County, as traditional festivities marked the 4th of July from morning to night with fervently patriotic activities that would have made the Founding Fathers proud. See Videos, Photos and a full rundown here. 6/17/10Cath up with the Division with its June Newsletter! Recaps of the City Infrastructure Conference, "6.7 Away from Fault", photo galleries and more! Click here. 6/1/10 Infrastructure Report Card 2010!5/20/10 Division Update -- May 2010. See the latest news from the Orange County Division with its latest newsletter. 5/14/10Governor Releases May Budget Revise
What does it mean for cities? Governor Schwarzenegger unveiled his May Budget Revision on Friday the 14th, setting the stage for State Budget negotiations to play out in the coming months. This will be Schwarzenegger’s last budget as Governor, and he has established pension reform as one of his key priorities. The Governor indicated he will not sign a budget this year without both “pension reform and budget reform,” though it remains to be seen how each of those prerequisites will take shape. For cities, already smarting from this month’s Redevelopment ruling and the loss of $2 billion in local RDA funds, this initial budget framework is a bit of a mixed bag. The status of Transportation is largely unchanged in the wake of the March adoption of the “Gas Tax Swap.” Some proposals include transfers of highway funding and other traditional budgetary “loans” which do not directly impact cities. On the public safety front, a major initiative would change how felony inmates are housed, and could result in as many as 15,000 inmates being transferred to county facilities. The Sacramento Bee reports in depth on that issue, and noted the strident opposition of local law enforcement reps, including the State Sherriff’s Association. An additional proposal in the May revise would safeguard funding for certain public safety programs, and beginning in the FY 2011-12 budget, the Local Safety and Protection Account would be given a continuous allocation of $502.9 million dollars from the General Fund to fund COPS, booking fee reimbursement, rural sheriffs, juvenile probation, and crime prevention programs. These constitute the chief issues facing cities in this initial budget proposal, which is of course likely to evolve dramatically in the coming months – legislative Democrats responded to it Friday as a “non starter.” Among the overarching issues in the budget are the elimination of CalWORKS, a major issue for counties and the state’s low income residents. For additional budget info, you can see the Governor’s full proposal here, or try these resources from the State League of Cities, CSAC and/or the LA Times’ Budget Resource Center.
4/23/10What does it take to "Get a Signal" in Your City? On April 23, 2010 the Division partnered with major service providers for a half-day event covering the essentials of cellular coverage, its importance to public safety and how to manage public perceptions regarding perceived health risks and aesthetics. Below are PowerPoints from that session. - Challenges and Solutions to Managing Cell Coverage in Your City (Bill D'Agostino, Verizon Wireless) - What it Takes to Get a Good Wireless Signal (Larry Speckler) - Will Cell Towers Create Health Concerns from City Residents? (Tom O'Malley, Verizon Wireless). - Wireless Facilities Siting (Scott Longhurst, Trillium Companies) 4/8/10Orange County Leadership Symposium Hosts Infrastructure Report Card Unveiling More than 150 of Orange County's most influential business leaders and elected officials will convene for the Orange County Leadership Symposium’s (OCLS) unveiling of the 2010 Orange County Infrastructure Report Card April 8, 2010 at the Costa Mesa Hilton Hotel.
The Report Card, produced by a partnership of UC Irvine's Civil & Environmental Engineering Affiliates, the Orange County Business Council (OCBC), and the Orange County Branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), constitutes the third time that Orange County’s engineering, business and environmental leaders have come together to conduct an honest, fact-based self-appraisal of the county’s public infrastructure. See the report here. 3/16/10Read the latest Division newsletter here. Included are updates on recent Division events and a video message from Division President Jerry Amante. 2/12/10
Peter Buffa and Gwen Hennessy Use Media Savvy to Share How to Play -- and Win -- the Media Game 
Peter Buffa and Gwen Hennessy of Media Savvy led the Division's February Division Meeting Thursday night. Hennessy, a former O.C. Register reporter and Buffa, both a public official and a media and marketing consultant with 35 years experience, guided attendees through interview techniques and approaches to crisis management, as well as a fun and informative look at classic "media disasters." The lesson: cities need a comprehensive crisis communications plan in place -- and long before the crisis hits.
Media Savvy is offering their services to Division Members at discounted rates, contact
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for details. Also, view a photo gallery from this month's meeting here. 2/10/10Division Reps Drive Policy Changes at State League Policy Committees The State League Employee Relations Policy Committee, at the behest of its Orange County Division representatives, took up the issue of Public Employee pensions and unfunded liabilities in early 2009. After a full year of tireless advocacy, the State League Board of Directors voted unanimously (one abstention) this week to adopt new policy language crafted by Division Appointee Neil Blais. The new policy represents a significant departure from the previous State League policy that set defined benefit as the delivery vehicle of choice for public employee pensions, and constitutes a considerable achievement for Orange County Division representatives to this committee.
The language, as crafted by Councilmember Blais and vetted by the Division Board of Directors, states that "The League supports any locally negotiated retirement system programs that are fair to the taxpayers and to the employees, and that provide long-term financial stability and sustainability."
Read More Here. 1/22/10
Division Hosts State Insurance Commissioner, Gubernatorial Candidate Steve Poizner  The Division was pleased to host State Insurance Commissioner and 2010 Gubernatorial Candidate Steve Poizner for a Meet & Greet the morning of January 20. Poizner appeared as part of the Division's efforts to bring all major candidates before Orange County Division members to discuss critical issue facing local governments.
Poizner spoke at length about the importance of protecting local revenues, and also on his plans to both reduce state spending and establish a permanent reserve fund for "rainy days."
Stay tuned for additional opportunities to "meet the candidates" with the OC Division.
1/20/10 Housing Director Lynn Jacobs Visits Division Board State Housing Director Lynn Jacobs Visited Orange County Division, League of California Cities' Board of Directors on January 20. Jacobs discusses the importance of the housing sector to the state economy, and plans to get that critical job engine back on track. 1/8/10State Budget Unveiled Today, the first iteration of the FY 2010-11 State Budget was unveiled by the Governor, and the negotiations are officially under way. Faced with a projected state deficit of $20 billion, the Governor's proposed budget calls for permanently cutting state worker salaries, deep reductions to Medi-Cal and welfare and numerous other cuts while simultaneously seeking to procure supplementary revenues from the federal government. Read more.
1/08/10 Supervisor Pat Bates Addresses Advocacy Committee. Orange County Supervisor Pat Bates spoke the Orange County Division, League of California Cities' Advocacy Committee on Friday, January 8, 2010. Bates spoke about the importance of collaboration amongst cities and counties. |
