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Sign Up for Free Webinar -- Implementing the New Water-Efficient Landscape Ordinance for Orange County The Division is partnering with the Irvine Ranch Water District and the Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC) to present a free interactive webinar on March 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to provide timely information on implementing the new Orange County water-efficient landscape ordinance. A panel of experts including Fiona Sanchez, water conservation manager for IRWD, MWDOC's Joe Berg and Division Executive Director Lacy Kelly will discuss: - What is the ordinance & why is implementation required?
- What does it mean for cities?
- What does it mean for applicants such as property managers, HOAs, homeowners and landscape professionals?
- What resources and tools are available to meet ordinance requirements?
The 60-minute presentation is sponsored by Irvine Ranch Water District, Municipal Water District of Orange County, and the Orange County Division. Additional details on the event available here. Space is limited -- reserve your seat now here. 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. 12/10/09The Division held its annual Holiday party together with the Orange County Building Industry Association and the Orange County Business Council. See the photo gallery here! 12/4/09Division Quoted in OC Register In the wake of news that most California property owners likely will qualify for California’s first tax cut due to deflation since Prop. 13, the Orange County Register took a look at what this would mean for cities and their tax base. Division Executive Director Lack Kelly was quoted in a Business section story, "Tax Cuts May Hurt Cities, Counties," on December 2, and again in the Register's Real Estate blog the following day. Kelly noted that "the state borrowed about $67 million from Orange County’s property tax revenue this past year," and though the individual savings for OC property owners may seem small, cities are already in extremely difficult fiscal times. 12/3/09Model Landscape Ordinance Profiled in the Daily Pilot The Model Landscape Ordinance drafted by the Division in partnership with MWDOC was profiled in the December 2 Daily Pilot. Focused on the City of Costa Mesa's efforts to pass the ordinance ahead of the state-imposed January 1 deadline, the article notes that "The Orange County Division of the League of California Cities took over the state ordinance and simplified it for the county’s cities."
It continued, "The league’s model customized the guidelines of the ordinance with some flexibility for each city to either adopt it as is or modify it to fit with their jurisdictions, said Lacy Kelly, executive director of the Orange County division of the league." Read the full article here, or get more details on the Model Ordinance here. 11/10/09Members of the Orange County Division attended the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California-led Inspection trip of the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta on November 6 and 7. See the recap of this fascinating tour of the main hub of the State Water Project.
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