Last month, the OC Public Libraries completed another successful Summer Reading Program.

The goal of their summer reading program is to offer the community learning opportunities so that kids are actively reading and learning during the summer time when school is not in session.

Just this summer, 85,000 community members attended informational, educational, and recreational programs at their local library and almost 40,000 signed up to participate in the summer reading program.

Congratulations to all who participated!

On August 28, I had the honor of being part of the ribbon cutting ceremony for the completion of the County Administration South building, formerly Building 16.

Soon after coming to this Board, former Supervisor Shawn Nelson, Roger Torriero (CEO of Griffin Holdings), county staff, and I started working together to create a modern, coherent, efficient, and welcoming plan for the Civic Center.

This new building has a County Service Center on the first floor. My vision for this one-stop-shop was to make it easier for people to access the County. By having 13 departments represented in one location, people will no longer have to walk from building to building across downtown to get to their desired destination for resources. The people of Orange County deserve better service from their government; this project is making that a reality.

The County Administration South building is a symbol of our larger aspirations for the relationship between Orange County’s government and its residents. We are turning the confusing, wasteful, and dark Civic Center of old into a welcoming, clean, and efficient Civic Center in which we can all take pride.

Starting September, the second out of four phases under the 2017 Civic Center Strategic Plan, begins with the construction of the County Administration North building.

At the board meeting on August 27, the OC Board of Supervisors approved a five-year contract with ChargePoint, Inc. to install 14 Electric Vehicle Charging stations at 3 county parking structures to augment efforts in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality for residents. The contract also includes funding for additional charging stations as demanded.

Electric cars are entering the mainstream, especially among younger drivers. As such, we need to make sure Orange County is equipped with enough electric charging stations to meet the growing demand. And by installing more electric charging stations, we will further promote the use of electric vehicles among our residents, thereby improving air quality and protecting our environment.

The new stations will be subsidized predominantly by the state of California, while individuals who use the charging stations will cover the operation costs.

Below are the three parking structures where these electric vehicle charging stations will be added:

On August 23^rd I spoke at the OC Complete Count Committee about the importance of an accurate count for the 2020 Census.

As the third most populated county in the state and the sixth in the country, Orange County needs to focus on ensuring every individual is accounted for. With such a diverse population, we need to make sure people understand the importance of the decennial census and feel comfortable participating in it.

Thank you to the City of Santa Ana for hosting this event! It was a great space to discuss implementation of the census with local community group representatives, non-profits, and elected officials.

As part of the City of Santa Ana’s census outreach campaign, two of my staff members participated in a video to inform the community about the importance of participating in the census. Santa Ana is the hardest city to count in Orange County, making any outreach work crucial to getting an accurate count and securing the most funding for our residents.

To learn more, check out the hard-to-count fact sheet here: https://census.ca.gov/htcfactsheets/.

August 29 (Westminster) – During the Rancho Bel Air Neighborhood Coffee we covered a range of topics from county resources to the grand opening of the new County Administration South building. With the new one-stop-shop service center, you’ll be able to handle all of your county business in one place, from building plan approvals to birth certificates to property taxes and so much more!

August 29 (Santa Ana) – At the Fountain Park Neighborhood coffee I spoke extensively on recent flood control channel improvements and the construction of the County's new Regional Wellness Hub and mental health facility.

August 26 (Westminster) – I had the opportunity to go over how important the flood control channels are with residents at the Russell C Paris Park Neighborhood Coffee. I also talked about my efforts in working with the federal government to help expand capacity in the event of a 100-year flood.

What: Madison Neighborhood Ice Pop Social with Supervisor Andrew Do

When: September 4 (6:30 PM – 7:30 PM)

Where: St. Anne Catholic School – 1324 S. Main St., Santa Ana, CA 92707

What: Morrison Park Neighborhood Coffee with Supervisor Andrew Do

When: September 11 (6:00 PM – 7:00 PM)

Where: Starbucks – 2701 N. Bristol Street #A, Santa Ana, CA 92706

What: Bowling Green Neighborhood Coffee with Supervisor Andrew Do

When: September 17 (6:00 PM – 7:00 PM)

Where: American Legion Post 555 – 14582 Beach Blvd. Midway City, CA 92655