On Tuesday, the Orange County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a plan authored by Vice Chairman Doug Chaffee and me to establish the COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Pilot Program.

Tuesday’s action will support CalOptima in providing direct vaccine access to communities hardest hit by the pandemic, following the State’s tiered process. Seniors, most of whom do not have access to the internet, will get contacted directly by their providers to schedule vaccine appointments.

Click here to read the full press release in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

I want to extend my sincere thanks to my colleague, Garden Grove Mayor Steve Jones,

for his service as Chairman of the OCTA Board of Directors last year. It was an incredibly challenging year, but he guided the agency with a steady hand through many adversities.

As Chairman of the OCTA Board this year, I look forward to continuing the work to deliver improved transportation opportunities for the people of Orange County.

On Monday, the OCTA Board passed the 2021 Board & CEO Initiatives, a group of nearly 100 deliverables organized in three distinct areas:

• Financial stewardship, sustainability, and resilience.
• Reliable, accessible, and balanced transportation choices.
• Organizational excellence and collaboration

The initiatives adopted by the Board position OCTA to meet both the challenges and opportunities we will face this year and will help us fulfill our mission of keeping Orange County moving.

Click here to read a full list of what’s in store for 2021.

Last Friday marked the end of my two-year journey on the Metrolink Board.

We went from record ridership highs to record lows with COVID-19. Through it all, it has been my pleasure to help strengthen our regional train system for the long haul.

Most importantly, I am proud of our decision to hire CEO Stephanie Wiggins, who I’m pictured with here pre-COVID. She’s raising the bar for us all and I’m excited to see where she takes this agency.

For nearly 100 years, local, state, and federal partners have teamed up to reduce the risk of flooding in Orange County.

Earlier today, I had the pleasure of joining Colonel Julie Balten, the Commander of the Los Angeles District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in a virtual signing ceremony for a key amendment to the Local Cooperation Agreement between the Army Corps and Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties.

The project will protect millions of people and billions of dollars’ worth of property from 1 in 100-year floods. As we contend with climate change, this life-saving work is critical. Work is expected to be completed in 2023.

And while a date is not set, this project also keeps alive a federal commitment to support improvements to Santiago Creek, which feeds into the Santa Ana River.

Click here to learn more about it.

The OC Virtual Emergency Volunteer Center is pre-registering volunteers interested in assisting government staff with COVID-19 vaccinations at Points of Distribution (POD) sites this year.

Both Medical Trained Volunteers and General Support Volunteers are needed.

Click here to register.

Last week, I was proud to provide OC Public Libraries staff with a resolution from the Orange County Board of Supervisors recognizing their 100th anniversary and the incredible work they’ve done for our communities.

Join them as they celebrate 100 years of service with a year-long celebration on social media by following and using the hashtag #OCPL100.

Click here for more info.

OC Public Libraries is proud to be partnering with ArtsOC to participate in Poetry Out Loud 2021, a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students.

High schoolers will choose their favorite poem from the Poetry Out Loud database of over 1100 entries and create a video of themselves performing a dramatic reading of the poem.

Click here for more information on how to participate.

On January 17^th, we mourned the loss of Garden Grove Police Department

Lieutenant, John Reynolds.

John passed away from COVID-19 complications. This is a tragic loss for his family and for Orange County. He was an active member of our community who worked hard to improve Garden Grove, serving on the Boys and Girls Club Board of Directors, giving back with his Kiwanis group, and so much more. His loss will be felt by so many who knew him as a generous man and a pillar of his community. My prayers are with his wife and children.

Next Wednesday, the Red Cross and the First District team are partnering to host a blood drive at Magnolia Science Academy in Santa Ana from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm, complete with antibody screening. Those who donate blood are eligible for a $5 Amazon gift card.

Click here to register and enter sponsor code MSASA.

The County of Orange Social Services Agency (SSA) announced that it will re-open four regional offices with limited functionality effective Monday, February 1, 2021, in accordance with the State’s lifting of the stay-at-home order.

The re-opening will provide Orange County residents with additional access to public assistance benefits and related services, while continuing to provide safeguards that help maintain the protection of SSA clients and staff during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Beginning February 1, 2021, the following locations will be open to the public with limited functionality, Mondays through Fridays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.: