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Irvine City Council Newsletter
March 1, 2017
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Councilmember Melissa Fox Commends Mayor for Tackling Traffic Issues in State of the City Address.
"I was happy to hear the Mayor say that no new development will get approved unless it completely mitigates its traffic impact, and I intend to hold the City Council to that promise. As the Mayor said, the first rule of holes is simple: when you're in one, stop digging."
 Irvine, CA - Irvine City Councilmember Melissa Fox commended Mayor Donald Wagner for tackling the City's traffic and transportation problems in his recent State of the City Address. "I liked that he's going to take the issues of traffic and transportation by the horns, as we have all been pushing as a Council in that direction," Councilmember Fox said. "I was especially happy to hear him say that
no new development will get approved unless it completely mitigates its traffic impact, and I intend to hold the City Council to that promise. As the Mayor said, the first rule of holes is simple: when you're in one, stop digging."
"We've already moved toward reinstating the transportation commission and recruiting a professional transportation manager. We are the only city of our size that does not have a dedicated transportation manager, and that must change. I am looking forward to working with the Mayor on fulfilling our campaign promises to address all aspects of Irvine's traffic and transportation problem: congestion, environment, accessibility, and public safety," Fox added.
"I also share the Mayor's enthusiasm about helping to make Irvine an even bigger leader in technological innovation and entrepreneurship," Fox said. "I believe that we can become a world-leader in the new and developing technology of automated vehicles, which is likely the future of transportation."
Fox further stated that she was pleased with the Mayor's expression of the City's deep appreciation for the work of our police and firefighters, and his affirmation of the City's commitment to creating a Veterans Memorial and Cemetery on the old El Toro Marine base.
"I would have liked to see the Mayor specifically address affordable housing and childcare," she added. "I would have liked to have heard a more about these issues, especially as it impacts Irvine's young families and the Millennial Generation, but I will be working on that. I certainly agree with the Mayor that this this is an exciting time to be in Irvine."
You can read the Mayor's State of the City address
here, and read Melissa's thoughts about what she wanted to hear the Mayor say
here.
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Councilmember Melissa Fox Joins with NHL Anaheim Ducks in Groundbreaking for New $100 Million Ice Skating Facility at the Great Park.
"Now the next Wayne Gretsky, Teemu Selänne, Scott Niedermayer or Ryan Getzlaf could come from Irvine. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Irvine, CA - Irvine City Councilmember -- and Great Park Vice Chair -- Melissa Fox joined with the National Hockey League Anaheim Ducks as well as City and County officials in the official groundbreaking for the new $100 million Great Park Ice & Sports Complex.
The Great Park Ice & Sports Complex will be the largest in California and one of the largest in the U.S. Built entirely without taxpayer funding, the 280,000-square-foot Complex will feature three NHL-standard ice rinks and one Olympic-sized ice rink, as well as a 2,500-seat arena, and will offer a variety of ice sports including youth and adult hockey programs, tournaments, figure skating, curling, broomball, sled hockey, public open skating and will be used as a practice facility for the Anaheim Ducks.
Located near the Great Park's Palm Court and adjacent to the Festival Site parking area, the facility will be reserved most of the time for public use.
It is scheduled to open in July 2018.
The newly formed nonprofit Irvine Ice Foundation will own the Great Park Ice Complex.
"This ice skating facility will be terrific for our kids," Councilmember Fox said. "I loved to ice skate when I was kid, but there weren't very many places I could find an ice skating rink when I was growing up in Orange County. Now, we'll have state-of-the-art facilities for our youth."
"The next Wayne Gretsky, Teemu Selänne, Scott Niedermayer or Ryan Getzlaf could come from Irvine. Wouldn't that be wonderful?" she added.
You can read more about the new Great Park Ice & Sports Complex at
NHL.com.
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Councilmember Melissa Fox
Praises Student Engagement with Irvine City Council on Issue of Affordable Housing.
"It is great to see students attend City Council meetings and address us on issues that are important to them as well as the larger community. I share their concerns about housing insecurity and the lack of affordable housing in Irvine - not just for students, but also for young families and others."
I
rvine, CA --
Councilmember Melissa Fox praised the nearly two dozen students from UC Irvine and Irvine Valley College who spoke recently to the City Council on the issue of affordable housing.
"It is great to see so many students attend City Council meetings and address us on issues that are important to them as well as the larger community. I share their concerns about housing insecurity and the lack of affordable housing in Irvine - not just for students, but also for young families and others," Fox said.
"I strongly agree with the student speakers that Irvine needs to do much more toward helping create more affordable housing, and I am committed to working with my colleagues on the Irvine City Council and the Irvine Community Land Trust, as well as with UC Irvine and others on this important issue."
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Councilmember Melissa Fox Applauds Mayor's Affirmation of Irvine's Welcome to All Regardless of Religion or National Origin
.
"Wherever you come from, and whatever your interests and talents, you want the same thing from government for you and your family: The ability to live and work productively, in safety; to provide a quality education to your children; and to be free to speak, worship, participate, and thrive in your community."
I
rvine, CA -- Irvine City
Councilmember Melissa Fox applauds the Mayor's affirmation of Irvine's inclusive welcome of all residents regardless of religion or national origin.
In his recent State of the City address, Irvine Mayor Donald Wagner said "I firmly believe that wherever you come from, and whatever your interests and talents, you want the same thing from government for you and your family: The ability to live and work productively, in safety; to provide a quality education to your children; and to be free to speak, worship, participate, and thrive in your community."
"This is a City where goals and dreams can be realized, and are being realized every day. We welcome your participation in the life of this City as we move forward. This Council and I stand ready to help in whatever ways we can. We thank you for the honor of being able to serve you and the great city of Irvine."
Councilmember Fox responded, "I could not agree more with the Mayor's
's affirmation of Irvine's inclusiveness. As a grand-daughter of immigrants and a member of the Irvine City Council, I assure all our
residents that Irvine appreciates them, stands with them, and will not tolerate any bigotry against them based on religion, national origin, race, gender, disability, or any other characteristic of the diversity that we in Irvine welcome and celebrate."
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Councilmember Melissa Fox's Busy - and Rewarding - Weekend.
"It is always an honor and a privilege to represent the City of Irvine and to meet with our residents and participate in the great things they're doing."
Irvine, CA - For Irvine City Councilmember Melissa Fox, the weekend of February 25-26 began early on Saturday morning, meeting up with Orange County Fire Authority Chief Greg McKeown and dozens of volunteers from OC Fire, OC Fire Explorers, the Irvine Police Department, Irvine Police Explorers, CERT, and the Red Cross to inspect and install smoke detectors for residents at The Groves, a resident-owned senior community in the Irvine. A total of 738 smoke alarms were installed in 349 homes free of charge by 87 volunteers!
Councilmember Fox then headed out to Harvard Community Athletic Park for the Opening Ceremony and a pancake breakfast fundraiser for
Irvine PONY Baseball, which included a beautiful salute to the American flag led by
Irvine Boy Scout Troop 645.
Next on Councilmember Fox's Saturday agenda was a visit to Mike Ward Community Park in Woodbridge to participate in the "OC Charity Dog Walk - Who Walks Who?," sponsored by
Irvine Rotary and the
Rotaract UC Irvine. The event included dog photo booths, veterinarians, dog toys, an auction and dog contests -- all to raise money for animals and other great causes.
Councilmember Fox then stopped at the Islamic Center of Irvine to drop off a donation of lightly used shoes for
Soles4Souls, a charity that aims to disrupt the cycle of poverty, create sustainable jobs, and provide relief through the distribution of shoes and clothing around the world.
On Sunday, Councilmember Fox joined with Mayor Wagner, Mayor Pro Tem Lynn Schott and Councilmember Christina Shea, as well as Gold Star parents and other City officials, to take part in the groundbreaking ceremony of the expansion of the
Irvine Nothwood Gratitude and Honor Memorial.
 Located in Northwood Community Park, the Northwood Gratitude and Honor Memorial is the nation's first memorial dedicated exclusively to listing the names of all the fallen American service members in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Last year, the Irvine Community Services Commission, of which Councilmember Fox was then a member, recommended that the City add two new pillars to the site, extend the area of the plaza, install two new benches, and add a pedestal with the history of the Memorial. The City Council then unanimously approved the Commission's recommendations.
"As a resident of Irvine and the daughter of a Korean War combat veteran, I am proud that Irvine continues to honor and express our gratitude to America's fallen heroes." You can watch all of Councilmember Fox's remarks
here.
"My favorite part of being an Irvine City Councilmember is representing our great City at community events," Fox said.
"Sometimes it is serious and solemn, like the Northwood Memorial expansion ceremony, and sometimes it is just great fun and completely delightful, like the OC Charity Dog Walk and the PONY Base Opening Day ceremony. But it is always rewarding, and it's always an honor and a privilege to represent the City of Irvine and to meet with our residents and participate in the great things they're doing."
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Become a Member of the Irvine Green Ribbon Environmental Committee!
The City of Irvine is now accepting applications from residents.
The City of Irvine is accepting applications to fill two community member-at-large vacancies on the
Green Ribbon Environmental Committee
.
I strongly urge Irvine residents with backgrounds in the sciences and/or environmental issues to apply!
Comprised of 10 members, the Committee is an advisory body to the City Council and provides advice on sustainability policies related to energy, recycling and waste management, mobility, open space and water issues.
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 with the next meeting scheduled for May 2017.
Applications are available at the Irvine Civic Center, 1 Civic Center Plaza, on the second floor in Public Works, or online at
cityofirvine.org/application. Completed applications must be received by 4 p.m. Friday, March 17, 2017. Applications may be mailed or hand-delivered to the following location:
City Clerk
City of Irvine
1 Civic Center Plaza
Irvine, CA, 92623
For more information, contact Mike Davis at 949-724-6288 or by email at [email protected].
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Join Councilmember Melissa Fox at the Quail Hill Community Center Dedication!
Join City of Irvine officials for self-guided tours of the brand new community center, which features spaces for art, dance, fitness and educational programs.
Join Irvine City
Councilmember Melissa Fox and other City officials at the dedication ceremony celebrating the opening of the Quail Hill Community Center from 4-6 p.m., Saturday, March 4. Take a self-guided tour of the brand new community center that will feature spaces for art, dance, fitness, and educational programs.
A photography exhibit featuring the City of Irvine 45th Anniversary Photo contest entries will also be on display.
The newly opened 18,943-square-foot Community Center will be open to the public 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday; 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday; and noon-6 p.m. Sunday. Classes at the Center will be available to the public beginning in March.
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Upcoming Events
What's up in Irvine!
- 3/8 International Women's Day.
- 3/11-3/19 Clown Aliens, written and directed by Eli Simon, UCI Drama Chancellor's Professor, at the Claire Trevor Theatre at 8:00 p.m. Matinee performance on 2/18 at 2:00 p.m. Clown Aliens explores the trials and tribulations of assimilation, and how strangers in a strange land desperately hold onto their heritage and family ties.
- 3/13 Holi, Hindu Festival of Colors.
- 3/17 Saint Patrick's Day.
- 3/17 Women of Influence Forum, Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce, Island Hotel, Newport Beach, at 7:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. At the luncheon you will have the opportunity to hear from some of the region's most successful women. You will hear first-hand from them about their careers, triumphs, struggles and secrets to success.
-
 3/22 World Water Day.
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Melissa Fox
Irvine City Council
Staff and Commissioners
Allison Binder, Council Executive Assistant
Lauren Johnson,
Community Services Commissioner
Dustin Nirschl,
Planning Commissioner
Roger Sievers,
Finance Commissioner
Zhihai Li,
Children, Youth and Families Committee
Dawn Antis,
Childcare Committee
Juneu Kim,
Senior Council
Krishna Hammond,
Green Ribbon Environmental Committee
Fred Judd,
Investment Advisory Committee
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