With roughly 15 large fires burning up and down the state of California, it's hard to believe stay calm when 2 of those fires, the Carr Fire and Holy Fire, are located right in our backyards. With ash coming down like snowfalls -- reaching north of the 210 and west of the 57 freeways -- it's beyond us to fathom that this all due to arson. All we can do is wish those affected are safe and hope all the men and women help fighting the fires all the best in their jobs protecting us in this time of despair.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
DIRECTOR'S REPORT
As the Holy Fire now continues into day three, many of us know someone who has been affected by it or you may be directly affected yourself. The location of this fire generally ranges from South Corona, stretching down to Lake Elsinore, along the Westside of the I-15 Freeway. As of this afternoon, the mountainous areas southwest of Lake Elsinore, close to Ortega Highway are also affected. Mandatory evacuations are in effect for most of this area, which includes approximately 20,000 homes. Approximately 18,100 acres have burned, containment is still only at 5%, and a State of emergency has been declared.
(Jon Schleuss / Los Angeles Times)
What can WE do to help? The Inland Empire Section of the American Planning Association serves the Riverside and San Bernardino Counties and continuously looks for ways to further best practices in planning, transportation, and emergency management. We also serve as a communication portal on these topics to the Inland Empire and will continue to bring significant updates as they occur. We are also looking at immediate ways to directly serve the community through donations and assistance during this wildfire event.
What can YOU do to help? Continue to help spread information about this situation. Donations to organizations such as the Red Cross and assistance at evacuation shelters are always appreciated. *A shelter is open at Temescal Canyon High School, located at 28755 El Toro Road in Lake Elsinore. A care and reception center at Elsinore High School, located at 21800 Canyon Drive in Wildomar is available as well. We have been in contact with representatives managing the shelters and I am happy to report that they are overwhelmed with food and supply donations at this point.
Thank you to all our emergency responders, Cities, and Counties involved in managing this wildfire. Also, a thank you goes out to the local businesses and individuals who have donated and provided assistance to these affected communities. Let's hope for some rain!
For up to date information, please visit the following resources:
Intragency Risk Incident Portal - Holy Fire Status Updates
SOCALGAS CLIMATE ADAPTATION & RESILIENCY PLANNING GRANT PROGRAM - DUE AUG 15
SoCalGas is pleased to announce its Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Planning Grant Program for 2018! SoCalGas will award $100,000 in the form of two $50,000 planning grants to local governments currently participating in vulnerability assessments, climate adaptation and resiliency plans, or updating their local hazard mitigation plans to address climate adaptation through their General Plan process. An advisory panel of planning and sustainability experts will select the winning applications based on the following criteria:
COLLABORATION: the extent to which the grant proposal reflects coordination and partnerships with a diverse range of stakeholders (energy/water utilities, transportation, housing, etc.)
DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES:SoCalGas encourages applicants to address vulnerabilities in disadvantaged communities
CO-BENEFITS: identify potential co-benefits of the adaptation work, such as benefits to public health, air quality, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and the economy
The cost to applicants seeking to take the November 2018 AICP Exam for the first time remains at $495, and for previously-approved applicants the cost is $425. In order to assist exam-takers from the California Chapter with the cost of the AICP Exam, the Chapter will award AICP Exam Reduced Fee Scholarships in the amount of $350 each to offset applicants' costs. Thus, those awarded the Chapter scholarships will only pay $145 (application fee and balance of exam fee for first-time AICP Exam applicants), or $75 (exam fee only for previously-approved AICP Exam applicants). To be eligible for an AICP Exam Reduced Fee Scholarship for the November 2018 AICP Exam, please complete this application and email it to Kimberly Brosseau, AICP, Vice President of Professional Development at kimberly.brosseau@prk.sccgov.orgno later than 5 PM on Friday, August 17, 2018. Late applications cannot be accepted.
EVENTS
RE-IMAGINE DOWNTOWN AT ONTARIO - FEEDBACK WANTED!
Re-Imagine Downtown at Ontario's Bike, Walk 'n Roll Euclid Experiment was a hit! There was a wonderful turnout with games, activities, bike rentals, vendors, and entertainment. Despite the heat and the air quality, the event went on and so far, all that's been heard was good feedback. The City of Ontario is interested in everyone's feedback on this event and would like you to participate in their online surveys. Please visit the surveys here and let them know you think: http://www.ontarioca.gov/survey
JOINT IES-APA || AEP - AUGUST WORKSHOP - AUG 14
NORTH LAKE VISION FOR THE SALTON SEA
Overview:
The North Lake Vision consists of two projects. The first project is an in-sea barrier that would follow the contours of the shore, and be constructed to preserve Riverside County's shoreline, thereby creating a healthy body of water for environmental habitat and recreational use. The North Lake will be approximately 4,200 acres. For comparison, Big Bear Lake is 2,600 acres and Diamond Valley Reservoir is 4,800 acres. The lake's depth will vary. The depth will allow a healthy diversity of fish and provide feeding for various birds and fowl.
The second optional component will be a restored and expanded Whitewater River, flowing from Avenue 52 into the lake. The 10-mile river will offer enhanced environmental habitat and recreational opportunities such as canoeing and rafting that allows users to enjoy bird watching and immerse themselves in natural surroundings.
The Riverside County Board of Supervisors will consider forming an enhanced infrastructure finance district, which allows bond issuances to pay for public infrastructure projects. These bonds will be the financing mechanism for the North Lake in-sea barrier and river project.
Speaker:
Brian Nestande, Deputy County Executive Officer - Riverside County
Brian Nestande serves as the Deputy County Executive Officer for Riverside County. His duties in the Riverside County Executive Office include oversight of state and federal legislation and policy, as well as representing the office on the supervisorial ad hoc committee for cannabis regulation. Mr. Nestande is also the representative of the Executive Office to the Salton Sea Authority.
Mr. Nestande was a member of the California State Legislature from 2008 - 2014, representing cities in the Coachella Valley and various other areas within Riverside and San Bernardino counties. He served on Budget, Government Organization, Education, and Health Care Committees.
APA-LA STATE LEGISLATION AND HOUSING IN GREATER LA - AUG 16
APA Los Angeles and Los Angeles City College Present:
State Legislation and Housing in Greater LA
Join APA Los Angeles for a comprehensive and exciting event breaking down the 2017 housing package passed in Sacramento and its effects on housing the greater Los Angeles region. The panel will cover such topics as which bills are expected to have key impacts on housing production; how cities implement bills passed at the state level; how these efforts compare to and complement existing local efforts to encourage housing production; and other housing-related issues in greater Los Angeles.
Presenters:
Melinda Coy, Policy Specialist - California Department of Housing and Community Development
Matt Glesne, City Planner - City of Los Angeles
Julie Romey, Senior Principal - Keyser Marston Associates
Shashi Hanuman, Directing Attorney of Community Development - Public Counsel
Moderator TBD
Transit/Parking: The event will be held in the student union of Los Angeles City College. The venue is a short walk from the Vermont/Santa Monica Station on the Metro Red Line, directly inside the campus from the intersection of Vermont Ave and Monroe Ave. Please consider utilizing public transportation and rideshare to reach the event. A limited number of parking passes for the LACC garage adjacent to the student union are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The entrance to this garage is on Heliotrope Dr. For those parking without a requested garage parking pass, please utilize public street and metered parking adjacent to the venue.
Are you a young planner looking for opportunities to meet other planners and engage in the Inland Empire? If so, the IES-APA Board needs your help in sustaining a Young Planners Group. Be a part of this fun and exciting initiative and network with planners across the Inland Empire and Southern California. Contact John Hildebrand (IES-APA Section Director) to get involved at JHildebr@RIVCO.ORG.
Find us on Facebook at "Inland Empire Section - Young Planners Group (IES-APA YPG)", a subgroup of the IES-APA page. Please join: https://www.facebook.com/groups/IESAPA.YPG/
OPPORTUNITIES / TRAINING
2018 APA CALIFORNIA CONFERENCE: SHAPING OUR FUTURE - OCT 7-10, SAN DIEGO
We are very pleased to announce that registration is now open for the annual APA California Conference to be held at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina on October 7-10, 2018. This conference is expected to attract over 1,500 planners from throughout the state and will feature over 100 educational sessions, 13 mobile workshops to explore planning in the San Diego region, and various networking opportunities. Not to be missed will be the Opening Reception on Sunday night on the iconic USS Midway. We will have the historic aircraft carrier all to ourselves!
Please go to the APA California conference website for more information and check regularly for updates and the latest conference information. The mobile app for the conference will also be released when we get closer to the conference date.
Get up to speed on best practices with online courses for individual study. Topics in this convenient and cost-effective format include planning law, ethics, health policy, and transportation. Go here for more info: https://www.planning.org/ondemand/
JOBS / RFPs / RFQs
The Inland Empire Section of the American Planning Association (IES-APA) provides listings for planning and planning related jobs. If you are interested in listing your job, please visit the Sponsorships page (scroll down to the bottom) for more information. In addition, as a courtesy to our members - RFPs/RFQs may be submitted and posted on the IES-APA website free of charge. Please email us at admin@ies-apa.org for more information regarding RFPs/RFQs postings.
Board reports are available on ourboard reportspage on our website. In addition, newsletter archives are available on our website as well. For any comments, questions, or inquiries of the Inland Empire Section of the American Planning Association (IES-APA), please contact admin@ies-apa.org.
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