Irvine City Council Newsletter 
September 2019
Use the Safest Route to School . . . and other Safety Tips for the New School Year! 

Our Irvine Police Department has several tips to help you and your children get to and from school safely each day.


Irvine is proud of its outstanding public schools and its long-standing reputation as America's safest city - so we're very pleased to help students get to school in the safest possible way along the safest route.

Take a look at the  Suggested Routes to School put together by our Irvine Department of Transportation. 

You'll be able to find the best and safest route to your child's school. 


These routes are intended for children who walk or ride bicycles to school. We strongly encourage you to review the plan with your child and, if possible, walk the route to make sure he/she understands the route.
  
In addition, our Irvine Police Department has several tips to help you and your children get to and from school safely each day.

Here are some tips to keep in mind:
  • Leave early. The first couple of weeks of school bring heavier traffic. You won't have to rush if you plan for a little extra time.
  • Obey all traffic laws and signs in school zones.
  • Drop children off in the designated locations. Do not allow children to get out of the car in the middle of the street.
  • Remember that everyone has the same goal of getting their children to school safely, so be patient with other drivers and pedestrians.
  • Always obey crossing guards.
  • Always use crosswalks.
  • Do not engage in distracted driving. This is especially dangerous in school zones.
  • Our Traffic officers patrol the streets near school to ensure safety. Remember to slow down and make complete stops at stop signs.
Should you need assistance regarding traffic issues, please call the Irvine Police Department's non-emergency line at 949-724-7000.

Have a wonderful school year! 




Application deadline extended to September 9, 2019.

The Irvine Community Services Commission is accepting applications to fill two government, civic, or community agencies vacancies, and two child care provider vacancies on the  Irvine Child Care Committee.

There is a  serious child care crisis in Irvine.  At present, nearly 2,500 Irvine families do not have adequate child care. Irvine will need an additional 4,551 child care spaces by 2035, due to the increase in housing development and the concomitant increase in the number of families with young children moving to Irvine.

As a member of the Irvine City Council, I have made it a priority to increase childcare and early childhood education opportunities in Irvine. By volunteering to serve on the Irvine Child Care Committee, you can serve our community and help me and others work to alleviate our childcare crisis.   


The Irvine Child Care Committee is a 15-member advisory body to the Irvine Community Services Commission, and works cooperatively with the Irvine Children, Youth, and Families Advisory Committee, Child Care Coordination staff, and Community Development to enhance the quality of childcare and school readiness in the City of Irvine.

The Irvine Child Care Committee acts in an advisory capacity to the Community Services Commission, providing input on the needs of the community pertaining to child care-related issues. The full committee includes five City Council appointees; two center- or home-based child care providers; two parents/guardians; three representatives, one each from Irvine Unified School District, University of California Irvine, and Irvine Valley College; and two community representatives.

Committee meetings  are held on the second Tuesday of January, March, May, September, October and November, from 9:00 am to 10:30 am at Heritage Park Community Center, or other designated Irvine location.

Applicants must be willing to commit to a two-year term of active service, January 2020 through December 2021. Irvine Child Care Committee meetings are held the second Tuesday of select months (at least six times a year) from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at Heritage Park Community Center or other Irvine locations.

Applications are available now at the Irvine Child Resource Center and Irvine Civic Center, and online at  cityofirvine.org/childcare. Completed applications must be received by 5 p.m. Monday, September 9. Applications may be mailed or hand-delivered to: Irvine Civic Center, 1 Civic Center Plaza, Irvine, CA 92606.

For additional information, contact Traci Stubbler at 949-724-6635 or  tstubbler@cityofirvine.org.  Or contact my Lead Council Executive Assistant Allison Binder at abinder@ci.irvine.ca.us.

Thanks!


I'm excited to see recognition of the importance of fire safety and for preserving and celebrating our California firefighter heritage.

As a long-time advocate for the California Fire Museum and Safety Center and for preserving the heritage of our California firefighters in a permanent facility in the Great Park, I'm honored to be featured in the Summer 2019 issue of  Orange County Firefighter, the official publication of the Orange County Fire Services Association, in an article highlighting Irvine's agreement to designate 5 acres of the Great Park as the new home of the  California Fire Museum - Safety Learning Center.


I'm excited to see recognition of the importance of fire safety and for preserving and celebrating our California firefighter heritage!
The mission of the California Fire Museum is:
  • To preserve and protect the history and heritage of the fire service in general, with special emphasis on the California Fire Services.
  • To collect, restore, preserve and exhibit apparatus, equipment, art and artifacts of the firefighting profession.
  • To provide life safety, fire safety and fire prevention education to the community.
  • To educate the public about firefighters, firefighting and emergency services.
You can learn more about the  California Fire Museum and Safety Leaning Center  at their website here  and their Facebook page  here .


New online platform streamlines planning and building applications.

As part of an ongoing effort to enhance customer service, the City of Irvine is launching a new, streamlined, web-based platform for planning, building, and engineering applications.

With  Irvine Ready!, residents and businesses will no longer have to travel to the Irvine Civic Center to apply and pay for planning and building applications, engineering review, or permits.

Effective September 10, all new applications and resubmittals for residential, commercial, grading, and engineering projects will be migrated to the Irvine Ready! e-plan system, regardless of how the original submittal came in. The City of Irvine will also start accepting online payments on September 10 for Irvine Ready! transactions.

For more information or to access the City's online plan submission program, visit  irvineready.com

For additional questions or to sign up for electronic plan submittal training, please contact IrvinePermits@cityofirvine.org. 

Watch Orange County Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy on Leadership: "Building a Mission-Driven Culture"

Watch Chief Fennessy share the values of a mission-driven culture and the importance of intent-based leadership in emergency management.

One of the accomplishments I'm most proud of as a public official is serving on the selection committee a member of the board of directors of the  Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) for the appointment of  Brian Fennessy as our new Fire Chief.

Chief Brian Fennessy is one of the nation's most respected leaders in the crucial field of emergency management.

Recently, Fire Chief Fennessy was invited by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to present his perspective on emergency management leadership to a national audience.

In his talk, titled "Building a Mission-Driven Culture," Chief Fennessy shares the values of a mission-driven culture and the importance of intent-based leadership in emergency management.

Chief Fennessy also discusses his path to leadership and why he firmly believes that a mission-driven culture is critical to organizational success in times of chaos and during daily operations.

All of us involved in emergency response and management - first responders, public officials, citizen volunteers - will benefit from the wisdom and experience of OCFA Chief Brian Fennessy in this extremely timely talk.

Watch Chief Fennessy's FEMA PrepTalk "Building a Mission-Driven Culture" here:

PrepTalks: Brian Fennessy
PrepTalks: Brian Fennessy "Building a Mission-Driven Culture" 

Thank you, Orange County Professional Firefighters Association, Local 3631, for FireOps 3631!

 "Fire Ops 3631" is an opportunity for public officials to participate in firefighter training. 

 
On August 31, 2019, Irvine Community Services Commission Chair  Lauren Johnson-Norris and I participated in " Fire Ops 3631," an opportunity for public officials to participate in firefighter training.

We had an incredible time in turnouts learning about working hose-line, extracting people from vehicles using the jaws of life, handling the turret hose from atop the firetruck, and crawling into a burning building to rescue trapped victims. 

Exhausting!! 

We're very proud of our Orange County (very) professional firefighters!  

Here are some photos:



Join Irvine's CHAMPION Volunteer Program and Help Seniors in Need  

Become a CHAMPION (Community Helper Assisting Mature Persons in Our Neighborhood)!  


The City of Irvine is seeking individuals interested in enriching the lives of older adults by volunteering to become a CHAMPION (Community Helper Assisting Mature Persons in Our Neighborhood). This unique volunteer position is designed to meet the needs of isolated seniors by matching them with the interests of a friendly visiting volunteer.

Qualifications to become a CHAMPION volunteer include completion of an eight-week training series and a background check. During the eight weeks of training, volunteers learn about what is normal aging and coping with the challenges of chronic illness. Volunteers practice building rapport and setting good boundaries, and learn techniques in communicating with someone with mild memory loss. Other topics covered include: Irvine's senior services, fall prevention, and home safety tips. Volunteers are requested to commit to one year of service, including attending monthly meetings with other CHAMPION volunteers.

A CHAMPION volunteer orientation is Wednesday, September 11, 2-3:30 p.m. Registration for this free orientation is required; sign up for course #18821 at  yourirvine.org

Volunteer training sessions are held weekly September 18 through November 13, 2-3:30 p.m. There is no training on October 9. All meetings are held at the Lakeview Senior Center.

For more information, contact the Keen Center for Senior Resources at 949-724-6926. 

September is Emergency Preparedness Month!

Are you and your family prepared for an emergency, such as earthquakes, fires, floods, and utility outages?

 
September is Emergency Preparedness Month and the Irvine Police Department (IPD) would like to share some important steps with residents and businesses to help protect family members and employees in an emergency. 

Irvine residents are encouraged to be prepared for any disaster that may impact our community, including earthquakes, fires, floods, and utility outages.
 
To ensure that immediate needs are met following a disaster, assemble a supply kit with enough provisions to last three to five days. Supplies can include food, water, and medicine. Residents should tailor their supply kit based on specific family needs, such as including extra eyeglasses or food and medicine for pets.
 
 When a disaster strikes, family members may be in different locations. Prior to an emergency arising, pre-arrange a meeting location if the family home or regular gathering place is unavailable. Families should also develop a plan to communicate if landlines or cell phones are not working. Alternate communication plans might include e-mail or social media, as the Internet may not be impacted in the same way as cell phone connections. As most communication methods are electronic, keeping extra batteries or alternate power sources such as a solar powered cell phone charger in a convenient location may be helpful in an emergency. 


 
Motorists may also consider keeping an emergency backpack in their vehicles in case roadways are blocked or damaged and the motorist needs to walk a long distance or remain in the car for an extended period of time. Items to consider placing in the backpack include comfortable walking shoes, a light jacket, snacks, water, and a flashlight.  
 
By registering with AlertOC , time-sensitive voice messages from the City of Irvine may be sent to your home, mobile, or business phone. Text messages may also be sent to mobile phones, e-mail accounts, and hearing impaired receiving devices. For more information and to register for AlertOC, visit cityofirvine.org/alertOC.  
 
IPD also posts regular updates to social media, which may be helpful in a disaster. Follow us on Instagram at I rvinePolice, Facebook.com/ IrvinePD, and Twitter.com/IrvinePolice. Emergency updates may also be broadcast on 1640AM.  
 
Community members may also participate in the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) course, which provides private citizens with basic skills to protect themselves, their family, and neighbors, and to respond to the immediate needs of the community in the aftermath of a disaster when emergency services are not readily available. For information and to sign up for CERT, visit cityofirvine.org/CERT.  
 
For more information on emergency preparedness, visit cityofirvine.org/prepare

UCI Law Presents Human Trafficking and Child Marriage Forum

Human trafficking and child marriage deny autonomy to and harm the physical, sexual, and emotional health of those who are targeted..


On September 14, 2019, UCI Law School is hosting an important 

Scholars, experts, legislators, and public officials will share research findings, examples from their work, and policy proposals for the way forward. 

The forum is sponsored by   Global Hope 365   UCI Initiative to End Family Violence , and  UCI Law, and  will provide the opportunity to exchange ideas for solutions and increase momentum for legislative change.  

Date: Saturday, September 14, 2019
Light lunch: 11:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Event time: 12:00-2:30 p.m.
UCI School of Law | EDU 1111
401 E. Peltason Dr., Irvine, CA 92697

Registration is $10 and includes lunch. 

Free for UCI students.

MCLE credit is available.

Register here



September is Suicide Awareness Month  




Melissa Fox
Irvine City Council
Staff and Commissioners

Allison Binder, Lead Council Executive Assistant
abinder@ci.irvine.ca.us

Daniel Robertson, Council Executive Assistant

Lauren Johnson Norris, Community Services Commissioner (Chair)

Dustin Nirschl,  Planning Commissioner

Roger Sievers,  Finance Commissioner

Kenneth Montgomery, Transportation Commissioner 

Zhihai Li, Children, Youth and Families Committee
 
Dawn Antis,  Childcare Committee

Juneu Kim,  Senior Council

Richard Cody Prince,  Green Ribbon Environmental Committee 

Fred Judd, Investment Advisory Committee (Chair)