Dear Community Member,

A very warm welcome to September! While this month always coincides with the end of summer vacation for our students (welcome back!), we also know there are plenty of hot days still ahead. With an excessive heat warning in effect until Monday night, please be sure to stay safe and well hydrated this weekend. If you need a place to cool off and beat the heat, consider visiting our fantastic local businesses or movie theater. Or, stop by our Community Center or Public Library during operating hours.

Appropriately timed, September is National Preparedness Month and serves as an important reminder of the ever-present threat of damaging wildfires and other natural disasters in Yorba Linda. While the City has been hard at work planning for any emergency, you are our most important partner in public safety. The work you do to prepare ahead of time for emergencies is critical to your safety, such as having a family escape plan, a go-bag filled with essentials, and making sure you are signed up for public safety alerts from AlertOC. We encourage every community member to take some time right now to prepare for emergencies by visiting ReadyOC.com and ReadyForWildfire.org. The City will be providing safety tips all month long on the City's social media channels, website, and Spectrum Channel 3 (U-Verse 99) to help you and your family prepare for an emergency.

Finally, there are only a few days left to submit nominations for the 2022 Citizen of the Year award. This program honors a local hero whose selflessness, volunteerism, and dedication to the community inspire others to serve. If you know someone well-deserving of this honor, please nominate them via the City's website before September 5. This year's recipient will be publicly announced at the 2022 State of the City on October 19.

Best Regards,

Mark Pulone

City Manager

The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 20. To learn more about the Yorba Linda City Council, view a recap of the last meeting, and find the schedule of meetings, please visit the City's website.

In observance of Labor Day, all City facilities will be closed on Monday, September 5, 2022, and will reopen on Tuesday, September 6. Please note that refuse and recycling collection will also not take place on September 5, and collection will be delayed by one day for the rest of the week.

The City of Yorba Linda is accepting nominations for the 2022 Citizen of the Year recognition, but the deadline to nominate a local hero is just a few days away! Please help us honor local heroes whose inspirational contributions have elevated the quality of Yorba Linda's exceptional community. Nomination forms and detailed information are available on the City's website. Nomination forms and materials can be submitted online before 11:59 p.m. on Monday, September 5, 2022.

The City of Yorba Linda takes great pride in our commitment to regularly maintaining our local roadways. The Annual Pavement Preservation Program keeps City streets in good condition, provides residents with better driving conditions, extends the lives of roads, and protects the public’s infrastructure investment. The construction of this year’s project is scheduled to start Tuesday, September 6.

This year’s project is intended to cover the areas east of Village Center Drive, north of Esperanza Road, and south and west of Yorba Linda Boulevard. However, the program will defer the Travis Ranch school area and Esperanza Road improvements until next year to better synchronize with the summer school break and anticipated utility work in the area. The overall project is anticipated to be completed by early January. Crews will distribute door-hangers with additional information to help minimize construction impacts to the public. For more information, please contact the Public Works Department at 714-961-7170.

The annual Mayor's Prayer Breakfast is scheduled for Thursday, September 8, from 6:45 to 8:45 a.m. at the Yorba Linda Community Center. This annual event, sponsored by the Yorba Linda Mayor's Prayer Breakfast Committee, has allowed the community to congregate and share an inspirational message for over 30 years. This year's keynote speaker is Henry DiCarlo, Emmy Award-winning AMS Meteorologist and Sportscaster for the KTLA 5 Morning News. For more information, please contact the Yorba Linda Chamber of Commerce at 714-993-9537 or purchase tickets online.

The curtains have closed for Yorba Linda's 2022 Concerts in the Park season. Thank you to Yorba Linda Parks and Recreation for hosting such a wonderful concert series full of our favorite hits, and thank you to the talented musicians who gave outstanding performances and made this summer so memorable! The City also thanks all the community members who spent their Sundays with us, you all rock... n'roll! Be sure to join us next summer for another series that is sure to blow you away!

But the fun doesn't stop there! To learn more about upcoming family-fun events hosted by the City of Yorba Linda, please visit the City's website. Registration for fall programs is now open, so be sure to check out the Guide online to find your favorite activities and classes, and register at ylreconline.com.

The Orange County Fire Authority responds to thousands of important calls every year, but some calls are more memorable than others. On August 12, Engine 53 in Yorba Linda responded to a call to help a laboring mother, and ultimately helping deliver baby Cohen into the world. Even more amazing, they were able to help the mother get to the hospital so that the mother could deliver Cohen’s twin brother! Check out the joy on Firefighter/Paramedic Trevino's face as he held the new life he helped deliver. The City is grateful to be served by this exceptional team of heroes at OCFA, and we’re thrilled to be a part of this birth story!

The Yorba Linda Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program educates people about disaster preparedness and trains them in basic disaster response skills. The goal of Yorba Linda CERT is to provide residents with the basic skills to protect themselves, their families, and neighbors in the aftermath of a disaster.

Our Fall 2022 Disaster Preparedness training program is offering an in-person CERT training course which will occur on five consecutive Thursday evenings starting on October 6 and ending on November 3. Classes will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. For more information or to register for the training, please visit the City's website or call 714-961-7118.

Children, ages 4-12, can participate in In-N-Out Burger's Cover to Cover Reading Program to earn up to three free hamburgers or cheeseburgers just for reading! Children can sign-up at the Library between October 1 to November 12. Learn more at ylpl.org.

Additionally, the Library also is now offering S.T.E.A.M. to Go Kits for check-out. Each kit contains a comprehensive collection of activities and hands-on tools designed to spark curiosity while learning age appropriate subjects. To learn more about the kits, please visit the Library's website.

Three candidates are running for two open seats on the Yorba Linda City Council, and will be elected on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. The two City Council Members elected will serve a four-year term on the Yorba Linda City Council.

According to the Secretary of State's randomized alphabet drawing, the candidates for City Council will appear on the ballot in the following order:

• Ryan Bent
• Carlos Rodriguez
• Janice Lim

For additional election information, including registering to vote and finding your polling place, visit the 2022 General Election page of the City website or contact the City Clerk's Office at 714-961-7150.

To comply with State housing law, the City Council approved a portion of the Housing Element rezone package at their August 2, 2022, meeting. Of the 27 total housing opportunity sites in the Housing Element, the City Council elected to move forward with 19 sites, while four sites were removed and four other sites were deferred to a later date.

This action allows the City to comply with the timeline within its certified Housing Element while remaining eligible for a time extension allowed by State law. The City intends to use this additional time to solicit more community input on additional sites that could be added to the Housing Sites Inventory to reduce the number of units assigned to the deferred sites before bringing them back for future consideration in spring of 2023.

As required by the City’s “Right-to-Vote Amendment," incorporated within the City’s Municipal Code, the City Council approved the placement of a measure regarding the 19 approved housing opportunity sites on the upcoming election ballot in November 2022. The measure has been assigned the letter designation “Z” by the Registrar of Voters, with the title: “City of Yorba Linda, Housing Element Implementation General Plan Amendments and Rezoning.” Measure Z will allow Yorba Linda voters to determine whether to affirm the rezoning of these properties.

The City encourages all residents to become fully informed and knowledgeable on this complex and important topic before election day. To learn more about Measure Z, and become an informed voter, please visit the City’s dedicated Housing Element page and download the Measure Z Facts Sheet.

Adventure Playground construction is progressing with a “splash” of fun! Recently, the remaining portion of the splash pad was poured with colored concrete. Meanwhile, the electrical and landscaping subcontractors are working on power and irrigation installations throughout the site. With construction well underway, the community can look forward to a late fall opening for the new, state-of-the-art Adventure Playground! For recent project updates, including construction video, please visit the City website.

Yorba Linda is constantly attracting new businesses to open their doors in our exceptional community. We’re currently tracking the development of several exciting restaurants and other businesses planning to open up shop in Yorba Linda, including:

• Crumbl – NOW OPEN (Town Center);
• Clydes Hot Chicken – Under construction (Arroyo & School Street);
• Jalapeños – Coming Soon (State Bros. Center);
• Lone Wolf Brewing – Opening late September (Packing House Square);
• Sushi Imari – Coming to the Packing House Square in the fall.
• Denny’s – opening a second location (Richfield Road & Yorba Linda Boulevard) next year; and
• Target – opening in former OSH building at Valley View Center in early 2023.

The City presents these exciting updates and announcements about new businesses as information develops. For more information about opening a business in Yorba Linda, contact our Economic Development Manager at 714-961-7105.

Every year, the City of Yorba Linda joins cities across the nation to recognize the month of September as National Preparedness Month. With Yorba Linda susceptible to damaging earthquakes and unpredictable wildfires, there is nothing more important than preparing yourself, your family, pets, and coworkers for an emergency. The City of Yorba Linda, along with Orange County Fire Authority and Yorba Linda Police Services, encourages residents and business owners to take the following steps to prepare:

• Review OCFA's Disaster Preparedness website, ReadyOC.com, and ReadyForWildfire.com;
• Assemble a home disaster supply kit with enough provisions to last three to five days. Supplies should include food, water, and medicine for each member of your family;
• Make a Family Disaster Plan with a pre-arranged meeting location in the event the family home is unavailable or not accessible;
• Develop a communications plan that might include email or social media if landlines and cell phones are not working. If possible, establish an out-of-state contact that each family member can check in with;
• Keep an emergency backpack in your car. Contents should include comfortable walking shoes, a light jacket, snacks, water, and a flashlight; and
• Get involved! After preparing yourself and your family for possible emergencies, take the next step and get involved in preparing your community. Learn more about the City's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), a program designed to train community volunteers in basic disaster response skills, in the article below.

Finally, residents and business owners are encouraged to register for the county's mass notification system, AlertOC. Register for AlertOC, or manage your existing profile and notification settings by visiting AlertOC.org.

The future is bright for Yorba Linda! Join Mayor Carlos Rodriguez as he shares his insight into the City’s projects, initiatives, and future planning efforts! The 2022 State of the City Address will be held on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, at 5:30 p.m. and will include Mayor Rodriguez’s informative State of the City Address and a special “Year in Review” video, all accompanied by a dinner served in the magnificent East Room of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum.

To purchase a ticket or learn more about tax-deductible sponsorship opportunities, please visit yorbalindaca.gov/stateofthecity or contact the Yorba Linda Chamber of Commerce at 714-993-9537. Additionally, live video from the event will also be available on Facebook Live during the Address.

The OC Animal Care Shelter is open for redemptions, license renewal, and adoptions by appointment, but walk-ins are also welcome! With over 500 adoption appointments available every week, there's plenty of opportunities to find a new member of the family or companion. For more information or to make an appointment that will change your life, contact 714-935-6848 or visit ocpetinfo.com/adopt.

Yorba Linda Police Services would like to share crucial back-to-school safety information to protect our children as they return to school. With more school buses on the road and children walking or riding their bikes to school, motorists can help reduce dangers to students by staying alert in neighborhoods and school zones and practicing the following safety tips:

• Eliminate distractions and refrain from using any electronic devices while operating a vehicle. A simple call or text can distract a driver long enough to cause an accident or strike a child crossing the road;
• Stop for school buses. Never pass a school bus stopped to load and unload children. California Vehicle Code 22454 requires drivers to remain stopped as long as the red lights on the school bus are flashing. Failure to stop may result in a $1,000 fine;
• Slow down and be aware of pedestrians from all directions. Make eye contact with children crossing the street;
• Utilize the existing school drop-off/pick-up system and discuss the rules with your children; and
• Don't double park; it blocks visibility for children and causes vehicles to maneuver around your vehicle into oncoming traffic.

We all play an important role in traffic safety. By following these safety reminders and exercising additional caution, you contribute to our community's safety. Learn more school safety tips prepared by the Orange County Sheriff's Department.