Back-to-School: Keeping Your Kids Safe & Healthy
With the new school year upon us, now is a good time to check in with your family’s...
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Month: August 2025
Publisher’s Perspective: OCPA to Spend an Astounding $4 Million on PR!
When it launched back in 2022, the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) Board promised Irvine customers greener electricity at lower monthly rates. OCPA also promised to create a large number of “green” programs in town. It sounded too good to be true … and it was!
Without a vote of the people, Irvine ratepayers were automatically enrolled in OCPA’s most expensive plan, forced to pay significantly higher monthly electricity rates than we paid to Southern California Edison. And, Irvine taxpayers had to pay an extra $70,000 every month just to keep the lights on and the air conditioning running at City Hall and other City facilities.
So what did Irvine ratepayers and taxpayers get for the higher monthly rate they paid to OCPA? Nothing! OCPA never provided anyone in Irvine with greener electricity, and the agency hasn’t launched a single green program in our city.
Read more here.
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Thousands of Irvine Residents Celebrated Summer Together
This summer, thousands of Irvine residents attended the free events hosted by the City — including CicloIrvine, a community swim lesson, the Pac-Man exhibit at the Great Park, the City’s first Fourth of July parade & fireworks show, five outdoor concerts at Hicks Canyon Community Park, four movies under the stars at Mike Ward Community Park, the Studio Arts Festival, a community bike ride, and the Thursday Night Market at Great Park Live.
Residents also showed up in force to support a variety of community projects — harvesting fruits & vegetables for our local food banks, participating in the City’s mobility summit, donating items for local military families, dropping off supplies at the Irvine Animal Care Center, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Irvine Police Department, and attending the grand opening of our new Irvine Public Library System.
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Four Councilmembers Vote Against an Irvine Veterans Cemetery
Four Irvine Councilmembers — William Go, Melinda Liu, James Mai, and Kathleen Treseder — voted to break a promise that the City of Irvine made to veterans and their families 11 years ago to build a Veterans Memorial Park & Cemetery on the “ARDA” site at the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station at the northern edge of the Great Park.
When Kathleen Treseder was running for Council in 2022, she filled out the ICNV endorsement questionnaire, stating: “I support a Veterans Memorial Park and Cemetery at the ARDA site.” But, when she had the chance to follow-through on that campaign promise, she voted NO!
During the City’s Memorial Day ceremony, Vice Mayor Mai told a number of people he would be voting in support of the Veterans Cemetery. But, the next day, Mai voted NO, saying: “I feel bad for the promises that were made to people, but this was 20 years ago.” Apparently, Mai’s perspective changes from one day to the next (literally) and he believes that the City’s promises have a shelf life.
To read the full article, click here.
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City Council Votes to Postpone Special Election
On August 12th, the City Council voted unanimously to delay a special election for a proposed ballot measure regarding open space protections and the future of the Oak Creek Golf Course.
Upon learning that Irvine’s open space ballot measure could not qualify in time to be added to the state’s special election to redraw California’s Congressional district boundaries, Mayor Larry Agran said it would be unfair to ask Irvine residents to vote in two separate special elections in a single month.
Mayor Agran pointed out that a separate City special election would cost Irvine taxpayers about $2 million. Instead, Agran said he preferred placing the open space measure on the June 2026 primary ballot or on the November 2026 general election ballot, when costs to the City would be minimal and voter turnout would be much higher.
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