Author: Roger Bloom

In addition to building a new school, the Irvine Company would provide an array of other public benefits — notably a unique and ambitious effort to create “instant affordability” in 200 existing apartment units throughout the City.

The action came on a 7-0 vote at the Council’s May 13th meeting, following three hours of staff reports, public comment, and Council discussion.

The Mayor announced two major public-private partnerships — with Hoag Hospital and the Irvine Company — that could have generational impacts on healthcare and affordable housing.

Agran began the speech with the expected report that the state of the City is “excellent,” saying: “Our financial underpinnings are strong, our budgets are balanced, and our reserves are extraordinarily large.”

“My thought wasn’t to run against anyone,” Martinez says. “I saw it as an opportunity for me to run and put myself forward. It was something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, and the special election was an opportunity for someone without a lot of money behind them.”

When former Councilmember Tammy Kim withdrew from the race in February, Franco saw her chance.

Although the CAAP has been nearly four years in the making — with more than half of the action items already completed or currently underway — there has been no firm estimate of the plan’s cost or a cost-benefit analysis of its various pieces.

That analysis is now being done with a City consultant and should be completed in the coming weeks.

Agran has a long history of finding ways on the city level to bring solutions to wider problems and make progress in protecting our environment, defending civil rights, and advancing urban planning.

So it was no surprise that Agran signed on with the National Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger immediately upon taking office in December.

And, it was no surprise that this past weekend, Mayor Agran was in the middle of a 45-acre field in Irvine, alongside dozens of volunteers who harvested more than 30,000 pounds of broccoli.