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Irvine to Receive $56 Million from the American Rescue Plan Budget: How Will the Funds be Spent?

As part of the Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the City of Irvine is receiving $56 million to be spent on civic improvements over the next three years.

The federal funds are intended to help cities “Build Back Better” by rebuilding and improving infrastructure, and strengthening and expanding direct human services that have been badly damaged by the COVID-19 pandemic.

City staff has drafted a plan for allocating the funds, divided into five areas. The recommended plan will be presented to the City Council for discussion and action at the Council’s October 12th meeting.

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Why Haven’t Irvine Residents Been Updated on the Orange County Power Authority … Even Though Irvine Taxpayer Money is Funding the Project?

In November 2020, environmental advocates were excited to learn that the City of Irvine was leading the effort to establish a California Community Choice Energy program, known now as the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA). The City of Irvine is funding the project through 2022.

Irvine City Councilmember Mike Carroll is the Chairman of the five-member OCPA Board. Mayor Farrah Khan also sits on the Board.

Now, nearly a year after the OCPA was established, clean energy advocates are voicing serious concerns regarding the lack of transparency and a series of questionable decisions by the OCPA Board, including the hiring of an inexperienced CEO who is being paid $239,000. And Irvine taxpayers — who are funding the OCPA — have been kept in the dark as to how their money is being spent. (So far, Irvine has advanced $7.5 million to the OCPA and will be responsible for millions more over the next year.)

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A New All-Veterans Organization is Fighting for the Long-Promised Veterans Memorial Park & Cemetery in Irvine

In recent weeks, members of a newly formed organization of Orange County veterans — Veterans for the ARDA Site Cemetery — have been hard at work contacting the State Legislature regarding the long-promised Veterans Memorial Park & Cemetery that was scheduled to be built at the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station on the “ARDA” site at the Great Park in Irvine.

The all-veterans organization is led by longtime Irvine resident and U.S. Air Force veteran pilot Frank McGill.

Veterans from all branches of the U.S. military established the new all-veterans organization to underscore the fact that the Irvine voter-approved ARDA site is the preferred location by the vast majority of Orange County veterans.

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Tustin Does What Irvine Refuses to Do: Transition to District Elections … a Fairer System to Elect City Councilmembers

The Tustin City Council has voted unanimously to transition to district elections for the November 2022 general election.

As cities grow, most decide to switch to district elections since it’s viewed as a more equitable voting system to ensure that every part of town has its own elected representative. In recent years, a majority of Orange County cities have transitioned to district elections.

The only member of the City Council to publicly support the City transitioning to district elections is Larry Agran.

So far, Irvine’s Mayor and Council majority have refused Agran’s request to publicly discuss district elections, even though the City has been threatened with a possible lawsuit that could cost Irvine taxpayers millions of dollars if the City does not transition to the more equitable system of district elections.

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Irvine’s Mayor & Council Majority Continue to Ignore Residents’ Growing Health Concerns Regarding All American Asphalt Plant

More than 800 north Irvine residents have filed complaints with the South Coast Air Quality Management District regarding the toxic emissions and noxious odors resulting from ongoing operations at the All American Asphalt plant that is located less than a mile away from homes.

For months, Councilmember Agran has repeatedly asked the Mayor and his Council colleagues to hold a special meeting to publicly discuss All American Asphalt-related health and environmental concerns and identify near-term solutions to the problem. So far, they have refused.

With the help of community organizers from Non-Toxic Neighborhoods (NTN) and Stop Toxic Asphalt Pollutants (STAP), Agran hosted his own community hearing at City Hall to allow NTN and STAP representatives, Irvine residents, and volunteer air quality scientists from UCI to provide public testimony.

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