As I reflect on all that was accomplished in 2025, I am hopeful that the new year will bring even more good things to our Irvine community.

During his State of the City address early last year, Mayor Larry Agran proposed ambitious plans to make Irvine the Safest, Smartest, Greenest, Healthiest, and Kindest city in America.

That has become the most-read article Irvine Community News & Views has ever published, with more than 75,000 residents having read the article and 1,293 Irvine residents (so far) sharing it on their own social media platforms.

Over the past ten years, our community newspaper has become a trusted source of information. Thousands of Irvine residents read our twice-weekly email messages and more than 70,000 follow us on social media.

We also want to express our gratitude to our readers for your input. Every week, Irvine Community News & Views (ICNV) receives messages from residents asking us to investigate stories that impact our City or to spotlight an event taking place in town.

To allow our staff to enjoy quality time with their families, we will not be releasing our usual twice-weekly email newsletters over the holidays.

In the menatime, be sure to check out Joel Smith’s article, Things to Do in Irvine Over the Holidays.

Our twice-weekly email schedule will resume on January 4th.

Broken Promise #1: Greener Electricity

During the November 12th Irvine City Council meeting, it was revealed that OCPA has been purchasing dirtier energy than SCE for two of the agency’s three energy tiers — including the “Basic Choice” tier in which Irvine ratepayers are enrolled.

Broken Promise #2: Lower Monthly Rates

For two years, OCPA charged Irvine customers the highest monthly electricity rates in all of Orange County!

When their Council colleagues refused to place any conditions on OCPA, Mayor Larry Agran and Councilmember Mike Carroll voted NO.

Nearly everyone in our state receives electricity provided by the California Electric Grid — made up of roughly 62% renewable energy. Here in Irvine, that electricity is delivered by Southern California Edison (SCE).

OCPA is simply a “middleman,” purchasing electricity that the agency then tries to resell at a higher price. And what OCPA can’t sell, it dumps.

For more than two years, OCPA charged Irvine electricity customers the highest monthly rates in all of Orange County.

Irvine has been recognized for having the best park system in California and the second best in the United States. Irvine is also the fourth best place to raise a family; the fourth least stressed city; and the tenth healthiest community in America. In July, we were named Southern California’s best city for renters. No wonder we are ranked as the third happiest city in the nation!

Ed was born and raised in San Francisco. After earning his bachelor’s degree, in the early 1960s he served in the United States Army where he was assigned to the Seventh U.S. Army in Germany during construction of the Berlin Wall and the Cuban Missile crisis.

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.

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.