On January 11, City of Orange Mayor Carolyn Cavecche delivered the 2009 “State of the City” address at the Doubletree Hotel. The address, which recapped the City’s 2009 accomplishments and gave a roadmap for the City’s plans for 2010, was accompanied by two videos that highlighted the Mayor’s themes of history, safety, community and business.
State of the City Address
Mayor Carolyn Cavecche
February 11, 2010
Good afternoon and thank you so much for being here today.It is my honor to present the 2010 State of the City.
Orange is, indeed, about history, family and business.Binding those three together are people with a common goal and purpose of vision.They are the people who live in our houses, work in our shops and serve in City Hall.
I’d like to take a moment to introduce my colleagues, and your City Council, Mayor pro tem Tita Smith, Councilman Mark Murphy, Councilman Jon Dumitru and Councilman Denis Bilodeau.If you would please stand and allow us to thank you for your service.
The Employees of Orange are a dedicated group of people whose commitment to the spirit of Orange is reflected every day in a drive for superior customer service.On their behalf, I ask that City Manager John Sibley, and the City of Orange Management Team please stand and be recognized.
As we have just seen, Orange is a city with a rich and compelling history.
What is sometimes overlooked is that compelling history often means rough times and hard challenges to the people who are actually living in them. The switch from grapes to oranges, a few brief sentences in our introductory video, must have been filled with turmoil, doubt and uncertainty. What must it have been like when families discovered that their vineyards were blighted and barren? And yet, as a community, we survived, recovered and eventually emerged even stronger than before.
A month ago, a news story from Florida caught my eye.For some reason I felt it had a connection to our own situation here in Orange.
The connection hit me a little while later:
This winter has been particularly harsh on the east coast, where the citrus farms of Florida have been under siege by biting cold and frost.While this is unusual, it is not unprecedented. A killing freeze has historically gripped the Florida orange groves every twenty years or so.Some of these farms will see their trees, and livelihoods, wiped out. Many more, owned by farmers who prepared for the frost during the years of perfect weather and record crops, will make it through, revive and prosper once again.
You couldn’t ask for a better metaphor for Orange.
Our Country has been faced with an economic cold front the likes of which, hopefully, only come around once in a few generations.Like those farmers in Florida, Orange has always looked for ways to prepare for winter and safeguard the investment that our citizens and businesses have made in their city. Even in good times the City Council and Staff know that preparing for “rainy days” is a critical part of long-term planning.
When I last stood here, one year ago, the state of our city, just like the rest of our Country, was caught in the grip of the economic recession.I spoke to you about the problems we faced, the actions that were being taken to meet those challenges and the ongoing efforts to ensure the long-term health and stability of our city.
2009 was the year to confront our own winter, hold ground against the economic freeze and prepare our soil for spring. With limited resources, City Hall focused on the important core values of safety, community and business.
SAFETY
As the first core value, safety in our City always comes first, and is embodied by our Orange Police and Fire Departments.
In 2009 the Orange Police Department continued to build on the successes of 2008, advancing its use of CompStat (Computer Statistics) to concentrate departmental resources in specific areas based on crime analysis. In a major operation from May 1 to June 30 OPD made 158 misdemeanor and 93 felony arrests.
Orange i-Watch, a new program, allows businesses and residents to receive notifications relating to crime, safety and OPD events by email.Just log on to i-Watch and get the latest Orange PD news and information.This new tool will allow our Police the ability to communicate directly to residents and businesses, and even tailor the message by neighborhood.Subscribers can also send in crime tips, taking community policing to a whole new level.
When talking about safety, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention one of the biggest Orange Police Department accolades of 2009.The FBI statistics on violent crime for the first half of 2009 were just released in January. Our city showed the highest percentage decrease in violent crime out of the eight largest cities in Orange County, beating even Irvine.
Also on the forefront of safety, the Orange Fire Department, whose dedicated professionals are always ready to protect the life and property of the Citizens of Orange.
But, you know, our firefighters are not just guardians of public safety. Sometime they are angels in disguise.
On July 24, Firefighter/Paramedic Prendergast was dispatched to a residential structure fire.
On arrival he and other firefighters aggressively attacked and extinguished the fire, saving the majority of the residence and its contents. One of the residents, a woman, was sent to the hospital for smoke inhalation.
Her son, at the beach with his uncle, notified of the fire immediately returned home. The boy was obviously upset and concerned.
Firefighter/Paramedic Prendergast had noticed a bike in the yard and asked the boy if it was his, to which the boy replied, “Yeah but it’s messed up and I can’t ride it.”
Someone had assembled the bike incorrectly, rendering it unusable. Firefighter Prendergast took the bike back to the Fire Station and repaired it on his own for the boy.
If that isn’t the spirit of Orange, summed up in one story, I don’t know what is.
One last thing about firefighters you may not know.
Sometimes they get to destroy things, too!
CHOC is undergoing expansion.To make way for that expansion an older office building was scheduled to be torn down.
Now, you’d think that would be enough of a sad fate for a poor, defenseless high-rise right?
Not if you’re the Orange Fire Department.
This past spring they conducted two weeks of “hands-on” high rise firefighting training in that building.This was a very rare opportunity, as, for some reason, most building owners frown on having their doors broken down and fire hoses soaking walls, carpeting and ceilings.
It was so rare, in fact, that several other surrounding fire departments participated.
But I doubt the building appreciated it.
The final leg of our Safety tripod is our Orange City Attorney’s office, which has worked hard to make sure that our Public Safety officers have the tools they need, and to fight for the City when necessary.
Due to their efforts, the City received an additional 2.1 million dollars this year as a final payment in its long-running litigation against its former contract recycling company.
They also guided the drafting and adoption of comprehensive regulations governing sober living facilities in residential neighborhoods.
In fall they worked with Chapman to propose an amendment to the City’s existing ordinance concerning disruptive partying which will make enforcement more effective. This was a highly controversial proposal that drew a lot of attention to the Old Towne residential district. The research and groundwork our City Attorney’s office provided was invaluable in the face of the emotional outpouring both for and against the amendment.
COMMUNITY
Community, as a second core value, means caring for our citizens, our infrastructureand our traditions.
It also means being a vigilant guardian of the public trust and careful custodian of City resources and funds. Other times it can be a great thrill, like when you can announce that projects the public have long been promised are finally underway.
This past summer, the long awaited pedestrian undercrossing at the Orange Depot opened to the public. Funded by OCTA, the crossing allows for the safe access by pedestrians to both sides of the station.Down in the tunnel you’ll find “Orange in Motion,” an artistic mural by renowned Laguna Beach artist Marsh Scott, covering both walls that celebrates the history of Orange.
Our Community Development department worked hard to ensure that the installed art spoke to our community and instilled a sense of shared history.
I’m pleased to also report that, at long last, OCTA’s Railroad Safety Enhancement project has begun.This undertaking will upgrade all 16 street crossings in Orange, and eventually the whole county,with improved medians,crossing gates and other new safety features.
Once completed, these improvements will help our application for “quiet zone” status.
Obviously this is something to be very excited about, and you can follow the progress of this project at octa.net.
Both of these projects were also heavily supported by the Public Works department, which was also a key player in the now underway Santiago Creek Bike Trail North project. The first segment was completed last year and two more are expected to come on-line later this year. If anyone here is a bike rider, you know how exciting this will be!
I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the huge contribution of Orange County Supervisor Bill Campbell to the Bike Trail project.His political support helped to free the funding that brought this project off the planning desk and into the real world. The Orange County Water District was also instrumental in making this project a reality through the generous property easements that were critical for path construction.They truly are good friends to bikers, and to Orange.
For those of us who have to use a car from time-to-time, Public Works also completed three Arterial Highway Rehabilitation Program projects in 2009.This welcome relief to our spines and our suspension brought us smoother roads on three major road sections in our City, Glassell, Cambridge and Santiago Boulevard.
I do have to take a moment to talk some trash.
As of February 1, the City of Orange’s solid waste contractor changed from Waste Management to Stanton based CR&R. Over the past few weeks residents and business throughout the City have been participating in what has been termed, “a choreographed ballet,” as over 100 thousand trash cans were picked up by Waste Management, and replaced with brand-spanking new cans from CR&R.This is the culmination of well over a year’s worth of work by so many departments, but especially Public Works.Hundreds of businesses, thousands of homes, and hundreds of thousands of trash cans and bins are all being replaced as seamlessly as possible.
Sometimes even I can’t believe those numbers!
CR&R is already stepping up to the plate as a great community partner, and I’d like to give them a special thank you for their generous sponsorship of our Community Foundation games!
Since I’ve brought up numbers; our Finance department aggressively instituted new systems and processes that will allow residents and businesses to do business with the City quicker, easier and greener.Last year, I told you about our on-line Billpay system. This year, the move to a new, computer based, financial system will allow vendors to submit invoices and be paid electronically, and utility customers can now check their balances and pay their bills over the phone, 24 hours a day. We now have multiple ways to avoid buying stamps and licking envelopes.
All of these initiatives drew the attention of the Government Finance Officers’ Association, which gave our Finance Department its award for Excellence in Financial Reporting.
While I’m on the subject of finances, and community, the Orange Public Library has benefited from tremendous community support. The Friends of the Orange Public Library and the Orange Public Library Foundation have been instrumental in helping to purchase books that otherwise would have to wait for better economic times.
Volunteers are helping to stretch both staff time and dollars as the Reach out and Read and Teen volunteer programs total over 4,000 hours of time.The Welcome desk, which used to be manned by library staff, now has 12 volunteers covering service 49 hours per week.
The Library is also listed as a volunteer site with Chapman University as part of their “Give a Little Bit” campaign, a two year challenge to the campus community to give 150 thousand hours of service to Orange County, and to the City of Orange in particular, by late 2011, in celebration of Chapman’s 150th anniversary.
As the “Face of Orange” for most of our residents, the Community Services department is one of the reasons we are known as one of the best places to raise a family in Orange County.Bringing people together is what Community Services is all about.The programs and classes that are offered to the public at a low cost cover everything from ice skating to Harry Potter.
One of the new and exciting programs started in 2009 involves a new partnership between the City and the Friendly Center.A free tutoring program for kindergarten through eighth grades, taught by Chapman University students, currently serves 381 kids looking to improve their academic performance. The program currently runs at El Camino, Grijalva and Killefer parks.
Speaking of parks, I sometimes like to think of our parks here in Orange as the City’s “Crown Jewels.” If you’ve ever taken a walk through Hart Park, or just sat and people watched in Eisenhower Park, then you know what I’m talking about.Our jewels shine because a dedicated team of staff members lovingly polishes them every day, making sure that all of us in Orange have clean, safe and well tended parks to enjoy.
You know, now that I think about it, our Community Services department is something of a jewel, too.And when they sparkle, the whole City gets to bask in the glow.I’m talking, of course, of the many City events that the “Folks in Blue,” our Community Services prepares and staffs. It is because of them that we have Concerts in the Park, 3rd of July, Treats in the Streets, our special Veteran’s Day program and, of course, Tree Lighting.
And, before I forget, Orange has another community event to be proud of.
The Holy Family Cathedral School is celebrating 60 years of educational excellence in Orange.To date, they have graduated over 20,000 students, including our own Mayor Pro Tem, Tita Smith. Holy Family Cathedral originally started with four classrooms and today, 60 years later, boasts a preschool, kindergarten, and first through eighth grades for a total of 541 students.They are a mainstay of our community, and I’d like to ask you to join me in congratulating their achievement.
Business
Now we come to our third core value, Business.
City Council and City staff works hard every day to make Orange one of the most business friendly cities in Orange County.This is especially important during times when other cities have streets with row after row of empty storefronts.Encouraging new investments and making it easier for people to navigate the permitting processes are critical tactics in our ongoing struggle against the economic winter.
Community Development is working to streamline the experience for businesses and residents alike with their new
e-permitting process.You can now apply for a permit, track its progress and look up records without ever driving down to City Hall.
Now that’s progress.
And after years of work and intensive public input, the General Plan Update is ready to be adopted.The update establishes an appropriate balance between residential, commercial and industrial demands.Looking forward, while honoring and preserving our history, this is a vision of the future, recognizing our connection to our surroundings through parks, open space, commercial, educational and cultural facilities.
It has been a huge job for our planning staff and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for the years of effort it took to get to this place.Our City of Orange Planning Commission also spent months of review and debate before their recommendations came to the council.Thank you Planning Commission.
You may have noticed a trend creeping into Orange.Storefronts that have been vacated are starting to be filled and businesses are coming back to Orange.
Our Economic Development department has been leading the charge to attract businesses to our City.
Reaching out to businesses around the country they have worked behind the scenes to make Orange an attractive place to set up shop.Just some of the businesses that have opened in 2009 with their assistance are:
Sprouts Market at the Village
Neiman Marcus Last Call, Off Broadway Shoes
And the Converse Outlet store at The Block
Bob’s Big Boy Restaurant at Stadium Promenade
Walgreens Retail Center on East Chapman Avenue
And Haven Gastropub in Old Towne
In fact, Orange has become so popular that at least one business has begun to use our city as a marketing strategy.
Planning has begun for the construction of parking structures to serve the Metrolink station and Old Towne.In partnership with the Orange County Transportation Authority, preliminary design work is currently being done for the new structures that could be built on the current Lemon Street parking lot and the parking lot on the west side of the Metrolink station. Once again, Economic Development is playing a key role in this important project.
On a personal note, I am extremely grateful they lured Arby’s back to Orange after a very long absence.
As you can see, there are a lot of hands working to ensure that our own Orange Grove makes it through the economic freeze.
Guided by the past, eye on the present and planning for the future, the way Orange has always done.
A big hand, please, for Jeff Cole and his associates, who have once again given us a great video.Thank you, Jeff
Reflecting on the history of this wonderful city
I am always reminded of the legacy of those who have come before us.
The residents, the business owners, city staff, members of past City Councils and the community institutions that make up the fabric of Orange spanning over 121 years of history. In an age of impermanence, how unique, how special, it is to be able to point to this unbroken legacy.The City Council, your City Staff and I take the responsibility to safeguard this legacy to heart.
With our legacy firmly in mind, our goal for 2010 becomes clear.A goal easily set, but not so easily accomplished.
Our goal, our priority, is fiscal stability.
Yes, the winter continues, times are tough and everyone is feeling the frostbite.
Even here in Orange, where we pride ourselves on our fiscally conservative management and careful custodianship of public resources, the impact is being felt.
In last year’s State of the City address I reported that general fund revenues across the board were dropping, and as this nation-wide economic recession has deepened, the picture here in Orange continues to look the same.
2009-2010 general fund revenues are predicted to be 75.7 million dollars.This is the lowest amount we’ve seen since the 2004 fiscal year, when revenue was at 74 million dollars.In practical terms, this means that, like last year, the City is going to have to further tighten its belt and look for creative ways to weather the storm.
The City’s “across the board” hiring freeze continues to be in place and every City department is looking for way to save money and cut expenditures.This past year, all 8 of our employee associations agreed to defer contractually obligated raises to help balance the budget. Our Human Resources department deserves a lot of credit for facilitating this.
The restrained spending, and refocusing of city government, that we called for last year will continue through 2010 and grow as we adjust to the volatile economic climate.We have to rethink how we provide city services and cut back on how much it costs.
“Rainy day” preparations and long term planning done when the economy was robust have helped mitigate the worst of the damage already felt by many Orange County Cities. But, forecasts predict, at best small to no economic growth through 2011, and we have to plan accordingly.
The decisions won’t be easy, they may not be popular. It is likely that some of them will be painful, but the financial well being of our city demands that they be made. I can guarantee you that we will be looking at our budgetary situation through very critical, surgical eyes.Yes, it will be painful, but the City Council understands our responsibility to our community, and we don’t take it lightly.
We can see little green shoots of recovery throughout the City.New businesses are still coming back to Orange, Chapman University and CHOC Hospital are expanding, The Block is bouncing back with the recent opening of 3 new major retailers.
In the very near future, Ruby’s will take over the historic depot building at the Old Towne Orange Metrolink Station, the Block will welcome H&M in the space once occupied by Hilo Hatties, and, a little farther in the future, Wahoo’s Fish Tacos will open in Old Towne.
Most importantly, you can see it in the continued optimism of our citizens.
Our road is still bumpy and covered with ice, but like those who came before us, together we will get through our own “winter” and see our land bloom once again.
We will meet our challenges and emerge stronger for them. As we move forward, remember that the struggles of today make for the stories of tomorrow.
I know that our story will have a happy ending.
On behalf of the entire City Council, I would like to thank the Chamber of Commerce, our business community and all of you, for your support of our wonderful city.
I am honored to be able to serve as Mayor.
Thank you all for being here today, and God Bless you all.
A transcript of the Mayor's speech can be downloaded here.
