CityofBrea.net January-February 2014 Commissioners Provide Valuable Citizen Input for Brea he City accepts informal input at any time from residents and busi- Tnesses through a number of channels. An important ongoing source of formal input is provided by citizen commissioners and committee members. Three standing commissions are especially important as a bridge between the public and elected officials, who appoint them to help represent resident interests. Additional support is also provided through the work of several specialized commit- tees: the Investment Advisory Board, Art in Public Places and Traffic Committees. Commissioners meet on a monthly basis while committee members may have varied meet- ing times depending on the issues at hand. Both types of bodies act in an advisory role to the City ABOVE: Wildcatters Park playground Council. As a public organization, the City of Brea LEFT: Oil Drill by John Jagger routinely provides details on all its operations, in- BELOW: Parks, Recreation & Human Ser- cluding these groups. Thus, related meeting agen- das and minutes can be found on the City website. vices Commission: Bill McMillan, Leah People who serve in these roles are unpaid Brazo, Wil Shaw, Sylvia San Filippo and volunteers. Their terms are multi-year commit- Steve Shatynski ments that are staggered. Four committee open- ings are anticipated to be filled early in 2014. In- terested persons are encouraged to learn more about Commissions and Committees by visiting cityofbrea.net where you can find a link under “Your Government.” If you are possibly interested in future ser- vice on a commission or committee, please download the appli- cation and place it on file at the City Clerk’s office to be consid- ered in the next round of interviews. Perhaps you just have some questions or ideas to share? Re- member that there are always opportunities for direct input to the City. Please use the “Tell Us” button at cityofbrea.net or call the comment line at 714-990-7707. • The Planning Commission is a critical part of the develop- ment process. By State law, the five- member panel is authorized to approve proposals and issue variances. Working with the professional staff they examine permitting or code requirements related to a particular development proposal. They conduct public hearings to assure that Brea’s built environment conforms to community standards. For major project pro- posals, the Planning Commission will study all options and take a position prior to the City Council review and approval. NOW SERVING: Carrie Flanders, Pat Fox, Michael Kim, James McGrade, George Ullrich • The Parks, Recreation and Human Services Commission works to meet community needs through programming recommendations for City facilities and parks. Brea has much to offer in response to high resident expectations. This commission helps to attract support for programs that are relevant to a high quality of life. They sometimes collabo- rate with outside organizations to provide additional sports, recreation and social services for residents. NOW SERVING: Leah Brazo, Bill McMillan, Sylvia San Filippo, Steve Shatynski, Wil Shaw • The Cultural Arts Commission aspires to enrich lives and expand learning by encouraging local participation with the arts. Brea has a unique identity partly because of past success in attracting creative activity into the City and making it accessible to all. Civic facilities include the Brea Gallery and Curtis Theatre, which are tangible commitment to this vision. Over several decades, the City’s Art in Public Places program has resulted in an extensive outdoor sculpture collection that is nationally renowned. Dog Park NOW SERVING: Nita Causey, Innie Hahn, Dave Rader, Judy Randlett, Ben Shultz Opens in January! See back cover for details. Brea’s New Fire Station Award-Winning Birch Hills Prioritizes Canyon Protection Apartments Welcome Residents esidents of Olinda Village and Hollydale in Carbon RCanyon will enjoy an important neighborhood enhancement once the Brea Fire Department moves into a brand new facility. Despite a few unexpected construction complications, the project keeps moving ahead and the site is shaping up nicely. Move-in is an- ticipated later this spring. The new Fire Station 4 will include a 1,800 square- foot modular building as living space paired with a separate structure to house fire apparatus. The old station served this wild land interface zone for many years out of a run-down store front location. The new facility will soon provide updated live/work space for crews and can accommodate more firefighters during high risk periods. Plus, it incorporates numerous en- Birch Hills Apartments are located on Kraemer, north of the Union Plaza ergy saving and earth friendly features to compliment Shopping Center and adjacent to an upcoming golf course. the natural environment of its setting. Not surprisingly, emergency preparedness is a nother Brea workforce housing success story was dedi- very high priority for area residents. The new station Acated in November when Birch Hills Apartments cel- also includes space for a container that can be accessed ebrated its grand opening. More than 100 guests were in by trained community CERT volunteers who support attendance including many State, County and Federal Hous- the safety goals of professional responders. ing and Urban Development Department officials. In recognition of outstanding results, this beautiful project garnered several prestigious awards. The City of Brea added to recognition as a Platinum-certified Leader- ship in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) by pre- 2 senting its “Green Life, Green Brea” sustainability award. In t addition, the Orange County section of the American Plan- ning Association presented the 2013 Outstanding Planning Project Award to commend the design quality reflected by Birch Hills. The Orange County Business Council added to honors with an award for the unique and effective partner- ship with Jamboree Housing, the former Brea Redevelop- ment Agency and Chevron, who developed the site as part of its La Floresta master plan. The 115-unit complex is fully occupied with residents who applied and were qualified through Jamboree. This non-profit corporation is renowned for its innovative ap- proach to building partnerships, obtaining financing and Don’t Forget: overseeing construction in a cost-effective manner that has brought over 200 high quality affordable homes into Brea. Renew Annual Parking Permits Another recent project was Bonterra in the new Black- nnual overnight parking permits for 2014 should stone neighborhood. A now be renewed online. This option will save res- idents both time and money. Go to cityofbrea.net and select the button “On- Crime Stoppers Help line Services” where you will find a choice for Park- ing Permits. Protect the Southland Review complete details and use the live link to hink you know something that apply for a permit at a reduced cost of only $18 for Tmight be relevant to solving a crime? the calendar year. If you still chose to visit City Hall, Share your tip anonymously please be aware that the cost for a parking permit through Crime Stoppers, a national processed at the counter is $20. program which is coordinated for this region by The Orange County Sheriff. Tips from the public are dis- tributed to all relevant law enforcement agencies. CALL TOLL FREE: 855-TIP-OCCS (847-6227) TEXT: CRIMES (274637) BREA LINE • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2014 Tracks at Brea Trail Prepares for Site Work Brea Police Department Revamps, Refreshes he Brea Police Department has adopted a fresh look with a streamlined vision re- Tnew logo and it is piloting a new approach to provide more personal- A mains firm ized service for Brea neighborhoods. and behind-the- The City has been divided into four distinct geographical areas; South, scenes effort is North, West, and Central. Each Area Commander is held accountable for steady to cre- understanding the issues and concerns unique to their service area. This ate the future includes developing strategies and directing resources to solve problems, “Tracks at Brea resulting in an improved quality of life for citizens. The Area Command Trail.” The overall process has taken strategy uses a variety of traditional and community based policing strate- extra time due to many complex re- gies to address crime and quality of life issues. quirements from various jurisdiction- al agencies. Approval from the Orange Coun- ty Flood Control District is currently in progress for the trail segment along WEST the Loftus Channel. Federal grants NORTH have required compliance reports for e Carbon Canyon Rd v A Imperial Hwy CENTRAL the National Environmental Policy a i c SOUTH n Act (NEPA) and the National Historic e l Imperial Hwy a Preservation Act (NHPA). These in- V depth reports are intended to protect the environment and preserve histori- The Area Commanders are; cal and archaeological sites. Reports North: Lt. Stewart McCarroll [email protected] have now been completed and are un- South: Lt. Peter Rodriguez peter@ cityofbrea.net der review by the State of California. West: Lt. Santo Porto santop@ cityofbrea.net Once approvals are received, the Central: Lt. Bill Smyser billsm@ cityofbrea.net City can then begin a Public Works bid process for soil remediation and trail construction. Meanwhile, a new Volunteers in Police Service 3 landscape architect, award-winning t David Evans and Associates, is on Brea Police continue to augment the reach of experienced profes- board designing trail segment 3. sional sworn officers with assistance provided by dedicated citizen vol- Based on available grant funding, unteers. Anyone who has attended a Brea special event has appreciated the trail is being developed in several the service of Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) as they provide traffic segments. Now that redevelopment control, directional assistance, and more, always in a friendly manner. is no longer a funding option, grant These volunteers also add efficiencies to the office by helping with re- writing efforts by Brea staff contin- cords filing or taking calls for the detective bureau.