ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA — Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley commented on this week’s Board of Supervisors meeting where the Board approved the Office on Aging Area Plan for the 2024-2028 period, new speed limits for county unincorporated areas, expanded PRYDE program youth counseling services, law enforcement technology maintenance, and funding for the Be Well Irvine campus.
Supervisor Foley released the following statements highlighting the votes by the Board of Supervisors from the April 23, 2024 meeting:
Office on Aging Area Plan for 2024-2028: Approved the Office on Aging Area Plan for the 2024-2028 period. In response to the Office of Aging Needs Assessment findings, the Area Plan outlines the major activities, goals and objectives on the needs of older adults, adults with disabilities and their caregivers to be implemented from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2028.
“Orange County is home to more than 650,000 older Americans, with projections to double by 2060,” said Supervisor Foley. “The Office on Aging Area Plan is centered on educating our communities, enhancing partnerships, ensuring quality of services, and continued development of our County Master Plan for Aging. We must prepare now for our aging community’s future needs for housing healthcare, walkability, accessibility, caregivers, transportation, employment, and recreation at all phases of life.”
Creating Safer Streets in South County: Approved new speed limits on various streets in unincorporated south Orange County to improve pedestrian and traffic safety, including Cantamar between Coto de Caza and Vista del Verde; San Miguel between its westerly end and Vista del Verde; South Bend Road between Phoenix Way and Vela Court; South Bend Road between Vela Court and Hawthorne Lane; and Cow Camp Road between Los Patrones Parkway and Horton Way.
“Orange County families deserve neighborhoods where they can walk, bike, and drive safely. After listening to concerned community members, these new speed limits will improve public safety for pedestrians and motorists alike,” said Supervisor Foley.
PRYDE Program Expansion: Approved increased services for the county's PRYDE program, a collaborative partnership with Pepperdine University dedicated to providing youth diversion counseling services to deter criminal behavior and substance abuse, while also offering classes for parents and family counseling. PRYDE program participants create personalized solutions to address the repercussions of their criminal behavior, in addition to benefiting from comprehensive reintegration services.
“Rehabilitation programs such as PRYDE play a critical role in reducing recidivism rates and fostering positive transformations in the lives of young individuals, ultimately contributing to a safer and more vibrant community,” said Supervisor Foley. “This initiative reviewed on the Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council ensures quality completion and success rates for all system-involved youth throughout the county. This extension includes a 20 percent increase in service hours allocated to PRYDE, reflecting a significant commitment by the County to support effective youth rehabilitation programs.”
Since its inception in 2001, this partnership with Pepperdine University plays a pivotal role in sustaining the impactful work of PRYDE, which encompasses weekly counseling, case planning, and post-program follow-ups for up to six months.
OC Sheriff’s Regional Narcotics Suppression Program Technology Maintenance: Renewed contract with Pen Link LTD for maintenance of a Pen Link software system used by OC Sheriff’s Regional Narcotics Suppression Program, a multi-agency task force administered by Sheriff to prosecute subjects involved in large-scale narcotics trafficking and money laundering.
“The Orange County Sheriff’s Department continues to use innovative technology to keep our communities safe. With consistent investments from the County, we will continue to hold bad actors accountable for trafficking narcotics and money laundering in our communities," said Supervisor Foley.
Be Well Irvine Campus Construction: Approved retroactive contract with Mind OC for $62,874,729 in funding of construction of the Be Well Behavioral Health Hub. This supports the construction of the Be Well Irvine Campus to help expand and enhance Orange County’s shared system of behavioral health care and support by providing access to Countywide behavioral health and substance use disorder services, among other related services.
“The County remains committed to increasing access to behavioral health care with this latest $62.9 million investment in the Irvine Be Well campus,” said Supervisor Foley. “Right now, South County families lack a place to be together to support their children and youth in crisis seeking recovery and mental health services. After seeing success with the Be Well Orange Campus, these new Be Well facilities in Irvine will soon offer quality care and services to even more families across the County and Southern California. Until then, this $62.9 million investment will help bring this critical project across the finish line and finally expand our ability to support our most vulnerable community members.”
“The construction of the Be Well Irvine campus would not be possible without the tireless efforts of Congressman Lou Correa and Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris in securing critical funding for Orange County families. I look forward to exploring more ways we can partner across all levels of government to address the mental health crisis in Orange County,” added Supervisor Foley.
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Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley was elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2022 to represent the newly established District 5, which includes the cities of Aliso Viejo, Costa Mesa, Dana Point, a large portion of Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Newport Beach, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, as well as the unincorporated areas of Coto de Caza, Emerald Bay, Ladera Ranch, Las Flores, Rancho Mission Viejo, Stonecliffe and Wagon Wheel. This is her second term on the Board of Supervisors, where she previously served District 2.
Supervisor Foley’s Board appointments include the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA), Chair – OCFA Legislation & Public Affairs Committee, Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), Vice Chair – OCTA Legislative and Communications Committee, Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency, Transportation Corridor Agency (TCA), TCA Joint Capital Improvements and Projects Committee, Coastal Greenbelt Authority, Newport Bay and South Orange County Watershed Executive Committees, Ocean Institute, San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) Community Engagement Panel, Co-Chair – Spent Fuel Solutions Coalition, Chair – Orange County Housing Finance Trust, and the Orange County Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council.
