- September 17, 2021
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Branda Lin45 Posts
Branda Lin is an Irvine native and a founding member of Irvine Watchdog. Her passion is to promote civic engagement and empower residents on local Irvine issues. She has served as an Irvine Community Services Commissioner, Irvine Children Youth Families Advisory Committee member, and a driver for Irvine's Meals On Wheels program.
Anonymous Political Mailers In Support of the “Irvine Four” Violate Campaign Finance Laws
Over the Labor Day weekend, Irvine residents received a political mailer without any disclosure of who sent it, who paid for it, and how much it cost — a clear violation of the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) Political Reform Act. Disclosures are required by the FPPC to “promote transparency in government and to foster […]
OCPA Violates California Public Records Act Amid Growing List of Transparency and Ethics Concerns Involving CEO Brian Probolsky
“Without a solid foundation, you’ll have trouble creating anything of value.” -Erika Oppenheimer On August 31, 2021, the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) held a meeting in Irvine Council Chamber to present seven energy efficiency programs and welcome public input. Given the list of concerns due to the lack of transparency and the lack of […]
Heritage Community Park Master Plan Update
Today at 5:30PM the Community Services Commission will be providing comments on the draft Master Plan concept for Heritage Community Park. The public is welcome to attend and provide comments. Per the staff report, “the draft Master Plan, as shown in Attachment 3, was developed following extensive community outreach. Staff requests the Community Services Commission […]
Why Rename The Great Park? Is it Worth the Time and Tax Dollars?
At the Tuesday, July 27 Great Park Board meeting, the Board will provide direction to city staff on the Orange County Great Park renaming efforts initiated by Mayor Farrah Khan and Councilmember Mike Carroll. At the July 13, 2021 Council meeting, Carroll stated he wanted to “clarify the name of our municipal park as the Irvine […]
Why Property Taxes Are Significantly Higher in the Great Park Neighborhoods: CFD 2013-3. And It Doesn’t Sunset.
The Great Park Board will be presenting the history and purpose of the Great Park Communities Facility District (CFD) special tax at its meeting on Tuesday, July 27 (agenda item 1.2). The staff report includes a presentation which left out several key decisions over the years that changed the usage of CFDs, with the most […]
OC Power Authority CEO Brian Probolsky Has No Relevant Experience or Education Drawing Major Concerns
CEO Authorization for $75 Million Energy Transactions Draw Concerns Starting next year, the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) will provide electricity to every energy user in Irvine and three other OC cities that signed up for the program — Fullerton, Buena Park and Huntington Beach. The goal of such programs, called Community Choice Energy (CCE), […]
Voice of OC – Orange County Power Authority Criticized for Lack of Transparency
Orange County Power Authority Criticized For Lack Of Transparency (voiceofoc.org) Excerpt from the article: Ayn Craciun, a policy advocate working for the Climate Action Campaign, a key leader in bringing the agency to life in Orange County, most recently raised concerns publicly about the agency’s activities. “These actions we’ve seen are concerning because of the […]
Great Park Project Development Progress Report for June 2021
This month’s OC Great Park Board (OCGPB) meeting agenda has one item, the Project Development Progress Report. The development updates from the April 2021 OCGPB meeting provided details on proposed projects, unsolicited project proposals, as well as details about the California Fire Museum. See April 2021 Updates on Great Park Development Projects – Irvine Watchdog […]
OC Power Authority’s Half-Step Toward Transparency
On April 16, 2021, Irvine Watchdog reported transparency concerns with the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA). Meeting videos were not provided on the City of Irvine’s OCPA website as of January 12, 2021. In response to requests from members of the public and Mayor Farrah Khan, Director Mike Carroll announced at the June 9, 2021 OCPA […]
Great Park Residents Wait on Agran, Khan, and Kim to Deliver On Campaign Promise of Advisory Committee
Great Park residents have been asking for representation in light of their special CFD taxation — a special tax only Great Park residents are responsible for. At the 2020 Irvine City Council Candidate Forum held by Irvine Watchdog, the candidates were asked the following (watch the entire forum here): On April 13, 2021, Councilmember Larry […]
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