Policy Pulse: November 14, 2025
- ACC-OC
- 46 minutes ago
- 7 min read
ACC-OC Executive Director Kris Murray and Board Member Hon. Chad Wanke attended OC Forum’s Signature Housing Luncheon, a premier gathering of regional leaders focused on innovative housing solutions. The program highlighted creative approaches to development at every scale—from major commercial reuse projects to new models for workforce and attainable housing.
With housing central to Orange County’s long-term economic vitality, the discussion featured insights from top industry experts, including:
Supervisor Katrina Foley, Chair, OC Housing Finance Trust (Moderator)
Joel Mayer, Executive Vice President, Lowe
Brian Doyle, President, SDRE Homes
Christopher Pierson, Vice President of Acquisitions, Intracorp Homes
Michael Massie, EVP & Chief Development Officer, Jamboree Housing
Held on Thursday, November 13, 2025 at the Hyatt Regency Irvine, the luncheon, part of a larger Urban Land Institute (ULI) Housing Solutions Symposium earlier in the day, underscored the importance of cross-sector partnerships and innovative development strategies to meet the region’s growing housing needs.
Orange County Regional Holiday Mixer
Join ACC-OC, the League of California Cities OC Division, OCBC, and OC Tax for this year’s Annual Holiday Mixer — proudly sponsored by West Coast Arborists, Jacob Green & Associates, Cityside Fiber, Woodruff & Smart, Kosmont Companies, and Jamboree!
ACC-OC is proud to serve as the SoCalGas Regional Energy Pathways Program Ambassador for Orange County, connecting cities and public sector organizations with energy-saving opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
Through SoCalGas initiatives such as the Regional Energy Pathways (REP) Program and the Statewide Water Infrastructure and System Efficiency (WISE™) Program, eligible agencies can benefit from expert guidance, project support, and valuable financial incentives.
Program Highlights
Regional Energy Pathways (REP) Program
No-cost energy assessments to identify savings opportunities
Financial support for energy-efficient upgrades
Project management assistance and on-bill financing
Whole-facility energy audits and no-cost measures such as insulation, low-flow fixtures, and kitchen equipment improvements
Statewide WISE™ Program
Rebates for energy-efficient water and wastewater system improvements
Eligible measures include high-efficiency pump upgrades, VFD installations, boiler replacements, and insulation improvements
Available to water and wastewater pumping customers within PG&E, SCE, SoCalGas, and SDG&E territories
To learn more about how your city or organization can benefit, contact Marlene Barraza (mbarraza@accoc.org) to schedule a meeting or ask questions!
Large Public Sector Program | Public Direct Install Program |
Statewide WISE Program
UC Irvine Law
Join UC Irvine Law for a presentation and open discussion on the future of the U.S. Census and its impact on political representation, racial equity, and how these changes affect immigrant communities.
Forum Topics Include:
The constitutional and political implications of who gets counted
The history of exclusion in census policy
Ongoing litigation and advocacy to ensure a fair and accurate count
Keynote Speaker: Professor Robert Chang, Professor of Law and Sylvia Mendez Presidential Chair for Civil Rights; Executive Director of the UC Irvine School of Law Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and EqualityHosted by the UC Irvine Law Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality and the UC Irvine Law Immigrant & Racial Justice Solidarity Clinic
Waste Management
POSTPONED — Due to Weather Conditions
The celebration for the reopening of Waste Management’s newly retrofitted, state-of-the-art recycling facility in Orange has been postponed due to weather conditions.
The $28 million investment is part of WM’s broader commitment to reinvest more than $3 billion between 2022–2025 in recycling and renewable energy infrastructure. This facility is one of three WM State-of-the-Art (SOTA) recycling centers in Southern California designed to stay ahead of California’s evolving recycling landscape by dramatically increasing recycling capture and processing efficiency.
Please contact Muyisa Kasomo at mkasomo@wm.com with any questions.
Cityside Fiber
Join Cityside Fiber on Thursday, November 20, to celebrate the groundbreaking of their expansion to bring 100% fiber-optic internet to the community.
Details:
Date: Thursday, November 20, 2025
Time: 10:00 – 11:30 AM
Location: Laguna Hills Community Center, Laguna Hills
Cityside Fiber is proud to invest in Laguna Hills' digital future and can’t wait to celebrate this milestone with our community!
City of Los Alamitos
The City of Los Alamitos is pleased to invite you to attend the Good Evening, Los Alamitos event on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at the Los Alamitos Community Center (10911 Oak Street, Los Alamitos, 90720), beginning at 6:30 p.m.
This annual event will highlight the City’s accomplishments over the past year, share exciting initiatives for the year ahead, unveil the citywide EV transportation program, and celebrate the strong partnerships that make Los Alamitos a vibrant and connected community.
Kindly RSVP by Friday, December 5, to Gabriela Martinez, Department Secretary at Gmartinez@cityoflosalamitos.org to confirm your attendance.
City of Irvine
Healthy for the Holidays is a fun, free, family-friendly wellness event with pickleball open play every 30 minutes, community raffles, and much more! It’s a “Class Pass” inspired event that will feature a variety of fitness classes for you to try, including Pilates, tai chi, Zumba, golf, pickleball, and more! We will also have a vendor fair featuring key community partners in Irvine and the Great Park, and art activities for children.
You can sign up for a class or reserve a pickleball court by going to bit.ly/healthyfortheholidays2025. Slots will fill up so don't wait!
Event details:
🗓️ Saturday, November 22
🕙 9:30am - 3pm
📍 Great Park Palm Court Arts Complex | 270 Corsair, Irvine, CA 92618
City of Stanton
The City of Stanton is hosting a drive-through Thanksgiving Food and Diaper Distribution on Saturday, November 22, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Stanton Park (7800 Katella Ave.). Families can receive whole turkeys, produce, groceries, and diapers on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.
This community event is supported by the City of Stanton, Life Christian Church, Friends of Families, and Community Action Partnership of Orange County.
The Mission Continues
Join The Mission Continues (TMC) for a special Platoon Event as we come together to revitalize the playground at Magnolia Science Academy! Our team will be restoring and enhancing the play space while adding much-needed shade, ensuring students have a safe, fun, and comfortable place to learn, play, and grow. This project is part of our ongoing commitment to serve the community and create lasting impact
—driven by the dedication of our nation’s veterans and local volunteers.
Lend a hand. Build connections. Make a difference.
Santa Margarita Water District
Santa Margarita Water District has released its 2025 Accomplishments Report, outlining this year’s progress and highlights. The report provides an overview of key initiatives, ongoing projects, and the District’s continued commitment to serving the community.
City of Westminster
Join City of Westminster at the ribbon cutting ceremony for our brand-new playground, featuring "Sea Loving Dreams" at Bolsa Chica Park. From tall towers to swings, this ocean adventure themed playground has something for all ages.
Be among the first to experience the excitement and dive into fun right here in Westminster!
Stay and play after the Ribbon Cutting, join our Parks Program for free fun following the ceremony. we can't wait to see you there!
Bolsa Chica Park Playground - Tuesday, November 18 at 2:30pm
Orange County Transportation Authority
The Orange County Transportation Authority today proudly recognized the military service of employees and their family members during OCTA’s annual Veterans Day Appreciation event.
OCTA employs dozens of veterans who have served in the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard. The agency has long been recognized by military organizations as a military-friendly employer, actively recruiting and supporting veterans as they transition from military to civilian careers.
City of Huntington Beach
As part of Huntington Beach’s ongoing efforts to strengthen citywide emergency response, the Fire Department will deploy a new 24-hour ambulance in the Huntington Harbour area beginning Saturday, November 8, 2025.
Emergency Transport 47, operating out of Warner Fire Station, will replace the previous 14-hour ambulance, Emergency Transport 247. The upgrade follows a comprehensive analysis of service demand and coverage patterns, which was formally approved by the Huntington Beach City Council.
Housing and Homeless Incentive Program (HHIP) Round 5 Notice of Funding Opportunity
CalAIM
The CalOptima Health's Housing and Homeless Incentive Program (HHIP) Round 5 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) will be released on Monday, November 11, 2025. This funding opportunity supports the development or enhancement of permanent, affordable housing solutions for people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness in Orange County.
The materials and application portal link will be available on the CalAIM webpage. All applications must be submitted by Friday, December 19, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. PST.
Providers interested in responding are encouraged to attend CalOptima Health's virtual bidder’s conference to receive an overview of the funding opportunity.
Virtual Bidder's Conference Date: Tuesday, November 18, 2025, 1:00 p.m. PST
Proposal Submission Deadline: Friday, December 19, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. PST
Please Contact CalOptima Grants Management with any questions at:
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
FY 2026 Brownfield Grant Opportunities
OCCOG’s Project Management Partner, Montrose Environmental, is available to support local agencies with potential grant opportunities as part of the upcoming Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 EPA Brownfield Grants. The menu of available grants can be found at https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/marc-grant-application-resources. This will be the last grant competition with 400% more funding via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and no matching funds are required.
Eligible brownfield projects could include properties with older structures (e.g., built before the 1980s), which may contain regulated building materials (e.g. – lead-based paints, asbestos and PCBs) and properties with soil, groundwater and/or surface waters impacted with petroleum and/or hazardous substances (e.g. – former auto repair/gas stations, illicit dump sites, commercial buildings, and industrial facilities). Eligible applicants include cities, land clearance authorities, redevelopment agencies, regional councils, special districts, tribes, and non-profit organizations.
Brownfield grant types include:
Community-Wide Assessment: Up to $2M for Tribal applicants; used to complete a wide range of activities, including Phase I/II Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs), cleanup/restoration/reuse plans. Funding can be used to support these activities on numerous sites over a 4–5-year grant implementation period. Funding is not limited to properties you already own and can be used to support land acquisition opportunities.
Cleanup: Up to $4M; used to complete remediation and restoration of one or more brownfield-impacted properties that you own.
Multi-Purpose: Up to $1M; used to complete a combination of assessment, cleanup, and reuse planning activities on one or more brownfield-impacted properties.
Guidelines are due to be issued shortly, with grant applications anticipated for November. Award announcements are scheduled to be made in May 2026, with implementation beginning in October 2026.
Please contact Chris Gdak at Montrose Environmental at cgdak@montrose-env.com or (425) 760-1342 for more details.
Department of Housing and Community Development
Permanent Local Housing Allocation/ 2023 PLHA NOFA
This program provides long-term funding to support affordable housing, homeless prevention programs, and other housing-related projects. Funds are allocated based on California jurisdictions’ housing needs.
Application Deadline: June 30, 2027
Samueli Foundation
LFI and Leadership Accelerator Program
The Leading for Impact (LFI) and Leadership Accelerator program, run by the renowned Bridgespan Group, provides scholarship-supported access to strategic coaching, leadership development and peer-learning opportunities for 100 nonprofit executive teams. Through a mix of classroom workshops, team-led projects and executive coaching, LFI equips leaders with the skills and tools to strengthen their organizations, drive long-term sustainability and increase their community impact. Participating organizations contribute a portion of the program cost, ensuring shared investment in their growth and success.
Application Deadline: December 31, 2025
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