Policy Pulse: November 28, 2025
- ACC-OC
- 2 hours ago
- 7 min read
ACC-OC is thankful for our cities and affiliate members whose leadership and collaboration strengthen communities across Orange County.
Wishing everyone a warm and joyful Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
This month, Director of Member Services Kathryn Morrison had the honor of attending Champagne, Courage & Cause, a signature Women Veterans Interactive Foundation event hosted at the historic Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, Virginia.
As an Army veteran, Kathryn shared that standing in this space—among women leaders, service members, and advocates—was a powerful reminder of the courage, camaraderie, and community that define military service. The program highlighted stories of transition, empowerment, wellness, and leadership from women veterans across the nation.
ACCOC is proud to have Kathryn represent both our organization and Orange County’s veteran community at events that uplift service and strengthen the voices of veterans everywhere.
To learn more about the ACC-OC Veterans Affairs Committee and how we support our region’s veteran leaders and initiatives, please visit our website or reach out to our team.
ACC‑OC Executive Director Kris Murray recently served as a panelist for the Cultures United Conversation: Housing Insecurity in Orange County, hosted by Orange County United Way. The discussion brought together community, business, and nonprofit leaders to explore the challenges of housing instability and opportunities for meaningful impact.
Kris shared ACC‑OC’s perspective on how local governments can collaborate with community partners to address housing insecurity, highlighting innovative approaches and programs making a difference for Orange County residents.
Other distinguished panelists included Lucy Dunn (Orange County Business Council) and Alejandro Santiago (United to End Homelessness, OC United Way), with Fred Zago (California Bank & Trust) serving as moderator.
This event underscored ACC‑OC’s commitment to fostering cross-sector collaboration and supporting solutions that strengthen our communities.
Understanding HUD’s New Homeless Services Requirements: What Cities Need to Know
Join ACC-OC and CoC leadership for a clear, accessible breakdown of these changes — including HUD’s shift away from a Housing-First approach and new caps on Permanent Supportive Housing funding. Learn what these changes mean for your city and how to prepare.
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 (WISEâ„¢) 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 WISEâ„¢ 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
City of Laguna Beach
Please bring New Coats for Kids (sizes S-L) for donation to:
Laguna Beach Police Department:
505 Forest Ave, Laguna Beach
The Collection boxes will be available
from Thursday, Nov 13th - Friday Dec 19th.
The coats are distributed to Costa Mesa, Laguna Beach, and San Juan Capistrano Boys and Girls Club as well as other non-profit organizations. This year, we will have more than 45 collection boxes at County Administration and in the 5th District. Last year our office distributed more than 800 new coats for kids.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL KIMBERLEE (714) 834-3550 OR EMAIL KATRINA.FOLEY@OCGOV.COM
Orange County Water District
The recent storms that brought approximately 3.5 inches of rain to the region allowed the Orange County Water District (OCWD; the District) to capture more than 5.6 billion gallons of Santa Ana River stormwater that will be recharged into the Orange County Groundwater Basin. The groundwater basin, managed by OCWD, provides approximately 85% of the drinking water supply for 2.5 million people in north and central Orange County.
City of Westminster
New Date: Thursday, December 4, 3:00 p.m.
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Join the City of Westminster at the ribbon cutting ceremony for their brand-new playground, featuring "Sea Loving Dreams" at Bolsa Chica Park (13660 University St.). 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!
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Stay and play after the Ribbon Cutting, join their Parks Program for free fun following the ceremony.
State Treasurer's Office
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Please join the State Treasurer's Office for a quarterly webinar series.
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Receive updates and learn more about State Treasurer’s Office programs and resources that can benefit the communities you serve.
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Topics will include:
Key Updates from the State Treasurer's Office
Supporting California's Small Businesses through the new Loan Participation Program
Supporting California's Health Facilities through the Healthcare Expansion Loan Program II
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.
Orange County Sanitation District
OC San’s General Manager, Rob Thompson, was recently featured on The Public Works Podcast with host Shane Silsby. In this episode, Rob shares the vision behind OC San’s new headquarters, explains how strategic and innovative financing supports our long-term goals, and takes viewers on an in-depth tour of OC San’s Plant No. 1.
City of Fountain Valley
The City of Fountain Valley is accepting applications from volunteers to participate on Committees, Commissions and Boards. Appointments will be for two-year terms, unless otherwise stated. Candidates for appointment must be residents of Fountain Valley and 18 years of age or older. The deadline for application submission to the City Clerk is 6 p.m. on December 18, 2025.
City of Irvine
The City of Irvine invites the community to Illuminate Irvine Saturday, December 6, from 3 to 8 p.m. at the Great Park Palm Court Arts Complex. The event transforms the Palm Court into a sparkling winter wonderland with twinkling lights, festive music, and hands-on holiday fun for all ages.
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
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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.
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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