Dear Community Member,

As we begin to celebrate the holidays and wrap up the year, I'm filled with pride over everything this community has accomplished in 2022. Businesses in Yorba Linda continue to thrive, and new businesses have made Yorba Linda home. Our community has shown up in record numbers for events like our Summer Concert Series, 4th of July Spectacular, and Love Yorba Linda. Here at City Hall, we continue to operate a fiscally healthy city which enables us to prioritize improvement projects and make meaningful investments in the community. This has been a great year for Yorba Linda, and we enter 2023 with excitement for what's ahead.

While celebrating the holidays, I'd like to remind the community of the importance of being thoughtful about your safety. This e-newsletter provides important tips from the Orange County Sheriff's Department and Orange County Fire Authority to help you have an enjoyable holiday season. These tips feature common sense reminders (like locking your doors at night and not putting candles near flammable objects), but there are also plenty of tips you might have never considered (like requesting free vacation home checks while you're away, and not overloading home circuits with lights). I encourage everyone to review these tips and share them with their neighbors.

Thank you for being an important part of this community, and for making Yorba Linda more exceptional every day.

Best Regards,

Mark Pulone

City Manager

At the December 6, 2022 City Council Meeting, newly elected City Council Member Janice Lim and incumbent Carlos Rodriguez were sworn in, filling the two open seats for the Yorba Linda City Council. Council Members Lim and Rodriguez will serve a 4-year term of service. In addition, outgoing City Council Member Peggy Huang was recognized for her service over the past eight years.

At the December 6 meeting, the City Council also appointed the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem to serve a one-year term. The City of Yorba Linda is pleased to announce the reorganization of the Yorba Linda City Council as follows:

• Gene Hernandez, Mayor
• Tara Campbell, Mayor Pro Tem
• Beth Haney, Council Member
• Janice Lim, Council Member
• Carlos Rodriguez, Council Member

The 2022 General Municipal Election was held on Tuesday, November 8. View the certified Statement of the Vote issued by the Orange County Registrar of Voters on the City website.

Want to learn more about the decisions and actions of the Yorba Linda City Council? The latest City Council meeting recap is now available online. These recaps briefly summarize the City Council's activities until the official minutes are adopted (generally at the next meeting). In addition, City Council Meeting agendas and minutes from previous meetings are available on the Agendas and Minutes page on the City's website.

This holiday season, we’re on a mission to crown the best-decorated homes in Yorba Linda! Whether you are bursting with holiday spirit and plan to go “full Clark Griswold” or something a little more… understated… it’s time to untangle the light strings, patch up the inflatables, and submit an entry into Yorba Linda’s inaugural Holiday Decorating Contest!

Maybe you don’t think you’ll win, but you still want to share your beautiful decorations with the community -- we still want you to enter! We’re creating a special map of decorated homes in Yorba Linda so the community can drive by and see your exceptional work!

Contest entries are due TODAY (Monday, December 12 by 11:59 p.m.), so visit yorbalindaca.gov/holidaycontest right now to submit an entry! Awards will be given to first, second, and third-place winners. Winners will receive a City-swag bag, a gift card to a local business, and will be presented with a certificate of recognition by the Mayor.

Are you interested in serving your community? The City of Yorba Linda is currently seeking applications from Yorba Linda residents to fill vacancies on the Library, Parks and Recreation, Planning, and Traffic commissions. Application forms are due by 5 p.m. on December 16, 2022. For more information, please visit the Commission Information page.

The Library's Food for Fines canned food drive is back! From now until December 17, library patrons can bring canned food to the Library to pay for fines (excluding lost or damaged items) or make an online donation through a link on the Library’s website. All canned goods and donations benefit the Community Action Partnership of the Orange County Food Bank. For more information on the program, please visit the Library's website.

Yorba Linda is constantly attracting new businesses to open their doors in our exceptional community. We're currently tracking the development of several exciting restaurants and other businesses planning to open up shop in Yorba Linda. soon, including:

• Lone Wolf Brewing – NOW OPEN in the Packing House Square;
• Clydes Hot Chicken – Under construction (Arroyo & School Street);
• Jalapeños – Coming Soon (Stater Bros. Center);
• Sushi Imari – Coming to the Packing House Square soon;
• Handel's Homemade Ice Cream - Coming to the Packing House Square in 2023;
• Denny's – opening a second location (Richfield Road & Yorba Linda Boulevard) next year; and
• Target – opening in the former OSH building at Valley View Center in early 2023.

The City presents these exciting updates and announcements about new businesses as information develops. For more information about opening a business in Yorba Linda, contact our Economic Development Manager at 714-961-7105.

The entire family is invited to join the Library and the Cultural Arts Center for a magical holiday event. Take in the sparkling lights along the paseo as you decorate cookies, enjoy hot cocoa, and make crafts. Plus, enjoy the sounds of festive holiday music! This exciting event will take place on Wednesday, December 21 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit the Library's website.

To make this holiday season even more special, OCFA is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Spark of Love Toy Drive. As in previous years, the Orange County Fire Authority is partnering with KWAVE to help collect and distribute toys to children in need throughout Orange County.

To date, OCFA has received requests from more than 100 non-profit organizations for over 30,000 toys. You can participate by donating new toys at any one of Yorba Linda's fire stations, or any other OCFA station convenient for you. Please visit ocfa.org for a list of participating fire stations and ocfa.org/toydrive for details regarding each event.

In observance of the winter holidays, the City of Yorba Linda will be observing a modified holiday schedule. Yorba Linda City Hall, the Yorba Linda Public Library, and all recreation facilities (including the Community Center, Cultural Arts Center, Thomas Lasorda Jr. Field House, and the Travis Ranch Activity Center) will be: 

Closed Friday, December 23 to Monday, January 2, 2023; and

Reopen on Tuesday, January 3, 2023.

For more information and to view important emergency phone numbers, please visit the City's website.

While Christmas and New Year's Day occur on Sundays this year, Republic Services will be closed on Monday, December 26, and January 2. Service will run one day behind schedule both weeks.

After Christmas, what should you do with live trees? Republic Services accepts real holiday trees curbside starting December 27 through Friday, January 6, 2023. If the tree is over six feet, please cut it in half. If you're not able to cut your tree, please call Republic Service's customer service team at 714-238-2444. Please note that bagged trees will not be collected, and be sure to remove all decorations.

Additionally, Republic Services would like to remind all customers that cooking oil may NOT be disposed of in curbside trash containers. All waste oil must be disposed of through appropriate hazardous waste disposal companies. To learn more, visit oclandfills.com.

Construction continues to progress at Adventure Playground with the building of the three-tower playground structure’s various features, including a large dry slide, tower side panels, and climbing netting. Decorative fencing throughout the site continues to be installed, including the main entrance gate. Various pathways throughout the site continue to be formed and prepared for the installation of organic lock, which will create a natural-looking pathway. Unfortunately, due to various delays, the reopening of Adventure Playground is now expected to be in early 2023.

Want to learn more about this project? View construction progress videos and learn more on our website.

Providing the best road facilities for our community is one of our highest priorities. The City Council recently awarded a construction contract for the Bastanchury Road Widening Project. This project entails the widening of Bastanchury Road between Casa Loma and Eureka avenues with an additional thru lane in each direction, as well as the installation of new traffic signals at those intersections. A new sidewalk will be installed on the north side to provide continuous pedestrian connectivity while the multipurpose trail on the south side will be re-constructed. Another feature of this project is the change in vertical curvature of the roadway to provide an improved line of sight for motorists traveling along Bastanchury Road.

While the outcome of this project will result in easier driving through this stretch of Bastanchury Road, there will be significant impacts and delays during construction. The contractor will be required to phase construction and maintain one lane of travel in each direction of Bastanchury Road at all times. However, due to the complexity of the project and the narrowing of travel lanes, it will be necessary to implement four-way stop controls at the intersections of Bastanchury and Casa Loma and Eureka avenues. Project signage and changeable message boards will be in place to advise motorists of the approaching construction work. Construction is anticipated start in January and last approximately one year.

The Landscape Maintenance Assessment District (LMAD) recently completed a turf removal and replacement project on Yorba Ranch Road. Almost 15,000 square feet of turf was removed and replaced with climate-adapted plant material. The new plant palette incorporates multiple blooming shrubs, ornamental grasses, and vigorous evergreen ground cover. In addition, the previous overhead spray irrigation system was replaced with a water-efficient drip irrigation system that delivers water directly to the root zone. The installation of a Smart Controller, Master Valve, and Flow Senor will allow LMAD staff to manage water for the site more efficiently and minimize water waste. Over 85% of the project was funded using grant money from the Metropolitan Water District. Staff expects the plant material to reach full maturity within three years.

Criminals look for opportunities with the lowest risk. Don't make it easy! These simple preventative steps go a long way toward reducing the frequency of burglary and theft in our community:

• Do a home check to ensure all doors and windows properly lock;
• Never leave doors or windows unlocked while you are away;
• Consider installing motion-activated lighting and a security system to deter thieves;
• Keep shrubs and trees properly trimmed to increase visibility;
• Consider installing security film on your windows;
• Lock all side gates that provide access to your backyard;
• Keep your garage door closed when you're not in or around the garage area; and
• Keep all outdoor storage areas, including those in carports, locked.

Finally, contact OCSD if you see anything suspicious or dangerous on the non-emergency line at 714-647-7000 or 949-770-6011. To learn more, visit OCSD's website.

The Library is excited to present the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten reading program. It's as simple as it sounds -- make a goal to read 1,000 books to your child before Kindergarten. This program has been launched in libraries as an effort to increase the development of early literacy skills in young children. Reading aloud helps improve children's language skills and imagination. Register your child today and gain prizes just for reading! 

The holidays should be enjoyable! To ensure your holiday celebrations are fire-safe and injury-free, practice the following safety tips:

Candles

• Consider using flameless candles and flame-resistant candleholders to reduce fire risk;
• Keep candles at least 12 inches from flammable materials and place them on heat-resistant surfaces;
• Keep candles out of the reach of children and pets; and
• Extinguish all candles before leaving a room or going to sleep.

Lighting and Decorations

• Check lights for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections before using;
• Replace burned-out bulbs promptly with the same wattage bulb;
• Don’t overload electrical outlets with too many lights or decorations, and make sure all extension cords are marked for proper use;
• Plug outdoor electric lights and decorations into circuits protected by ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs); and
• Turn off all indoor and outdoor holiday lighting before leaving the house or going to bed.

Christmas Trees

• Place your tree away from fireplaces, radiators, heater vents, air ducts, and other heat sources;
• Make sure the tree is out of the way of day-to-day traffic and doesn’t block doorways;
• Ornaments and other holiday decorations should be non-combustible or flame-resistant; and
• Remove your tree promptly from your home after the holidays. An ignited tree can be totally consumed by fire in 3-5 seconds, and generate over 2,000 degrees of radiant heat.

To learn more fire prevention tips, visit OCFA’s website or call 714-573-6200.

As we approach one of the busiest times of the year, Yorba Linda Police Services encourages residents to consider the following tips to stay safe through the holiday season.

While you’re out:

• Always be alert and aware of your surroundings and others around you;
• Avoid taking bags or belongings to your vehicle in order to free your hands for more shopping. If you are observed, your vehicle may become a target for crime;
• Have packages delivered to a location where someone will be available to accept them instead of being left unattended on your porch;
• Never leave your purse or shoulder bag in a shopping cart. Always keep your belongings with you at all times;
• Park only in well-lit and highly visible areas;
• Before vacationing, stop your mail or make arrangements with a trusted neighbor for pick-up. Ensure they know how to reach you in an emergency;
• Request free “Vacation Home Check” services from Yorba Linda Police Services. As time permits, our deputies will check the perimeter of your home while you’re away; and
• Avoid posting status updates on social media sites that advertise you are away from home.

For your home:

• Never leave doors or windows open or unlocked while you’re away, including second-story entries. Always remove valuables from your vehicle, roll-up windows, and lock your car;
• Don’t leave outgoing mail in an unsecured mailbox. Outgoing mail should be dropped in a secure post office box or at the post office. Remove delivered mail from your home mailbox as soon as possible;
• Avoid displaying gifts or leaving valuables at home where they can be seen from doors or windows. Adjust window coverings to provide optimal privacy while allowing good visibility of outside areas;
• Place interior lights on timers to avoid coming into a dark home and to provide the appearance that someone is home;
• Never leave keys hidden under doormats or potted plants; and
• Report ALL suspicious people and activities WHEN they are observed.

Remember to report any suspicious person or activity at the time of observation to Yorba Linda Police Services' 24-hour non-emergency line at 714-647-7000. Upon calling, select the option for “Sheriff’s dispatch” to speak with a live call-taker. For a crime in progress, dial 911.

Want to learn more about Yorba Linda's history? The Susanna Bixby Bryant Museum is the perfect place to explore our past and discover what life was like in Yorba Linda in our earliest days. The museum consists of 2500 square feet of vintage room furnishings, from the late 1800s to 1930, including five museum rooms covering the history of the botanic garden, ranching, citrus, water wars, Yorba Linda Native American artifacts, and much more.

The museum is open for docent-guided tours on the first Saturday of each month from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., except on holiday weekends. The admission is $2 for adults and $1 for children ages 5-12. Weekday group/school tours may be booked by calling 714-694-0235. The Susanna Bixby Bryant Museum is owned by the City of Yorba Linda and operated by the Yorba Linda Historical Society.