Irvine City Council

Irvine, 'America's Safest City' That Wouldn't Raise Cops' Pay, Has $9.3 Million Surplus

News item: At its meeting starting at 4 p.m. today, the Irvine City Council will discuss what to do with a $9.3 million surplus.It's a "problem" other city councils wish they were facing, and it's nothing new for Irvine, which the previous fiscal year "wrestled" with a $14.4 million surplus.Which wa ... More >>

Irvine City Council Will Try to Replace Verizon Wireless Amphitheater With the Great Park Cramphitheater...What Are They Smoking?

It's official: By 2017 the Great Park will be the only place to see big-ticket entertainment in Irvine. Please excuse us while we struggle to contain our enthusiasm. As of last week, the Irvine Company and the Irvine City Council both confirmed that a new amphitheater is being proposed to ... More >>

Vans Warped Tour Goes Green(er), Partners With Online Carpooling Company

Last week we mentioned that the Irvine City Council brought up some collective beef over the Vans Warped Tour's Irvine stop at the Great Park on Thursday--and all the troublesome, traffic-making punks that will come with it. Well, even though the fest will certainly foil any dog walking, kite flying ... More >>

Irvine City Council is Scared of the Big Bad Vans Warped Tour

Just days before the Vans Warped Tour steamrolls into the Great Park, Irvine City Council members are jumping up to say "not in my backyard!"Following Tuesday's council meeting, it was reported that council members representing the safest city in America are having some serious objections ... More >>

Orange County Great Park Gets a $1.4 Billion Puncture in its Balloon

A court in Sacramento today denied the city of Irvine's temporary restraining order request that would prevent the state of California from seizing Orange County Great Park funds. It's part of the city's lawsuit against the state Department of Finance, which has ruled the Great Park is not entitled ... More >>

Things are Tough All Over for San Onofre Nuclear Plant

​Perhaps you've heard the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) ordered the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) to remain shut down until plant operator Southern California Edison (SCE) can satisfy the feds that it knows why tubes wore out in two steam generators recently and that it ... More >>

Original Russo's Pet Experience Now Targeted by Puppy Mill Foes

​Animal rights groups claiming Russo's Pet Experience sells puppies raised in mills managed to pressure the Irvine Co. to end the pet store's lease at one Irvine shopping center and the Irvine City Council to ban such retailers outright.Now, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and t ... More >>

Irvine Parents Who Let Minors Get Boozed Up at Parties Could Face $3K Fines

Best Week Ever​Remember in high school how there'd always be that one mom or dad who was so cool because she/he would let kids drink wine coolers while playing Spin The Bottle in the basement?    Now, if officials discover you are that parent, be prepared to pay up to $3,000 in fines.&nb ... More >>

Al Jazeera Plugs Occupy Orange County

​OC neocons might want to start stockpiling food and ammunition: the respected-everywhere-in-the-world-except-the-US Al Jazeera has weighed in on Occupy Orange County--and it says the movement's alright! The opinion piece appeared on their website, though we should mention it was written by UCI pr ... More >>

Irvine City Council to Allow Occupy Orange County to Camp

Brandon Ferguson​"I don't understand a lot of what your message is," said Councilman Jeffery Lalloway at tonight's meeting of the Irvine City Council. "But by all means, if you want to sleep on our lawn. Sleep on our lawn." It was a surprising turn of events coming from a planned city known m ... More >>

Irvine Bans Retail Dog and Cat Sales, Rodeos and Circuses with Exotic Animals

​To the delight of animal rights activists and chagrin of the town's lone pet store owner and the lobby that represents such businesses, the Irvine City Council Tuesday night banned the retail sale of cats and dogs. The council further earned gold stars from the likes of Orange County People for A ... More >>

[UPDATED with SJC Spooked:] Banning Pervs in Parks Sweeps OC

​UPDATE, AUG. 17, 11:17 A.M.: It's become so routine it's lost its news value: The District Attorney's office announces it's sending a rep before the latest of the 7,000 city councils in Orange County considering a ban on sex offenders in local parks modeled after the county law co-written by DA T ... More >>

[UPDATED with Early RSM Nod:] Banning Pervs in Parks Sweeps OC

​UPDATE, JULY 29, 9:41 A.M.: The Rancho Santa Margarita City Council voted Wednesday night to move ahead with a ban on registered sex offenders in city parks that is similar to the county law enacted in April.The council agreed that banning only those who have preyed on children would leave kids v ... More >>

Nurses Rally Against Government Healthcare and Social Security Cuts

​Just to be clear, the more than 100 registered nurses huddled around Irvine's Civic Center Plaza at high noon today are not there to implant a conscious into Larry Agran. The RNs are joining community activists to rally against any cuts to Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid.

[UPDATED with SJC Law on Agenda:] Banning Pervs in Parks Sweeps OC

​UPDATE, JUNE 22, 10:09 A.M.: While expressing some concern the county pervs-in-parks ban is too broad, the San Juan Capistrano City Council did decide Tuesday night to bring a local ordinance back for a vote July 5.Among the options the city with huge swaths of open space will explore are applyin ... More >>

[UPDATED with Enactment Cheered:] Westminster Jumps Aboard Bandwagon Banning Pervs in Parks

Erin Runnion​UPDATE, MAY 27, 3:40 P.M.: An Orange County supervisor, the district attorney and perhaps the most famous mother of a local crime victim today applauded Westminster officially enacting a ban on registered sex offenders from city parks.Cheers from Supervisor Shawn Nelson and District A ... More >>

[UPDATED with Split Response:] Rackauckas and Hutchens Support Ban on Sex Offenders in Irvine City Parks

Irvine council members Sukhee Kang, Beth Krom and Larry Agran​UPDATE, MAY 11, 9:54 A.M.: The proposal to ban sex offenders from Irvine city parks did not wow all council members Tuesday night. Mayor Sukhee Kang, Councilman Steven Choi and the councilman who brought the matter before the panel, Jef ... More >>

Welcome to the Ronald Reagan Great Park

EXCLUSIVE! Super-secret plans are afoot to name Orange County's largest public-works project after the Great Communicator

Ronald Reagan Day in Larry Agran Land?

​It's unclear why this wasn't proposed a few weeks ago, but the Irvine City Council tonight will consider proclaiming Feb. 6 "Ronald Reagan Day," in honor of 40th president's birthday.The proclamation is not being foisted on the panel that leans Democratic because Reagan was once a member of the p ... More >>

Election 2010: Who's In and Who's Out in Irvine?

​Updated throughout the night, with the freshest post on topLate: Oy. Squeezed my way through the madness (good-looking madness) that was the OC Republican election night party in search of some Irvine players to chat with. No luck. Instead, I got to wander through a sea of boos when Presiden ... More >>

Albatros Is the Best Mexican Restaurant In South County

[Hole In the Wall] This Lake Forest Cal-Mex eatery is worth waiting in line for

[UPDATED:] Irvine Does Shuffleboard Shuffle in Response to Grand Jury Report Blasting Great Park Funding

​UPDATE: As expected, the Irvine City Council approved its fuck-off response to an Orange County Grand Jury report critical of Great Park financing (see end of post) . . .The Orange County Register's Sean Emery gets great quote from Irvine City Councilwoman Christina Shea, who was reacting to the ... More >>

Grand Jury Report Blasts Great Park Financing, Accuses Irvine City Council of Lying, Conflicts

Hot air keeps it afloat.​A new grand jury report: questions whether the Irvine Redevelopment Agency created to usher in development of the Orange County Great Park can fully repay its initial $134 million loan from the city; faults the city of ignoring the poor business climate while churning ... More >>

Anti-Muslim Hate Crimes Down in California, Report Finds

Yesterday, the California Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) released its annual hate crime report, "The Status of Muslim Civil Rights, California 2009." Despite the name, the report actually deals with incidents from the previous year, which are as follows:​*A total of 48 ... More >>

Live Nation and Great Park May Team Up on Amphitheater

​When the Orange County Great Park Corporation Board meets Thursday morning at Irvine City Hall, directors will consider a $93,000 "feasibility study funding agreement" with mega concert promoter Live Nation Worldwide, Inc. for an amphitheater at the former El Toro Marines Corps Air Station.Los An ... More >>

Tale of 2 Police Forces: While Irvine's Fumes, La Habra's Bites the Bullet

To protect and serve . . . for less.​While their counterparts in "Safest City in America" Irvine fume over an employer-proposed wage freeze, officers who belong to the La Habra Police Association seem to have gladly accepted a deal that imposes what is essentially a 5 percent pay cut. "Although di ... More >>

Agran Reelected Great Park Corp. Board Chairman

The Great Park Corp. Board of Directors this morning unanimously reelected director Michael Pinto to another four-year term and then reelected the Laguna Canyon Foundation founder their vice chairman. It was initially announced to be a straight flush, with the unanimous reelection of Irvine City Cou ... More >>

Will Obama's Stimulus Plan Help Make the OC Great Park a Reality?

Calling the action "momentous," the Great Park Corp. Board of Directors voted unanimously today to recommend the Irvine City Council adopt the Great Park Design Studio's Comprehensive Park Plan, the final planning piece required before the building phase can begin--as soon as March 20--on the ambiti ... More >>

Great Park Board Set to Approve Comprehensive Design Plan

The Great Park Corporation Board of Directors is set Thursday to recommend the Irvine City Council accept the Comprehensive Park Design for the Orange County Great Park submitted by its Design Studio and authorize the corp.'s CEO to negotiate a one-year contract amendment with the studio to initiate ... More >>

Councilwoman Blames Own Panel for Irvine Sister City's Demise

The Irvine Sister City Foundation--which has helped make Irvine a truly international city thanks to successful partnerships with with Tsukuba, Japan, Hermosillo, Mexico, and Taoyuan, Taiwan--voted to dissolve last night. Despite the denials of Irvine Mayor Suhkee Kang, an Irvine City Coun ... More >>

Auto Industry's Demise is Orange County Great Park's Gain

No one is buying cars in this country. That means new cars aren't leaving dealer lots. That means U.S. ports are getting backed up with cars that, at least temporarily, have no place to go. And that means ships bringing these cars into those ports are getting backed up as well.Gee, if only there was ... More >>

Christmas Comes Early Thanks to Orange County Great Park

If your name is not on the Orange County Great Park's Christmas list this year, that makes two of us. Only two of us judging by the number of folks and companies lined up to have the OCGP Corporation Board of Directors begin the process Thursday of stuffing their financial stockings.(The Great Park ... More >>

Navy, Water District Officials Swear Irvine's Drinking Water Now Safe

Irvine City Council members say they hear from residents convinced that unsafe levels of trichloroethelyne (TCE)--a volatile organic compound linked to cancer, other nasty illnesses and death--is in their drinking water. Those fears lead to media-fueled alarm, public confrontations and snarky blog p ... More >>

I'm Not Dead Yet

Christina Shea had one of those gut-check moments when Orange County Great Park Corp. board clerk Steve Larsen read the roll at this morning's regular meeting at Irvine City Hall. "How come you didn't call my name?" Shea asked defensively. Last month's defeat in the mayoral race against Sukhee Kang ... More >>

Who is Down on Measure R (and How Much Are They Down For)?

Shea and Choi: big anti-R funders Measure R on the Irvine ballot asks residents to approve what a great job the Irvine City Council is doing on planning the Great Park on the old El Toro Marine Corps base (or if the measure loses, one supposes, what a piss-poor job they are doing). The conflict-of- ... More >>

What's Bad for Obama is Good for Todd Gallinger?

Irvine City Council races have a long, rich history of generating critical looks from the county grand jury, tireless political reformer Shirley Grindle, state Assemblyman Chuck Devore (R-Irvine), solidly Democrat UC Irvine political science professor Mark Petracca and, of course, our own R. Scott M ... More >>

If You Don't Support the Great Park Iconics, the Terrorists Win!

Clockwork's Pete Townshendesque ears heard Irvine City Councilwoman and mayoral candidate Christina Shea ask the following at Thursday's Great Park Corporation board of directors meeting at City Hall: “If you could put up on the screen the terrorist area.” Now, it is no state secret that Irvin ... More >>

[Moxley Confidential] The Strange Case of the Deputy-Confiscated Videotape

Irvine Offends Thousands of Its Citizens

An Orange County Grand Jury recently decided that the Irvine City Council is trying to hijack the Great Park, and that the OC Board of Supervisors (who initially approved of Irvine's actions) might look into litigation in order to return control of this huge local resource to the county itself. Irvi ... More >>

Agranistas Fire Ordinance

Proposed law takes aim at political consultants, advisers and the media

Letters

Three Major Irvine Democrats Question Agran, Krom Ethics; Endorse Republicans

Mears, Petracca and Goldstone abandon Agran, Krom in favor of the Dark Side

Deja You

Agran and Kucinich could be twins . . . very wee twins

The Incredible Shrinking Park

{Irvine plans a PR offensive to defend not-so-Great Park

Bunny Business

Late Bloomer

The Great Park Is Coming Back

El Toro Airport Watch No. 149

The Great Farce

El Toro Airport Watch No.148

South County: Bigger, Longer and Uncut

Times gives developers a chance to pound Agran over Great Park proposal

Smile, You're on Candid Camera