Arovista Park Construction Update
Work is continuing at Arovista Park with the Contractor slated to begin major grading operations over the next few weeks. For a period of time, residents in the South Brea neighborhood will notice several large trucks per hour arriving on site to import dirt. Hours of operation for the project continue to be 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday – Friday. With any questions or concerns, we encourage residents to contact the General Contractor (Urban Habitat) directly. They can be reached at 760-345-1101.
New Community Services Director
Congratulations to Carrie Hernandez, Brea’s new Community Services Director! As you know, the Community Services Director position has been vacant since June with the retirement of Chris Emeterio. To fill the vacancy, there was an external recruitment process and I also engaged with staff from the Community Services Department to identify what characteristics and qualities are important to have in their next Director. As a result of that process, Carrie rose to the top, so I offered her the position.
Carrie has 30 years of local government experience, 24 of those years in Brea. For the past two and half years, she has served as Deputy Director of Community Services. In that role, she led the cultural arts, special events, and human services programs. Her most recent efforts include, leading Brea’s first Cultural Arts Master Plan, completing a Senior Center Feasibility Study, and overseeing the Cultural Arts Commission, Parks, Recreation and Human Services Commission, Art in Public Places Committee, and Senior Leadership Council. Carrie first came to Brea in 2000 and served in various positions and departments, until 2012 when she began working in Community Services. Carrie began her local government career at the City of Buena Park, working in Community Services for four years, and then in the City of Anaheim for a little over one year.
Throughout her career in Brea, Carrie has demonstrated excellent leadership skills, great communication, and innovative thinking. She is also known for being a leader outside of her department. Since 2016, Carrie has led city-wide department team building activities, such as Game Days and Spirit Week. She also created Brea Forward, a city-wide initiative to modernize our workplace. I’m excited to see Carrie lead the department into the future.
2024 State of the City
The City of Brea is excited to announce this year’s State of the City is now available to view. This is a great opportunity to learn about our community, what’s been accomplished this past year, and what is planned for Brea’s future. Topics such as, development, public safety, and more will be discussed.
You can watch State of the City on-demand on the Brea TV streaming app, online at cityofbrea.net/breatv, or on the City’s YouTube channel.
Public Works and Administrative Services Departments Collaborate
On July 31, the City received notification from the Division of Drinking Water’s (DDW) Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCCR) unit for data on the City’s entire water service line inventory. That data consists of over 12,000 water service lines, and needed to be submitted prior to the October 16, 2024 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) deadline. Thanks to the collaborative and “thinking outside the box” efforts from members of the Administrative Services Department and the Public Work Department’s Water Division, the City was able to save $250,000 by doing the work in-house rather than using consultants. Over the past year and a half, the Water Division Team has performed over 8,300 field verifications at the meter site that verified the type of water pipe material for both the customer and public side. Due to forward-thinking efforts by Brian Ingallinera, Rudy Correa and Matthew Matlock, the field-data collection effort was possible. They then collaborated with GIS Analyst Jimmy Dao to brainstorm ideas and solutions for a custom-built software program that was utilized on iPads to collect the information. Kudos for their innovative work!
OC Loop Construction
The County of Orange is working on the OC Loop in the City of Brea. This project involves constructing a Class I bikeway along the Carbon Canyon Channel from La Floresta Drive to Bastanchury Road. This will close the gap between the La Floresta Trail and El Cajon Trail by creating a 12’-14’ wide bikeway parallel to Imperial Highway and then along Carbon Canyon Channel. Please be mindful of the construction impacts this project will create on Imperial Highway and La Floresta Drive. It is advised to use alternative routes if possible. The anticipated construction timeline is now through December 2024, pending construction challenges and material supply, dates may be subject to change. For additional information, please contact the General Contractor of Blue Iron Foundations & Shoring, Joe Reyes at 909-486-9167.
City of Brea Earns Prohousing Incentive Program Grant
The City is pleased to announce the receipt of a $660,000 grant from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). This grant follows Brea’s distinction as the first city in Orange County to earn the prestigious Prohousing Designation from HCD.
The Prohousing Designation Program, managed by HCD, honors cities and counties that actively implement policies to remove barriers to housing development and support growth through incentives. Earning this designation grants cities exclusive access to Prohousing Incentive Program funds, as well as additional points in the evaluation of competitive housing, community development, and infrastructure funding programs. Brea is proud to be one of 19 cities to receive this grant, furthering the City’s commitment to fostering housing development in the community.
Green Halo Systems
The City has recently partnered with Green Halo Systems. Green Halo allows contractors, recyclers, and other entities to comply with local, state, and federal recycling guidelines with incredible accuracy and efficiency. Green Halo also enables contractors, recyclers, cities, and county authorities to interact and communicate seamlessly throughout the progression of a construction project. The user-friendly and intuitive system provides valuable tools for maintaining a sustainable construction waste management plan while yielding real-time and historical data, charts, graphs, and reports. Green Halo is available in over 100 languages and there is no cost to the applicant for using their basic reporting system.
Due to this new partnership, physical and PDF Waste Management Plans will no longer be accepted. Applicants must submit their project through Green Halo for each job/permit.
Senior Grocery Program Update
With the Arovista Park Modernization Project underway, the Brea Senior Center parking lot has inevitably been impacted, especially during the Senior Grocery Program. This program brings in around 200 guests to the center. Since the construction is anticipated to last until Fall 2025, the program was reimagined to provide seniors access as quickly and efficiently as possible. In early July, the Senior Grocery Program switched to a grab-and-go distribution from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m., after lunch.
This time frame allows members to enjoy lunch or complete a class without having to leave early to get a free spot for grocery distribution. Many seniors commented on their preference to this method as opposed to the original program. The Brea Senior Center staff will continue to evaluate how to reduce parking congestion to ensure programs are accessible to all. We would like to thank everyone for their patience during this construction period.
Business Spotlight
Blue Scoop Creamery, a beloved, family-owned ice cream shop in Yorba Linda, has proudly opened its second location at the Brea Imperial Center. Known for crafting their ice cream from scratch, Blue Scoop uses all-natural ingredients and creates their ice cream in small batches to ensure maximum flavor and freshness. Their selection of classic and seasonal flavors rotates to include a variety of dairy and non-dairy options. Committed to community and local business support, Blue Scoop Creamery is dedicated to bringing people together through their passion for exceptional ice cream.
2024 Brea Fest Recap
We ended the summer season by hosting our annual Brea Fest event on Friday, August 9 at the Brea Civic & Cultural Center. This year, the Brea Special Events division spotlighted the arts in the community. The Brea Art Gallery and Curtis Theatre showcased art projects, demonstrations, and live performances from the Wildcat Marching Band and the Brea Olinda Cheer team. In addition to the 20 participating restaurants, a children’s marketplace was added to the event. This event brings the community together to explore and enjoy the great food sold at local restaurants, along with playing yard games, meeting new neighbors, and interacting with local officials and public safety officers who protect the City. We would like to thank the participating restaurants for their generosity, and the numerous volunteers and City staff who made this event possible. I’m already looking forward to Brea Fest 2025
Brea Gallery Fresh{AIR} -Artist in Residence Program
In every exhibition, the Brea Gallery highlights artists by hosting a weekend residency called Fresh(AIR). For two days, featured artists Julie Beloussow and Karina Vazquez will come in to work on their art in the gallery. The Brea Gallery’s goal is to assist patrons to better understand the art process by allowing visitors to engage with working artists by asking questions and experience the creation of art before their eyes.
This program is held in conjunction with the annual Colored Pencil Society of America (CPSA) Juried Exhibition. The invited artists will be exploring colored pencils accordant with CPSA’s mission to elevate the medium by encouraging innovation and education. Additionally, guests are encouraged to try their hand at creating their very own colored pencil masterpiece in the gallery’s interactive colored pencil room. Admission is free for visitors who mention “Fresh(AIR)” at the front desk on August 31 and September 1. Regular viewing hours and admission continue through September 15.
Sponsorships Benefits Best Buddies Event
Each year, we partner with the Brea Olinda Unified School District to host a Halloween event for the district’s Best Buddies program. This event helps in the Best Buddies’ mission to assist students with socialization and engagement with individuals outside of their organization.
The event is made possible through the generous support of local partners. Southern California Gas Company has been a yearly supporter with monetary donations to provide Halloween treats to the students. This year, Vice Chairman/4th District OC Supervisor Doug Chaffee also provided a $1,000 contribution to expand the Halloween event and create a memorable experience for our participants. I would like to thank the donors for their continued support of this community program.
Brea Summer Fit Challenge
Brea Fitness hosted a Brea Summer Fit Challenge as an opportunity to make exercising both fun and rewarding. Participants weighed in at the start of the challenge and again at the end of the fitness challenge to compete for Brea Fitness gift cards. Participants were able to compete for first and second place in two categories, muscle mass gain and body fat loss.
Each competitor received a Brea Fitness shirt for their healthy commitment, full access to the fitness center to work on their goals, and access to a special fitness class led by Brea Fitness CPT Alyssa. This friendly competition helped promote Brea’s active lifestyle. Congratulations to every participant and the winners!