Can you believe it is already February 2022? This year is off to a quick start, and we have lots of exciting projects and events coming in 2022 that I cannot wait to tell you about.
March 5 Blood Drive: On Tuesday, February 1, the City Council and I unanimously approved a City-sponsored blood drive to take place at City Hall on Saturday, March 5. This blood drive is in response to the American Red Cross declaring the first ever national blood crisis. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Red Cross has seen a 10% decline in blood donations. This means, medical professional are faced with the tough decision of having to prioritize which patients receive blood. The upcoming blood drive will be hosted in partnership with UCI Health.
The City Council and I also requested that City staff work with other partners to host additional blood drive events and conduct outreach encouraging our community to help end the national blood crisis by donating. Additional information on the upcoming March 5 blood drive will be available in the coming days. I encourage you to monitor SurfCityBreak.com for the details.
Cancelled Trails to the Sea Concept: In response to the outpouring of community feedback we received opposing the Trails to the Sea Project, the City has elected not to pursue it. If you are unfamiliar with the project, the City had developed a preliminary plan to build a bike and walking path along the Talbert Channel for resident use. I am grateful for the efforts of our Public Works team to develop the preliminary concept While I am supportive of adding bike paths and other mobility options in Huntington Beach, it is important that these additions are done in a way that our community supports.
Potential OCTA Strike: As many of you may already be aware, the Orange County Transit Authority has sent out notice that a bus operators’ strike could begin as early as Tuesday, February 15, due to unresolved contract negotiations. We have been assured that OCTA is working with the union to reach an agreement and avoid a strike. I would encourage anyone who makes use of OCTA bus transportation to visit octa.net to stay up to date on potential system impacts.
