Voice of OC (https://voiceofoc.org/category/regions/central-county/tustin/)
Things began to quiet down in Orange County on Wednesday night, and people trickled back into their homes, after three days of wildfires, smoke, evacuations and anxiety.
Voice of OC contacted all nine candidates running for three open city council seats and asked them about their platforms. Six candidates responded.
Unprecedented early voter turnout. A pandemic. A high-stakes election. Orange County’s top elections official said a wildfire was the last thing he expected a week before election day.
Depending on whether conditions change, fire authorities expect full containment of both blazes by Nov. 10.
As a host of OC schools start welcoming back students this week, there are mounting questions from teachers and parents about how reopenings – and potential outbreaks – will be handled.
The hardest hit facility, locally, is the Anaheim Healthcare Center, a 215-bed skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility on Beach Blvd in the city’s west end. At least 15 patients inside the center were reported to have tested positive for the virus. No staff were reported to have tested positive as of Monday, according to the state data.
The Tustin City Council has unanimously approved an agreement to construct a new transitional housing facility for homeless families to accommodate the city’s growing homeless population.
OC Supervisor Don Wagner faces off against attorney and OC Fair Board member Ashleigh Aitken to represent canyon communities and cities like Irvine, Tustin, Orange and Yorba Linda on the Orange County Board of Supervisors.
The council unanimously voted to add to the November 2020 ballot the question whether councilmembers should receive a $600 monthly salary. If approved, the compensation would not take effect until December 2022.
Tustin voters will have the chance next year to approve a monthly salary for City Council members. Editors’ Note: This dispatch is part of the Voice of OC Youth Media program, working with student journalists to cover public policy issues across Orange County. If you would like to submit your own student media project related to Orange County civics or if you have any response to this work, contact Digital Editor Sonya Quick at [email protected] The council has unanimously voted to add to the November 2020 ballot the question whether councilmembers should receive a $600 monthly salary. If approved, the compensation would not take effect until December 2022.