On Tuesday, February 25th, 2020, Mayor Christina Shea received a standing ovation from Irvine residents following a robust State of the City address that lauded Irvine’s successes and tackled its challenges. 

Given her previous two terms as Irvine’s elected mayor in the 1990s, it was not Mayor Shea’s first time addressing the community. However, this was the first State of the City the third-term mayor led since she was elevated to the position following Mayor Don Wagner’s election to an Orange County Supervisor seat in early April of last year. 

2020’s State of the City was a family affair, with Mayor Shea’s grandchild leading the Pledge of Allegiance along with her excited Girl Scout troop. Seats were packed with community leaders, residents and supporters from neighboring communities. Many had to stand in the back aisle in order to be a part of the historic annual event. 

Before the official address, Mayor Pro Tem Mike Carroll gave opening remarks, praising Mayor Shea’s longtime commitment to the city and the achievements she’s made since first elected to the Irvine City Council in 1992. Presenting the initiatives she has brought forth, Mayor Pro Tem Carroll stated: “In ways both great and small, Mayor Shea is a driving force in building our city into the regional and national powerhouse it is today.” From jump-starting the development of the Orange County Great Park to championing housing services for veterans and disabled residents, Mayor Shea’s efforts were recognized and appreciated. 

Councilmember Anthony Kuo; Councilmember Melissa Fox; Mayor Christina L. Shea; Councilmember Farrah N. Khan; Mayor Pro Tem Mike Carroll (City of Irvine)

Mayor Shea began her State of the City address on a positive note, praising the current Irvine City Council as one of the best she’s worked with. “The state of the city is undeniably on the right track as we head into this new year,” said Mayor Shea.  

Hitting on Irvine’s topics of interest, we’ve broken down the key elements of her speech below:

Green Initiatives

The city of Irvine is, without a doubt, far ahead of most cities in terms of environmentally friendly policy. Dubbed the “Queen of Green” by constituents, Mayor Shea promised that her commitment to sustainability and Irvine’s green initiatives will continue in 2020. Plans include replanting native foliage into the city’s landscape, as well as expanding the successful goat program to assist with weed and fire abatement. The mayor’s organic pesticides policy will remain in effect, keeping Irvine’s parks, greenbelts and open spaces free of toxins. This nontoxic landscaping plan recently won city staff a CalEPA sustainability award. 

“We care about the health of our children, our pets and our wildlife,” promised Mayor Shea. 

Sustainability  

To continue Irvine’s sustainability efforts, the City Council has approved a review of Community Choice Energy (CCE). An alternative-energy program, CCE offers a solution to the rising cost of electricity, giving residents a choice to opt-in to clean energy that saves them on monthly energy bills. 

Waste and Recycling

Irvine has seen a great payoff after implementing its green waste diversion recycling program and zero-waste initiative. Mayor Shea shared that, collectively, these efforts have diverted more than 12,000 tons of green waste and food from landfills. 

Municipal Energy Efficiency

The mayor was proud to announce that the city has incorporated energy-efficient designs throughout its municipal facilities. Improvements include the installation of solar panels, the use of solar carports, efficient heating at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center, LED safety lights, and recycled insulation at University Community Park. Presently, the council is developing a strategic energy plan that will examine cost-effective measures to increase energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption community-wide. 

Addressing fears voiced by the public at previous city council meetings, Mayor Shea assured residents that each sustainability and efficiency program is thoughtfully reviewed for financial impact before adoption. 

Crime

Irvine was recently recognized for having the lowest violent crime rate in the U.S. for a city of its size. Mayor Shea remarked on this impressive achievement for both the city and the community, pledging to continue investing in public safety and emergency preparedness. From expanding the use of the public safety drone program to hiring additional police officers and public safety personnel, the Mayor outlined her plan to keep crime low as Irvine grows in size. 

(City of Irvine)

Safe Community Task Force

Mayor Shea discussed the recent revitalization of the Irvine’s Safe Community Task Force 2020 (Task Force), an Ad Hoc committee that will work for nine months towards a goal of ensuring Irvine’s status as one of the safest in America. She divulged items from the Task Force’s first meeting, where major concerns like human trafficking were discussed. 

Irvine’s Business Community

As the largest employment center in Orange County, Mayor Shea announced her plans for Irvine’s business community in the coming year, stating: “Throughout 2020 I plan to continue to build upon the outstanding relationship the city has with the Greater Irvine Chamber. We will ensure that we attract a highly educated and skilled workforce to keep Irvine as the economic center of innovation, technology and creativity.”

Fiscal Strength

The mayor was pleased to announce that for the third year in a row, Irvine was named the top city in America for fiscal strength. Further detailing the city’s financial success, she shared that Irvine is seeing a taxpayer surplus of $4,100. Continuing on the topic, she shared that Irvine’s operating revenues are strong – $207 million for fiscal year 2019-2010 – and that the city’s general fund reserves are now at 25 percent of the annual budget. Irvine is debt-free and fiscally strong. Says Mayor Shea, “I don’t know how many cities can say that.”

Pension Liability

Pension liability is being paid down annually, which is an important debt reduction plan brought forward by Mayor Shea in 2013. This topic remains a key item in the mayor’s agenda. 

Shop Irvine

Mayor Shea touched on the #ShopIrvine initiative, a program that helps to increase sales tax. She reviewed the past holiday season, which allowed Irvine to experience a strong revenue stream that has carried into 2020. The new year will see a robust wave of efforts to bolster the program, aided in large part by the Irvine Company’s re-investment into Irvine Spectrum. The mayor plans to increase the promotion throughout the entire year – as opposed to only during the holiday season as it has been in years past. 

2020 State of the City Address reception (City of Irvine)

Public-Private Partnerships

Mayor Shea praised Irvine’s development partners, including FivePoint and the Irvine Company, whose commitment to the city has allowed Irvine to embark upon and complete many ambitious projects, with more to look forward to in the future. 

Planned Improvements

Significant rehabilitation improvements have been approved by the Irvine City Council, which will start in 2020 and continue over the next five years. Having recently signed off on an additional $10 million to the budget, the City Council is planning on upgrading the aquatics center, improving safety and equipment at several community playgrounds, updating local senior centers, refreshing Ryan Lemmon Stadium, and remodeling the Irvine Animal Care Center. States the mayor: “We are committed to keeping City of Irvine facilities well-maintained with top-notch amenities.”

Traffic Congestion

While most of the speech sang Irvine’s praises, Mayor Shea also touched on challenges, including traffic congestion. “Presently our staff is creating new project improvements throughout the city, to elongate left turn lanes and to assist with better traffic flow,” explains Mayor Shea. Under Irvine’s Transportation Commission’s leadership, plans to ensure that traffic impacts are properly mitigated are moving forward. From improving signal timing to upgrading equipment, 12 of Irvine’s busiest corridors will be the primary focus of the commission’s efforts. The budget for these traffic improvements will come from Measure M2 grant funds – of which $9 million will be utilized to solve current transportation issues. 

Pedestrian Safety

The mayor shared city plans for keeping pedestrians safe, including implementing new technology like pedestrian hybrid beacons and flashing yellow left turn arrows. “In accordance with our master plan the city is committed to partnering with employers and the community stakeholders to improve our transportation networks for those who live, work and visit Irvine.”

Parks

“Our park system is nationally recognized for outstanding amenities,” praised Mayor Shea. With flourishing programming for sports, arts, culture and entertainment, our mayor provided insight into the largest parkland development project currently underway at the Orange County Great Park. Additions residents can look forward to include the expected opening of Wild Rivers water park in 2021. In addition to rebuilding the beloved water park, the mayor shared the city’s top priority projects for Great Park in 2020: the development of an upgraded trail system, a joint training facility for Irvine’s police and fire departments, a botanical gardens, a fire museum, and a permanent amphitheater. 

Veterans Cemetery 

As one of the most contentious topics discussed by the Irvine community, the mayor put an end to rumors and fears, stating that she looks forward to dedicating the Veterans Cemetery at the Golf Course Site and revealing the city’s full funding for the long-awaited project. To support this effort in the coming months, she plans on creating a mayor’s veterans advisory council inclusive of all military branches.

Education

Irvine City Council plans to continue to provide financial support to Irvine’s schools, ensuring that skilled teachers and a dynamic learning environment is available for all students in our community. Mayor Shea explained that $11 million is invested annually to support students throughout Irvine and portions of Tustin. “Education will remain a top priority for the City Council,” guaranteed the Mayor.  

The mayor took a moment to touch on notable achievements made by area schools. She congratulated Northwood and University High Schools for being recognized as two of the Top 500 S.T.E.M. high schools in the U.S. 

Also celebrated was UCI breaking ground on a landmark medical complex adjacent to the UCI Research Park. There, the new center will redefine medical research, doctor training and patient care by shifting the focus from treating disease to preventing. 

Celebrations

Rounding out her speech, Mayor Shea made a note of important celebrations ahead for the city, including Women’s History Month and the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in America. 

Locally, Irvine City Council and staff are preparing for next year’s festivities, as the community celebrates Irvine’s 50th Anniversary. 

As this year’s State of the City address came to a close, Irvine’s Mayor Christina Shea made the following promise: 

 “We will continue to remain one of the safest cities in America, one of the top cities for fiscal strength, one of the best cities for education and innovation, one of the best park systems in America, one of the best places to live and to raise a family, one of the best cities for women and children, and one of the greenest cities in America – keeping our families, our children and our pets healthy. We are a city that honors growing cultural diversity, with an emphasis on our families, our seniors, our veterans and our faith-based organizations. I will continue to promote peace and harmony, so that our city will continue to be one of the most inclusive cities in the United States. These are and will be my top goals for 2020.”

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