On Wednesday, Oct. 20 the Stop The Musick Coalition will host a virtual public forum at 6:00 p.m., and is inviting Irvine residents to join via Zoom.

In a tweet, on Oct. 18, the Stop The Musick Coalition provided a Zoom link to register for Wednesday’s forum.

Irvine Councilmember Larry Agran is listed as a panelist, and will be the only representative from the city of Irvine. Vice Mayor Tammy Kim said she was invited, but cannot attend due to a scheduling conflict.

The topic of the James A. Musick Facility expansion project has been a highly discussed topic, as both residents and the Irvine City Council have voiced opposition against the project.

Agran said this forum has been planned for a few months.

In May, Kim and Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan signed a resolution opposing the James A. Musick expansion project. Kim also wrote a letter to the Orange County Board of Supervisors asking the county to host a community meeting on the expansion project.

Construction on the Musick jail expansion began in Summer 2020, with inmate occupancy expected to begin in 2023. Once completed, the Musick jail will hold 896 beds total.

In a phone call with Irvine Weekly on Wednesday, Oct. 20, Agran said he is unsure if construction had begun on the $350 million project.

However, Agran added that he was also unaware if the county had responded to the city’s request for more discussion on the Musick expansion.

“There was a resolution and request of the Board of Supervisors and that they have either ignored it, or blown us off is indicative of what the problem is now,” he said. “It’s not now a legal issue – where we can pursue a path in the courts – this has moved into the political realm.”

A description on the goal for Wednesday’s forum can be found on the registration page.

“This public forum is a virtual speaker panel hosted by Stop the Musick Coalition, a coalition of community organizations and individuals committed to decarceration in Orange County. We invite Irvine and OC community members to join this public meeting to learn more about the reopening and expansion of the empty James A. Musick jail at the border of Irvine, which would add more than 2,000 beds to OC’s current jail capacity and cost over $350 million, and how it will impact our community.”

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