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Anaheim Newsletter
Andy Anaheim's Updates is the city of Anaheim's monthly email newsletter, bringing the latest Anaheim news right to your inbox.
See July's news below, and scroll to the bottom to subscribe to the newsletter email alert to make sure you don't miss out!
Let us be the first to wish you a happy and safe Fourth of July!
We know it can be tempting to start the celebrations early, so we’re also here to remind you to do the Fourth right.
From fireworks to pets and vets, here are tips to help you make your Fourth of July great for you and your neighbors.
Fireworks
- Only Safe and Sane fireworks are allowed in Anaheim
- They can only be used on July 4 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- No fireworks of any kind can used east of the 55 (Costa Mesa) Freeway and south of the 91 (Riverside) Freeway
- To report illegal fireworks, including Safe and Sane use before or after July 4, call (714) 765-1900
Pets
- Give your pets plenty of exercise early in the day
- Offer a distraction such as a chew toy
- Make sure pets are wearing an identification tag or have a microchip in case they run off
- Create a safe and comfortable place indoors
- If you must leave pets at home, turn on the TV or play music
Veterans
- Fourth of July is particularly tough on those who’ve fought for our country in war
- Honor them by only using Safe and Sane fireworks and only on July 4
- Reach out to your veteran neighbors to give them a heads up that you’ll be using fireworks on July 4
Our police, fire and Code Enforcement fireworks teams are out now patrolling the city. Use of illegal fireworks, including Safe and Sane misuse, can result in confiscation and fines up to $3,000.
Our goal is to keep everyone safe and prevent fires and injuries.
Because of wildfire danger, no fireworks of any kind are allowed in east Anaheim. Instead, residents can to attend the Anaheim Hills 4th of July Celebration at Peralta Park with a parade, food booths, entertainment and professional fireworks show.
For residents wanting to support nonprofits by purchasing Safe and Sane fireworks, stands will remain open through 9 p.m. on July 4. Find a map of the stands here.
Find more information at Anaheim.net/fireworks.
Even if you never leave Anaheim, you can have a great summer enjoying the fun of reading.
Anaheim Public Library’s annual Summer Reading Program is here, offering kids the fun of summertime reading and the chance to win cool prizes.
This year’s theme? “Reading takes you everywhere,” reflecting how the best books transport us into a new world.
While reading is always its own reward, you can earn free books, food coupons, stickers, library video rentals and more as part of the program.
All you have to do is keep a log of your reading and take that to your nearest Anaheim library. There, you can also enter a drawing for even more prizes.
The summer reading program runs through July 28. It’s a fun way for kids to spend their summer by taking time out of their day to read.
With so many books to choose from, reading will never get boring, so make a quick stop at your nearest library!
Here are some easy ways to make reading part of your summer routine:
- Read before going to bed
- Pick up a book before playing video games
- Peruse a novel while waiting for your dinner or other meals
- Read on a car ride
- Get e-books on your phone or tablet.
For more, visit Anaheim.net/library.
Anaheim’s budget for the next 12 months dedicates more than $550 million in direct spending on public safety, community services and projects to better the city’s roads, utilities, parks, libraries and more.
The budget touches the lives of our residents, businesses and visitors every day.
It covers the police and firefighters who keep us safe, the parks, libraries and community centers we enjoy and the roads, water and electricity that make our lives easier.
Here’s a breakdown of Anaheim’s budget.
BY THE NUMBERS
$1.9 billion
Anaheim’s overall city budget. It includes the city’s general fund for day-to-day services, a capital improvement program for big projects and enterprise funds for the city’s water and power utility, the Anaheim Convention Center, golf courses and other facilities. Anaheim’s overall budget for fiscal year 2018-19 is up 2 percent from the prior fiscal year.
$728 million
Anaheim’s enterprise funds. They cover city operations that collect revenue for providing services to customers. These include Anaheim Public Utilities, the city’s not-for-profit water and electricity provider, and the Convention, Sports & Entertainment department, which runs the Anaheim Convention Center and oversees Honda Center, Angel Stadium of Anaheim, City National Grove of Anaheim and the ARTIC transit center.
Enterprise funds make up the largest portion of Anaheim’s overall budget, with the money they generate going to offset the expense of their operations or to fund improvements. Spending in enterprise funds is unchanged from the prior year.
$326.5 million
Anaheim’s general fund. This is the city’s main source of funding for day-to-day operations and covers spending on staffing and offerings at parks, libraries and community centers as well as public safety and other city services. The general fund is up 4 percent from the prior fiscal year.
$230.4 million
Anaheim’s capital improvement program, up 3 percent from the prior fiscal year. The capital improvement program funds upgrades to parks, roadways, sewers, landscapes, electric and water systems and more. The program is funded by outside sources including the state’s gasoline tax, a portion of sales tax for transportation, federal Community Development Block Grants, developer fees and other sources.
$35.3 million
Anaheim’s reserve balance, equal to 11 percent of the general fund.
ANAHEIM’S GENERAL FUND
The city’s general fund covers:
- 408 police officers
- 210 firefighters
- 57 parks
- Eight community centers
- Seven libraries
- Orange County’s only Bookmobile
BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS
Skate Parks
The newly adopted budget includes $1.2 million in funding for a skate park at Manzanita Park in north-central Anaheim and the Logan Wells Memorial Skate Park in east Anaheim.
Early work is under way on the 5,000-square-foot Logan Wells Memorial Skate Park near the East Anaheim Gymnasium. The $190,000 project is funded by money raised by the Wells family and the community in honor of Logan Wells, who died in a 2014 traffic accident while skating.
The Manzanita Skate Park will span 12,000 square feet of rails, ramps, ledges, runs and other features. The $1 million skate park is set to next to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Anaheim at Manzanita. Work is set to start in late 2018 and finish in mid-2019.
The skate parks will bring Anaheim’s total to eight. The city’s commitment to skate parks reflects Anaheim’s long history with the sport, which dates backs to the 1960s.
Parks, Libraries and Community Centers
Including the skate parks, Anaheim is set to spend $9.6 million on our parks, libraries and community centers in the next 12 months. Other projects include:
- $800,000 in upgrades to ballfield lights and playgrounds across the city.
- $700,000 in updates to Julianna Park including a KaBOOM! playground.
- $550,774 for Central Library outdoor space with a performance stage, science demonstration space, sandbox, trike track, planters and seating.
- $330,000 in renovations to restroom fixtures, flooring and walls at Twila Reid, Modjeska, Walnut Grove, Yorba Regional and at the Pearson Park Amphitheatre.
- $98,000 for an outdoor space at Euclid Library and other landscape improvements.
Fire Station
Anaheim’s new budget includes $1.4 million for Fire Station No. 5, the city’s first new fire station since 2007.
The station is set to open in fall 2018 on La Palma Avenue, just west of the Orange (57) Freeway. It replaces a 56-year-old station at 1154 N. Kraemer Blvd., which will close and transfer to Anaheim Public Utilities.
The new station is set to improve fire and medical response times in the area to four minutes or less.
Transportation Improvements
The budget’s capital improvement program includes $96.7 million in spending on upgrades to streets, bridges, sidewalks, curbs, gutters, landscaping, including:
- Intersection widening at Anaheim Boulevard and Ball Road and at La Palma Avenue and State College Boulevard.
- Bridge improvements along Tustin Avenue, Kraemer Boulevard, Lakeview Avenue, Crowther Avenue, Magnolia Avenue, Disneyland Drive and the Disneyland parking structure entrance over Ball Road.
- New sidewalk segments on South Street near East Street, Cerritos Avenue near Euclid Street, West Street near Lincoln Avenue, La Palma Avenue near East Street.
- New roadway pavement, curbs and gutters, traffic signal upgrades, railroad crossing improvements and median and parkway landscaping across the city.
Electric, Water Systems
The budget’s capital improvement program includes $99.4 million in upgrades by Anaheim Public Utilities to ensure reliable, cost-effective electric and water service.
Electric system upgrades total $67 million and include undergrounding of electric and other utility wires, substation upgrades, streetlight improvements, replacement of cables, wires, circuits, switches, capacitors and transformers and implementation of automation systems and solar energy for schools.
Water system upgrades total $32.4 million and include improvements to the Linda Vista Complex pumping station, La Palma Complex reservoir, replacement of water mains that bring water to homes and businesses and improvements to wells, pumps, motors, vales, pipes, meters and hydrants.
Jorge Cisneros, a 27-year Southern California law enforcement veteran including nearly a decade as a police chief, is Anaheim’s new police chief.
Cisneros is the 34th chief in the Anaheim Police Department’s 148-year history. As chief, he will lead Orange County’s largest city police department and oversee 590 employees, including 408 sworn personnel.
Since 2015, Cisneros has served as chief of the University of California, Irvine, Police Department and earlier served as chief of the Huntington Park Police Department and as a lieutenant, commander and chief of staff in nearly 20 years with the Long Beach Police Department.
Cisneros, who is set to join Anaheim Police Department later this month, began his law enforcement career in 1991 as a detective and police officer with the Long Beach Police Department.
At Long Beach, he was promoted to sergeant in 1998, lieutenant in 2003 and then to police commander in 2006. From 2006 to 2010, he served as the department’s chief of staff as well as commander.
In 2010, Cisneros was named chief of the Huntington Park Police Department, where he led the Los Angeles County city’s department until 2015. He also served as Huntington Park’s acting city manager from 2010 to 2011.
Throughout Cisneros’ career, he has bolstered public safety and promoted ties between the community and police.
At UCI, he developed or expanded programs including a Public Safety Advisory Committee, a Community Academy and a Volunteers in Public Safety program. Cisneros also created a Community Engagement Police Officer position to enhance community trust in the department.
He has served as chief of the University of California’s Systemwide Response Team, overseeing 100 UC police officers specially trained to deal with major incidents on campuses.
At Huntington Park, Cisneros oversaw a 20 percent reduction in serious crime from 2010 to 2015.
At Long Beach, he developed and administered a 15-week Spanish Community Academy for officers to enhance trust and partnership with Latino residents who make up more than 40 percent of Long Beach’s population.
Cisneros also oversaw Long Beach’s Office of Counter Terrorism, which works to detect and deter terrorism through data analysis and cooperation with regional and federal partners.
He holds a master’s in criminal justice from Chapman University in Orange and a bachelor’s in architecture from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
What’s been Anaheim’s most eagerly awaited car wash is now open at the corner of Beach Boulevard and Ball Road.
The Anaheim Express Car Wash is part of our larger efforts to transform Beach Boulevard and all of west Anaheim for the better.
The car wash replaced the old Lyndy’s Motel. Once an icon of Beach Boulevard back in the day, Lyndy’s in recent years became an eyesore and crime magnet.
The opening is part of a series of new restaurants and businesses that have popped up in the past couple of years, bringing new life and new options for west Anaheim residents.
The Scratch Room, serving breakfast and brunch, opened in 2016 and has quickly made the list of the best places to eat in Anaheim.
Glee Donuts & Burgers opened last year, offering gourmet doughnuts and lunch.
We’ll soon see a beautifully renovated Pizza Hut at Magnolia Avenue and Broadway, while a Taco Bell is in the works to fill a vacant lot on Lincoln Avenue just past Western Avenue.
The Magnolia La Palma Shopping Center has been a huge improvement to that corner, bringing in a modern shopping center with a Rite Aid and restaurants including Hiccups Restaurant & Teahouse, Firehouse Subs, Waba Grill, Taqueria de Anda and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen.
The developer even added new landscaping on parkways and repurposed the site’s retro, Googie-style “Plaza” sign.
There are several housing projects in progress and on the horizon as well, bringing new residents and updated apartments and townhomes to freshen up the area.
And as a city, we are doing all we can to help revitalize west Anaheim and address issues of blight.
Work continues on the Beach Boulevard specific plan, a planning blueprint that through zoning and other changes aims to bring new businesses, residents and activity to the area.
And life in west Anaheim is literally getting brighter. In the past few years, Anaheim Public Utilities has installed 1,256 LED streetlights in the area, bringing cleaner and brighter light at night.
We can’t wait to see what’s coming next.
Anaheim Fire & Rescue Chief Randy Bruegman, who oversaw the city’s response to October’s Canyon Fire 2 and bolstered the department’s firefighting resources after 2008’s Freeway Complex Fire, is retiring later this year.
Bruegman, 62, has led Anaheim Fire & Rescue — the largest municipal fire agency in Orange County — for nearly eight years. His planned retirement caps 40 years in the fire service, including 27 as a fire chief.
He will continue to serve as chief through the rest of 2018 and will be available to assist the city as it seeks a new chief.
Bruegman and wife Susan are set to relocate to Wisconsin to be closer to their grown children and grandchildren.
Since coming to Anaheim in September 2010, Bruegman has built a department better equipped to fight wildfires, handle disasters and more efficiently serve residents, businesses and visitors.
Coming in after the devastating 2008 Freeway Complex Fire, Bruegman bolstered Anaheim Fire & Rescue’s ability to fight wildfires, one of the biggest threats facing our city.
Bruegman brought new fire engines to the department and also initiated a Wildland Fire Protection Agreement with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, better known as Cal Fire, to jointly fight fires impacting Anaheim.
Anaheim saw the benefits during October’s Canyon Fire 2, which burned 9,200 acres of wildlands near east Anaheim. During the eight-day fire, no lives were lost and the number of homes destroyed was limited to 13.
Bruegman has also brought innovation that has benefited residents. In 2015, he introduced the Community Care Response Unit, an ambulance staffed by a nurse practitioner and fire paramedic with the ability to treat non-life-threatening calls on the spot.
The innovation, part of Bruegman’s 2011 strategic plan to boost the department’s effectiveness, has saved hundreds of residents the costly expense of unnecessary emergency transport and hospital care and freed firefighters to respond to other calls.
A new hotel is coming to Anaheim with a central location offering easy access to all our big attractions — Disneyland, Angel Stadium of Anaheim and the Anaheim Packing House.
Radisson Blu, a luxury hotel brand found across Europe and Asia, is set to see its first West Coast location on Anaheim Boulevard and the Santa Ana (I-5) Freeway.
The Radisson Blu’s location shows how our visitor destinations are quickly becoming interwoven.
The 12-story, 326-room hotel is set to feature rooftop restaurants, meeting space, a gym, outdoor pool and spa and a 348-space parking garage.
Radisson Blu is an upscale chain of full-service hotels with locations in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. It’s part of global hotel company Carlson Inc.
The hotel is set to be the fourth Radisson Blu in the U.S., after one in Chicago and two in the Minneapolis area. Global locations include Paris, Rome, Paris, Rome, Dubai, Shanghai and Sydney.
Set to start construction in the fall, the Radisson Blu will bring the number of hotels being built in and around The Anaheim Resort to seven.
The city of Anaheim is selling 3.3 acres of vacant land to developer Greenlaw Partners of Irvine for the project.
Once up and running, the hotel is projected to generate $3 million annually in hotel-stay tax revenue for the city, as well as $189,000 in property tax and $65,000 in sales tax revenues.
Radisson Blu will generate 300 construction jobs and 140 permanent hotel jobs.
The hotel is expected to open in early 2021.
Summer brings outdoor fun, especially on the Fourth of July. But one wayward balloon can bring it all to an end in a flash.
Mylar balloons make for great birthday and other parties, but they’re not so great for the electric system that powers our daily lives here in Anaheim.
When a Mylar balloon comes in contact with electric wires, current builds up and flows through the balloon, causing an overload and potentially damaging transformers and other equipment.
While your electricity from Anaheim Public Utilities is highly reliable, an overload from a balloon can bring an inconvenient outage to your home or business.
Think no internet, no charging your phone, no TV, no air conditioning, and keep the fridge shut!
A sure party ender.
You can help keep balloons from spoiling the fun.
- Make sure balloons are weighted or tied down when you leave the store.
- Never release or let balloons escape into the sky.
- Where possible, keep them inside.
- Metallic string or ribbon should never be used with helium-filled balloons
- Deflate balloons completely and dispose of properly.
If you see a balloon tangled in power lines, don’t attempt to get it. Call Anaheim Public Utilities at (714) 765-3300 or 911 if it is an emergency.