Residents of the Rossmoor Community Services District participated in a civic engagement exercise this past week, as representatives from various key agencies were on hand to answer questions from residents.
Community Service District Board President Nathan Searles welcomed a group of about 50 residents to the Rush Park Community Center, where agencies from Orange County and other jurisdictions that provide service to the unincorporated community were on hand to answer questions.
General Manager Sharon Landers and other Directors Mary Ann Remnet and Jo Shade were present as well.
“I’d like to thank all of you for coming out tonight,” said Searles, “and I would like to thank our attendees and the participating organizations, including Supervisor Janet Nguyen’s office, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, the Orange County Fire Authority, the Orange County Public Works Department, CR & R (the district’s environmental services provider), the Rossmoor Homeowners Association, West Orange CERT and the OC Waste and Recycling agency as well.
In addition to formal presentations, the agencies set up tables across the back of the Rush Park center where residents could mingle and ask questions.
Residents questioned the Sheriff’s Department about the frequency of patrols, the potential of having license plate readers and had particularly sharp questions about electric bike safety.
In addition, Elizabeth Kennedy from the OC Fire Authority presented an overview of the department’s upgrades, while providing the district with information and reminding residents of potential fire dangers during the upcoming holiday season.
“We all love Christmas lights, but we shouldn’t be putting extensions and connectors to overload those outlets,” she said. “Our highest calls for fires are Thanksgiving followed by Christmas Day,” she said.
“Be mindful,” she said, providing residents with several safety tips.
Another project that drew significant interest was the $32 million transportation project along the 605 freeway that is redoing the interchange along Katella Ave. The freeway curls around the Rossmoor community and the interchange redesign has generated some concern.
“We’re going to change the configuration and the geometry of the ramps to force people, hopefully, to slow down,” said a spokesperson for the Orange County Transportation Agency.
Residents seemed especially concerned about the rerouting of the on and off ramps, worried that people might mistake the new off-ramp for the on-ramp.
The OCTA representative said they are working with Caltrans designers to make modifications to the project using high-tech signals and sensors to alert drivers who mistakenly enter the ramp that they are going the wrong way.