Read the latest District 6 Update

TREVOR O'NEIL

Anaheim City Council Member

DISTRICT 6 REPORT

Small Business Relief Grants available

The City of Anaheim is launching Small Business Relief Grants, funded through CARES Act monies and transferred to the City by Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner. The grants offer up to $10,000 to Anaheim small businesses that have been adversely affected by coronavirus. Grant funds may be used for payroll, capital, equipment and operating expenses. These funds are only available to businesses within Anaheim's portion of County District 3, which includes portions of Anaheim Canyon and all of Anaheim Hills.

To learn more, visit here .

New Anaheim Small Business Relief Grants

Click here to learn more

Council Round-up

At our recent Anaheim City Council Meeting, we passed several programs that will improve safety and quality of life for Anaheim Hills residents.

Power line undergrounding

To increase safety, we approved a plan to convert overhead power and communication systems underground on Eucalyptus Drive, starting at Santa Ana Canyon Road, with construction to begin this summer.

This project improves electric service reliability and reduces wildfire risks associated with overhead electrical lines. Funding is provided by our public utilities’ Electric Capital Improvement Program and does not draw down our General Fund, which has been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

For more information, go here.

Needle exchange programs banned in Anaheim

Last Tuesday, I joined my city council colleagues in a 5-2 vote to fully ban the implementation of needle exchange programs in Anaheim. Previously, we unanimously enacted a temporary moratorium, which was due to expire next month.

Although I sympathize with those facing addiction and support making treatment options as accessible as possible, I’m not able to support the proliferation of thousands of needles in our neighborhoods being discarded in parks and playgrounds. The needles carry diseases and viruses, such as Hepatitis and HIV.

Other Orange County cities, such as Santa Ana, have tried needle exchange programs, only to shut them down based on community impacts. And San Francisco, for instance, has seven active needle exchange programs, and there are millions of these needles given out that are not returned and unaccounted for, and city crews collect hundreds of thousands of them on an annual basis.

We took the right step for Anaheim by banning needle exchange programs and protecting our neighborhoods and families from discarded needles.

In the community

Many of you know that I'm a big fan of gardening. This year I had a bumper crop of heirloom tomatoes that I donated to a couple of local Anaheim Hills businesses, Craftsman Pizza and Grill and the Anaheim White House where they featured a complementary caprese appetizer with my homegrown tomatoes.

Anaheim White House patron enjoying caprese appetizer

Chef Bruno Serato with me

Guests enjoying the complimentary salad at Anaheim White House

One million meals served to the children of Anaheim once again!

I would like to extend my congratulations and gratitude to Chef Bruno Serato for all of his efforts in feeding our community. Caterina's Club has served one million meals since the beginning of the pandemic. Keep up the great work!