Somerton Community

Please welcome our new property manager from Optimum Professional Property Management: Peyton Ballard. You can reach her at [email protected] or 714-508-9070 ext 300

To maintain the safety of the Somerton Community and upkeep of the common area, repairs were performed this past week to remove any trip hazards caused by raised/buckled concrete. Please report to Optimum if you see any safety hazards or concerns. Thanks.

Happy New Year everyone! Irvine Police Department has just released a list of crime prevention tips to help all of us protect our safety and properties. Here are some things you can do to add layers of protection to your daily life in 2023:

At home:
- Does your house look lived in?
- Lock your doors and windows; do not leave your garage door open.
- Keep your valuables locked inside your home; do not leave valuables in your vehicles.
- Regularly inventory your personal belongings, include serial numbers and photos.
- Check that your indoor and outdoor lighting is working.
- Consider timers on all of your lighting.
- Did you get a new bike? Have you registered it at project529.com/Irvine?
- Have you signed up for informed delivery at USPS.com?
- Have you considered freezing your credit at Equifax, TransUnion and Experian?
- Are you tracking your expenses and getting notifications from your banks when you make purchases?

Out and about in the community:
- Communicate with your loved ones so they know where you are.
- Keep your valuables concealed in your vehicle before arriving at your destination.
- While shopping, keep your purse closed and in front of you, not in the cart.
- Be cautious of people offering to repair your vehicle in the parking lot.
- Be aware of quick change artists during cash transactions
- Be aware of people offering jewelry or touching your jewelry.
- Only take what you need with you – leaving valuables and jewelry at home.
- Pay attention to your surroundings.
- Greet people as you see them, but also think about how you would describe them if needed in an emergency.
- Report suspicious behavior by calling Irvine PD’s non-emergency 949-724-7000
- For a crime in progress, please call 911 immediately.

The holiday season is here. That means the bad guys are out looking to steal your holiday gifts and valuables. Everyone should be extra cautious in safeguarding your home, vehicles and personal properties. Lock your vehicles and home at all times. Be vigilant and alert on any suspicious activities around the neighborhood. If you see anyone loitering around peeking at vehicles or homes, or if your home or vehicle security cameras captured any footage of suspicious activities, please contact the Irvine Police Department with the videos/photos. Let's work together to help keep our community safe. Thank you!

Again as a reminder, starting October 1, 2022, all residential electricity customers in Irvine are being transferred from their current provider (SCE) to a new OCPA electricity plan at a higher monthly rate. If you would like to "opt-down" to a lower renewable energy level or "opt-out" of OCPA entirely and remain with SCE, you can opt out via the OCPA.org website or call (866) 262-7693. Orange County Grand Jury recently completed an investigative report on OCPA. Read the report here:https://www.ocgrandjury.org/pdfs/2021_2022_GJreport/2022-06-24_Orange_County_Power_Authority_Come_Clean.pdf

www.ocgrandjury.org

Less than a month after we repaired the damaged entrance gate, the gate was ripped off the track and the vertical bar was damaged again today. We have already contacted the gate maintenance company for repair, and we are looking into camera footage for clues on what happened. Meanwhile, if you see any vehicles causing damage to the front gates at any time, please write down the license plate and make/model of the vehicle and report to Optimum Property Management. If we don't identify them, we cannot hold them accountable. Finally, if you have service contractors that need to come into the community, please give them the contractor gate code and ask them to enter and exit cautiously. Please help us protect our community and keep us safe. Thank you.

Starting in October 1, 2022, all electricity customers in Irvine are being transferred from their current provider (SCE) to a new OCPA electricity plan at a higher monthly rate. See this news article. https://irvinecommunitynewsandviews.org/ocpa-rushes-ahead-with-october-residential-launch-as-questions-mount-about-the-agencys-viability/ If you would like to "opt-down" to a lower renewable energy level or "opt-out" of OCPA entirely and remain with SCE, you can opt out via the OCPA.org website or call (866) 262-7693. Feel free to check the community feedback on the Nextdoor app.

OCPA Rushes Ahead with October Residential Launch as Questions Mount about the Agency's Viability The embattled Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) continues to rush ahead with plans to begin residential electricity service in Irvine on October 1st, even as questions about the agency's viability remain unanswered. This year, all electricity customers in Irvine (residential and business) are

Update: Exit gate is fixed.

8.24.22 - The chain for vehicle exit is broken again this morning. An emergency service call has been placed with the property management and gate company. Please use the entrance gate for now and please be cautious of opposing traffic.