At the November 3 City Council meeting, Mayor Marty Simonoff, on behalf of the City of Brea, received the Helen Putnam Award for Excellence. Tony Cardenas, Public Affairs Manager for the O.C. League of California Cities' made the official presentation.
The award acknowledges the work of Brea and Fullerton, along with six other cities that formed the North Orange County Cities Coalition. The Coalition works to identify ways to create fiscal and other efficiencies by sharing resources, coordinating projects and other initiatives. So far, efforts of the group have resulted in ten major projects that have involved from two of the cities, to all eight. The Fire Command sharing between the cities of Brea and Fullerton was highlighted as an example of innovation. This arrangement saves approximately $1.3 million annually between the two cities.