Orange County Insight January 2022

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Held for New Public Safety Building

By Jayson Woods, Communications Specialist, Communications Department

As four o ’ clock struck on December 21, 2021, the doors of the new Orange County Public Safety Building opened. While some were still arriving and walking up from the parking lot to witness the ribbon cutting, the majority were trickling from the inside out, having already gathered and sought refuge from the cold in the new facility ’ s spacious rotunda. It was a fitting beginning for a space designed to be a beacon of security for the community, as a gathering place for many of Orange County ’ s diverse Public Safety services and the new home for Board of Supervisors ’ meetings.

With the crowd of citizens, officials, staff, and press assembled at the entryway, the ceremony began with words from Chairman Jim Crozier, District Four Supervisor. Mr. Crozier recognized the considerable efforts required to bring this project to completion, noting particularly the individual efforts of recently retired Assistant County Administrator Kurt Hildebrand. He also solemnly recognized that it was regrettable that former Supervisors S. Teel Goodwin, who sadly passed away at the end of last year, was not able to see the Public Safety Building project come to fruition. Sheriff Mark Amos followed Mr. Crozier, remarking positively about the steady improvement of resources available to the Sheriff ’ s Office he has witnessed over his long career, with the new building as the most recent and dramatic example. Following Sheriff Amos, Orange County Administrator, Theodore Voorhees, mentioned that the completion of this project is illustrative of the Board ’ s commitment to action when it comes to improving Orange County for its citizens.

Following remarks, preparations were made for the actual ribbon cutting. District One Supervisor Mark Johnson and Mr. Voorhees stretched the orange ribbon, with Mr. Crozier wielding the ceremonial scissors while Mr. James White (District Two Supervisor), Mr. Lee Frame (District Five Supervisor), Mr. Keith Marshall (District Three Supervisor), Mr. Hildebrand, and representatives from architecture firm, Wiley|Wilson, looked on. Following a brief pause to allow photographers to capture the moment, the crisp snip of the scissors opened the Public Safety Building and closed the ceremony. Refreshments followed inside as the facility once again gathered the onlookers and officially assumed its role.

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