Term Limits for the Laguna Hills City Council?

# 2 Post - Question - Is the Taj Mahal Building in Laguna Hills an icon for the city that should be saved? The Laguna Hills City Council says the Taj Mahal Building is not a city icon and gives permission to destroy it as necessary for a revitalization project. What do you think?

# 1 Post - TERM LIMITS for LAGUNA HILLS CITY COUNCIL

At the 6/24/08, City Council Meeting City Council Member Melody Carruth introduced the topic of Term Limits for the Laguna Hills City Council. The members of the city council have been the same people for almost 17 years now. She made a motion to direct the city attorney to prepare an ordinance with 2 four year consecutive terms followed by a 2 year break, modeled after the Laguna Niguel term limits ordinance, and return on July 8 with this. She noted that term limit ordinances are popular with voters and 21 of 34 local Orange County cities have term limits ordinances. Term Limits provide opportunities for more citizens to serve, different viewpoints, and create an active political process by increasing the pool of candidates and choices for voters. They balance the need for strong experienced leadership and fresh perspectives. In Laguna Hills we have plenty of strong experienced leadership in the community as well as on the city council. The power of incumbency discourages potential candidates. She cited that twice in Laguna Hills there have been no elections due to no candidates opposing the incumbents.

Citizen Speaker - Mr. Tom Epperson (Laguna Hills) said the lack of term limits discourages talented people from running for office because of the high cost of running and the slim chance that they will be able to unseat a long time incumbent. He said he believes that new council members will be interested and involved in governing the city for all the citizens not just, as some people believe, for a good old boys club. He said elected office should not be a career job and breaking connections between long term city council members and various special interest groups will be broken by city council members who are not career politicians. They will be a source of new ideas and old habits of city staff and departments will face skepticism and questioning about attitudes such as "this is the way we've always done it". When voters continue to see the same names on the ballot each time attendance at the polls suffers. New candidates and new issues will bring voters back to the polls. .

City Council Member Randall Bressette - responds to Mr. Epperson with - "I'll tell you sir, you are a special interest and you should stand up and acknowledge that." (Mr. Bressette is apparently referring to the fact that Mr. Epperson is one of the pet owners who wants better animal care services for the city of Laguna Hills. Because Laguna Hills failed to negotiate a contract with the Mission Viejo Animal Shelter and failed to work with other cities for a joint city shelter Mr. Epperson has been working with the county supervisors to improve services through the 65 year old over crowded county shelter)

City Council Member Bressette asks if Laguna Hills wants rookies to set long term policies and budgets for our city council, and if we don't want the benefits that come through wisdom and experience? (Question-Assuming Mr. Bressette has wisdom and experience why does he fail to consider that other Laguna Hills residents may also be qualified and have wisdom and similar experience. During our history there have been fewer than 20 people come forward to run for office including the 6 that have actually held office. Many qualified residents (Observation-here Mr. Bressette admits there are qualified residents?) simply will not run for office. There is no overwhelming public sentiment towards term limits in Laguna Hills or you would have spent the last 2 years on the streets in front of supermarkets collecting signatures that would allow you bypass the process you suggested tonight and to go directly to the ballot. (Observation-Maybe we hoped the city council with all their wisdom and experience would save citizens that trouble and better yet, know when to quit?)
Randy proposed a substitute measure to educate the public - that the city council ask the city attorney to prepare a report that provides details of the method of placing this measure on the ballot, the language that is required, the necessary timing of any proposed ballot measure. a sample ballot measure for our consideration that provides a variety of term limit options for our discussion, and his legal opinion as to whether a term limit ordinance is constitutionally legal. (Observation-Melody Carruth told us 21 other cities in Orange County have term limit ordinances already?) Also, he asked that staff be directed to provide the details of the cost of placing this measure on the ballot, and provide the methodology of how the city council could obtain an impartial report of how they would measure the effectiveness of the city government with and without term limits and how they would then communicate that to the residents.

City Council Member Melody Carruth stated that Randy is asking for a lot of information to better educate himself on this process but over the years although the city has conducted all sorts of surveys, workshops and forums, they have never asked the citizens any questions regarding the city government. When the city was being formed they did ask a question about districting vs. at large election for city council but never asked about limiting the length of time of service for city council members. Melody stated she believes this is an issue that the voters understand she has confidence in the intelligence of the voters that they can be trusted to determine what is right for the city. Lobbies and special interests don't like term limits as evidenced by their efforts to extend the terms at the state level. That was voted down by the citizens.

City Council Member Craig Scott - says he rejects the idea that anyone on the city council is being influenced by any special interest groups. "No amount of study is going to change my mind.' This is and has always been and will always be unwise. " I oppose both the initial and the substitute motion." (Observation-Craig Scott writes legal text books for others to study?)

Mayor Allan Songstad asked, if there should be a directly elected mayor? Then said he didn't run for re-election after his first term until 2 years later and he was then re-elected, so term limits are not necessary. He said that the most common way for term limits to be placed on the ballot is through a citizen initiative and that has never happened in Laguna Hills, also no one has even requested term limits in Laguna Hills other than Council Member Carruth. (Someone has tonight - Mr. Tom Epperson - see above) He also said he didn't understand why Council Member Carruth brought up this issue on June 24th when she's had 2 years to do it and he asked her, "Were you asleep?".

City Council Member Melody Carruth - stated she hoped the council would just adopt an ordinance for Term Limits because it's a good idea to put this before the voters and allow the voters of Laguna Hills to have a choice. This is not a new topic and plenty of other cities have done this as a simple basic ordinance. There are many examples of the language they have used, including the language for Laguna Niguel that I brought to the meeting, so it should not be a complicated issue. (City Council Member Melody Carruth did step down from her seat to give others a chance as follows - Choosing not to seek a second term, Carruth focused her energies on the anti-airport campaign and served as a director of Taxpayers for Responsible Planning, as a member of the ETRPA Land Use Committee and as Laguna Hills Chair for the Yes on W - Stop the Airport campaign)

Greg Simonian, City Attorney stated - Deadline for to get a measure to the registrar of voters is August 8 to get it on the Nov. ballot. State Law authorizes city councils to prepare proposals for term limits to be acted on here at the local level but that ordinance would not be effective unless and until it is submitted to the electorate for a decision by the voters. He went on to state that he could drop other matters and urgently prepare an ordinance for Term Limits to bring back on July 8, if so directed by the city council. He said he would need specific direction tonight related to the terms of the ordinance that would be acceptable to the council such as 2 or 4 year terms and how many years off, after how long, etc. and exactly what optional provisions should be included to be able to get all of this prepared in time to meet the deadline.

City Council Member Joel Lautenschleger said the City Council Members in Laguna Hills are accessible and he thinks it is insulting to say to the residents that they do not have the right to keep somebody in office that is experienced. He said he does not believe in the incumbent advantage. He said he was offended by the special interest or lobby suggestion. He stated he is a member of the YMCA Board, and a responsible public servant and if people don't believe that they should vote him out of office. The reason for people to stay is to build up trust and credibility and that can't be done until someone has been there for a number of years. (Observation-Apparently Joel does not blieve that any new council member could be a "good" council member and that maybe it's specifically because of a lack of trust in the community for these council members that the voters may want a change?)

(Observation-According to the reasoning of the men on this city council it was not possible for them to have been such super powers of wisdom and experience when they were first elected as they now consider themselves to be but they believe they have done a great job, so, the question is could citizens benefit from new city council members with broader less self indulgent perspectives, talent, ability and a sincere desire to serve the citizens?)

City Council Member Melody Carruth's motion for the city attorney to bring back a proposed ordinance for term limits on July 8 was voted down 4 to 1
City Council Member Randall Bressette's motion to do a lengthy study of the issue of term limits was voted down as well.
Laguna Hills general election information (from the OC Register News report by Alejandra Molina)
The general municipal election for Laguna Hills is Nov. 4. Two seats on the City Council are open. The term for office is four years and council members will be paid $623.66 per month. Registered voters may nominate between July 14 and Aug. 8. The nomination period will be extended for all interested persons other than incumbents to Aug. 13. Candidates must be registered voters and reside in the city. Information: 949-707-2635