LAGUNA HILLS CITY COUNCIL MEETING 11-24-09

FEATURES: http://www.ocregister.com/news/kogerman-220553-council-campaign.html - Nellie Gail fundraiser kicks off 2010 City Council Campaign (and Term Limits Campaign) for Barbara Kogerman. Send your thoughts to BlandMJ@AOL.com
The candidates web site is www.kogerman4council.com
Congratulations to Deputy of the Year and SRO Ray Botta!!!
** Presentations and Proclamations - New CEO of Orange County Transit Authority (OCTA) introduces himself.
** Public Comments - None
** LHHS Student Liaison Report from Lisa Mc Corkell -
** Consent Calendar - Will Transient Occupancy Taxes increase & Quarterly Financial Highlights
** Items removed from Consent Calendar - NONE - Consent Calendar passed as a whole.
** City Council Public Hearings - Flood Management Regulations, Municipal Code for Landscape Water Efficiency, Landscape Standards and Guidelines, Application for FY 2010-2011 Community Development Block Grant Funds for Public Facilities and the Florence Sylvester Senior Center
** Planning Agency Report and Public Hearing - NONE
** Administrative Reports - City Manager's Report, Ordinance for Removal of Encroachments from Public Right of Way, & Commercial Food Waste Diversion Pgrm.
** Other Business - City Council selects its designated representative to conduct a Closed Session meeting to discuss compensation of City Manager. - Will it be Council Member Craig Scott, again?
** Matters Presented by Mayor & City Council Members - Student Resource Officer Ray Botta named Deputy of the Year, Council Member Carruth's Request for city drop off points for toys/gifts for Adopted Marines was rejected by Council Member Craig Scott, Council Member Bressette Requested more transparency on city web site.
** CLOSED SESSION - Performance Evaluation for City Manager
* Crime Watch Laguna Hills Report - in the Orange County Register Newspaper* Information, Questions, Concerns and Comments from Watch Dog Readers -
Did the City of Laguna Hills "Unadopt" their Marines?
Laguna Hills City Manager makes more money than the Governor of CA!
**Clarification to the 11/10/09 City Council Meeting Report re. Community Services Recreation Program Rate Increases.
* How to Support the Adopted 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Division- Adopted by the City of Laguna Hills - temporary information below and need for volunteers
* Orange County Register Newspaper - News Articles with blogs* City Council Members Say the Darndest Things in Public - Memorable Quotes from City Council Members* Reminders
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11/24/09 Laguna Hills City Council Meeting
All City Council Members were present.
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PRESENTATIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS - Will Kempton, new CEO of Orange County Transit Authority (OCTA) introduced himself. OCTA has about 1900 employees 17 voting Board of Director members and an annual budget of about $1.2 billion. Prior to coming to OCTA, Mr. Kempton had been with CA. Dept. of Transportation (CALTRANS) overseeing a budget of greater than $13.8 billion. He was with CALTRANS since 1973.

PUBLIC COMMENTS - NONE

LHHS Student Liaison Report - from Lisa Mc Corkell - Last Friday the LHHS football team won a CIF game, this Friday will be the 2nd CIF game. The Marching Band and Color Guard placed 5th in their division. Wednesday is a minimum day and Thursday and Friday no school for Thanksgiving. The Health Challenge Event raised over $35,000

Consent Calendar *(The Consent Calendar consists of multiple items on which the city council votes as a whole unless an item is pulled for individual consideration)

The Warrant Register - was $915,543.55
About $533,000 for Public safety, Bank of America bill for $12,508.06 for training, travel, vehicle fuel, program supplies and op. supplies for October. Cheveron bill for $868.70 for more fuel. US Postage bill of $3000 for the Winter 2009 Activity Guide.

Laguna Hills Quarterly Financial Highlights - states General Fund revenues are used primarily to finance the city's general governmental activities and Special Revenues and Grants are used for specific expenditures typically capital projects. This quarters property taxes were only at 2% of budget. Intergovernmental revenue came in at 7% of budget. Revenues for Licensing and Permits came in at 27% of annual forecast. Charges for services are 19% of budget. Fines and Forfeitures came in at 15% of budget. At quarter end operating revenues totaled almost $1.12 million. Laguna Hills Civic Center income for 3 months ending Sept 30 was $39,958. Funding Sources = $1.36 million, Funding Uses = $3.46 million and Excess of Sources = $2.28 million.

Transient Occupancy Tax - The city has over the years charged 10% for TOT and is considering an increase. Over the past 5 years the TOT tax generated an average of greater than $1 million annually to the General Fund. Staff recommends any increase be deferred for at least 2 years based upon the fragile state of the economy. If an increase is considered staff suggests 2%. Mission Viejo and Laguna Niguel charge 8% most other cities charge 10% with Laguna Beach and Newport Beach at 10% plus 2% for Business Improvement District. Staff there is a strong interest in building new hotels in the city but problem with availability of land ready for development. Staff states a hotel business improvement district would serve as its own entity, separate from the city, with its own Board of Directors, bylaws and budget. Staff's opinion is that a Hotel/Business Improvement District would not work well in Laguna Hills given the number of hotels and rooms involved. There are only 4 hotels in Laguna Hills. There are merits for an increase
of TOT by 2% especially if the revenues are used for economic development but not at this time.

Items Removed from the Consent Calendar - None - The entire Consent Calendar passed as a whole 5 - 0

City Council Public Hearings

Flood Management Regulations - City has an existing floodplain mgmt. ordinance required by FEMA as a condition of the city's continued participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). NFIP is the only way for property owners to insure against flood risk. Public Services Director, City Engineer Ken Rosenfield stated there are very few properties in Laguna Hills that are that are adjacent to or in a flood zone. Basically only properties close to waterways and creeks are susceptible. This is a refinement not a substantial change.
Public Hearing for Ordinance with No speakers. Ordinance Passed 5 - 0

Municipal Code Relating to Landscape Water Efficiency - New state law requiring cities, by Jan. 1, 2010 to adopt either a state model water efficient landscape ordinance or a local alternative that is at least as effective as the State Model ordinance. Public Services Director, City Engineer Ken Rosenfield stated this will effect new and remodeled sites. Site owners will have to comply with strict regulations regarding irrigation systems. Onus will be on property owners to comply and present compliance to the city. Property owners will need the assistance of a licensed and certified landscape architect which will be expensive. Smart irrigation system water controllers will need to be used exclusively. Within 2 years these Smart Irrigation controllers will be the only ones available. The smartest of these can receive information related to climate conditions, etc. Residents will have to learn about this through the City Newsletter, at the counter at City Hall and hopefully though more wide spread means from the State. Staff suggests city adopt County Model

Council Member Craig Scott stated this ordinance is over reaching, totally inappropriate and philosophically revolting.

Council Member Melody Carruth stated Water Conservation will be the new normal, it works.

Public Hearing for Ordinance with No speakers. Ordinance Passed 4 - 1 in favor of County Plan. The 1 No vote was Craig Scott.

Landscape Standards and Guidelines - City's requirements for irrigation plans will now be located in chapter 9 - 47 instead of 9-46 to eliminate duplication and confusion. Public Services Director, City Engineer Ken Rosenfield stated this Ordinance was amended to remove references to irrigation since they are included in the Landscape Water Efficiency Ordinance.
Public Hearing for Ordinance with No speakers. Ordinance Passed 5 - 0

City Application for FY 2010-2011 Community Development Block Grant Funds for Public Facilities and Improvements for the Florence Sylvester Senior Center
- Federal Community Block Grant Funds administered by the County of Orange. City will send an RFP (Request for Proposal) by end of Nov. 2009 and is anticipating submitting an application for $50,000 to assist The Florence Sylvester Senior Center with cost of facility improvement and deferred maintenance. City can apply each year for "Eligible Projects" as needed. Staff requested authorization to apply.
Public Hearing for Ordinance with No speakers. Ordinance Passed 5 - 0
After never having contributed anything to the Senior Center for 17 years, under much pressure from the Seniors, the OC Register, the Laguna Hills Watch Dog and now the New Candidate for City Council in 2010, Barbara Kogerman, the city finally applied for and states it received one grant this year for $50,175 and is expecting to do the same again. Now the task for the city should also include the long requested transportation for seniors and the disabled.

Planning Agency Issues and Public Hearings - NONE The Conditional Use Permit request by Verizon Wireless to Install and Operate a Wireless Communication Facility on an existing So. CA. Edison Utility Pole, North of Via Lomas Dr. and West of the City's community Center was continued for 60 days for Verizon to study the conditions of the permit.

Administrative Reports

City Manager Bruce Channing stated at the State League of CA. Cities, he assisted with establishing strategic priorities for 2010 with the top priority being protection of local government revenues. Also, 4 city managers were invited to the Governor's office to discuss strategies for dealing with pension reform. He said local effort is needed on this issue because the State Legislature is not expected to act on it's own re. Pension Reform.

City Attorney Greg Simonian - An Ordinance Regarding the Removal of Encrochments from the Public Right of Way.

Public Services Director, City Engineer Ken Rosenfield stated the city finds couches, refrigerators, and trash in the Public Right of Way and need a more effective system to remove them. Should the city approve this, it will declare any Encroachment in the Public Right of Way in Violation of the Laguna Hills Municipal Code a Public Nuisance and allow the City Engineer to remove any Encroachment within the Public Right of Way which obstructs or prevents use of Public Right of Way and/or consists of refuse, rubbish or debris, or is a traffic hazard, if any Encroachment is not removed from the Public Right of Way following notice to a responsible party and opportunity for removal.
Public Hearing for Ordinance with No speakers. Ordinance Passed 5 - 0

Commercial Food Waste Diversion Program

Deputy City Manager, Community Services David Reynolds said 4 cities, Laguna Niguel, RSM, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano have approved this Food Waste Diversion Program and the 4 others looking at it soon. 21 are restaurants served by this recycling program but only 2 are actively using the program to date. Changing restaurant behaviors for the other 19 is under way and is part of the program education related to alternate disposal of food waste to save landfill space. Also landfill disposal rates will increase substantially on July 1, 2010 to discourage restaurants from dumping waste foods in landfills. Staff recommends continued support of the program with the Laguna Hills Mall already underway by the City of Laguna Hills in conjunction with 7 other So. County Cities who applied for a Grant for $400,000 for a one year pilot program for a commercial food waste diversion program from the Orange County Board of Supervisors. Passed 5 - 0

Other Business

Designated Representative to Negotiate Compensation of City Manager.

The City Council selects and identifies its designated representative for the purpose of conducting a Closed Session meeting with its authorized labor negotiator to discuss the compensation of the City Manager, an unrepresented employee.
The person who has done this in past years is City Council Member Craig Scott who appears to have been quite generous with the City Manager. This time, current Mayor Joel Lautenschleger was chosen to negotiate the city manager's compensation without additional comment. We don't know if the outcome from this combination will be any better than it was with Craig Scott but this takes the political heat off of Craig Scott related to all the recent bad publicity regarding this City Manager's Extra Large Salary and Benefits Package topped with a $60,000 new car from Tustin. Craig Scott is up for re-election in 2010.

Matters Presented by Mayor & City Council Members

Mayor Joel Lautenschleger announced that Sheriff's Deputy Ray Botta, who is also the Student Resource Officer for Laguna Hills, was named Deputy of the Year at the Deputy Appreciation Breakfast.

Council Member Randall Bressette requested City Council Agenda Reports on City's Web Page with a recommendation that the city council request staff to prepare a report on the options for including Agenda reports on the City's web page and the associated costs therewith. This passed 4 - 1 with Craig Scott voting NO.
Having the complete Agenda rather than just the brief outline posted on the city web site for residents prior to every city council meeting is an important issue for more transparency in the city government in Laguna Hills. This Watch Dog Reporter spends at least 2 to 3 hours prior to every city council meeting reading the Complete Agenda and Staff Reports from the big book on the counter at City Hall to get some idea of what will actually be happening at a city council meeting, since many items are never openly discussed during the meetings. The Complete Agenda in the book at City Hall is already typed so there should not be much problem or additional expense involved in cutting and pasting it into the web site or just typing it into the web site initially and printing it out for the book on the desk at City Hall. Lake Forest and other cities have had their complete agendas posted on their web sites for a long time. The Laguna Hills Watch Dog has long requested more transparency from this city council and the candidate for 2010 City Council, Barbara Kogerman, who has already done a great deal to encourage transparency from this city council has declared Transparency as one of her Primary Campaign Issues.

Council Member Randall Bressette reported on San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board Draft's Tentative Order. On Nov. 17 Council Member Bresette attended the Public Hearing Considering Adoption of a new Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Permit for the San Diego Region of Orange County. Testimony was provided to the board regarding the potential impacts of the proposed permit. Following about 3 hours of testimony, and 30 minutes of Board Deliberation, the Permit was not adopted. Bressette stated that in his comments he assured the Board that the City of Laguna Hills was committed to clean storm water discharge and that we embrace reasonable, enforceable and effective water quality regulations. He added that he told them there were provisions of this permit not acceptable to Laguna Hills for economic, legal and practical perspectives and that many of the regulations were extremely costly, unnecessarily burdensome and impossible to enforce. He stated the bottom line was that the Board did not care and fees are very high for lack of compliance. Staff will follow this and keep us informed.

Council Member Melody Carruth reported on the Orange County Fairgrounds Sale and requested that the city council adopt a resolution supporting local government land use control. Melody said she brought a simple resolution in favor of local government control for the consideration of the city council.

Council Member Craig Scott stated there may be some illegal conduct in the resolution so need to look into that prior to signing and he would like to stay away from other cities' issues. He said State of CA. should be liquidating assets to pay their bills.

Council Member Songstad shared some concern for possible inaccuracies in the resolution, with need for staff to look into this. He proposed a substitute motion for looking into the language in the resolution and then deciding about signing or not. His substitute resolution passed 5 - 0

Council Member Melody Carruth requested a 3/5 Marine Battalion 1st division Toy Drive and requested that the city council direct staff to establish collection points at City Hall and the Community Center for new unwrapped toys and gift cards for children and teenagers to be delivered to Camp Pendleton on Dec. 22.

Council Member Melody Carruth announced that the 3/5 Marines Adoption Committee lost a couple of members who left the State but Richard Nagle is working on reconstituting the Marine Battalion Citizens Support Committee. Melody said she had also been in touch with the Laguna Woods City Council Members who expressed a lot of interest in partnering with Laguna Hills residents to reconstitute the Marine's Support Committee. She reflected on the difficulties of the 3/5 Marines currently coming off back to back deployments and who are now slated for, hopefully, about 10 months of being home. Melody said she spoke with Camp Pendleton's Outreach Coordinator who suggested the toys and gift cards. She added that although the Mariner's Church in Irvine has also adopted the 3/5 Battalion, we do not want to forget them. She noted the expired information on the city's web site and suggested collection sites at the Community Center and City Hall for toys and gift cards for the Marines and their families.

Council Member Craig Scott stated there was an article in the Register within the last week where it was reported that the city was trying to reconstitute the 3/5 Support Committee. He said the council has taken a very clear position that there will be no official city support by this council for the 3/5 Committee. He said the reasons for that go back a long time so he did not propose to go over all of that, but if the city is to be consistent with the council decisions in the past the city should not be about reconstituting and it is not appropriate to use city resources to further the work that could be done by the committee if the committee chooses to. He said very frankly he hoped Ms. Carruth had not been suggesting, as a member of the council, that she's speaking for the city because that would be contrary to their adopted position. He stated he did not favor her taking the action that has been suggested and the city should remember that they have drawn a very clear line that the city will not sponsor, or devote assets or give resources of the staff's time and energy to efforts that ought to be coming from the committee, if at all. He insisted that the committee can do what it wants to do but the city ought to be in a hands off position from an official city standpoint.
One thing the LH Watch Dog has observed over the years is that Council Member Craig Scott rarely fails to disappoint when the subject reflects a less than robotic need for spontaneous kindness to others and inclusiveness rather strict a adherence to a pre-conceived script. ** It is also important to note that it was the Laguna Hills Watch Dog Reporter Jean Bland, not Council Member Melody Carruth, who took this story to a reporter at the Orange County Register to publicize this problem in hopes of drawing attention to the cause of the apparently abandoned Adopted Marines before Christmas. This problem was thankfully brought to my attention by Dee Dee McGann-Gollwitzer who was trying to contact the 3/5 Marine Support Committee to find out how to help the Marines. - see more below

Council Member Randall Bressette followed Mr. Scott by stating what Mr. Scott said was true but that was on a 4 to 1 vote that has left Mr. Bressette frustrated, embarrassed and to a great extent angry over that action over many years. He said he has stayed out of it mostly because Deb Allen and the Committee wouldn't allow him to be involved despite the fact that he is a retired US Navy Chief Warrant Officer. He said he has been frustrated by the fact that the action of Mr. Craig Scott, so well verbalized has led members of the city council to accept awards on behalf of the city when frankly the city divorced the 3/5. He said he does support the collection boxes for the US Marines Toys for Tots program at the Community Center and at City Hall but that support because of prior action has nothing to do with the 3/5, it just happens as a program much like the firefighters across the street. He said he hopes that at some point this council changes it's mind.

Council Member Melody Carruth stressed that this is not about any of us or how we're inconvenienced it's about helping the Marines and being flexible.

Council Member Alan Songstad, who, as Mayor in the 2008 election year, benefited from the positive publicity from the Adopted Marine Battalion agreed with Ms. Carruth. He stated there have been obvious problems with the Adoption Committee and the city council has been placed in an awkward position, which he can explain at some future time, but this is just about the Marines who are protecting us in a time of war, so he agreed with Council Member Carruth to fully support collection points in the city for toys and gifts.

Mayor Joel Lautenschleger agreed with the collection points and proclaimed a consensus on this issue, rather than taking a vote.

**After the meeting Tom Epperson, and Mike Bland volunteered their services to assist with collection and delivery of the gifts for the Marines and hopefully other citizens of Laguna Hills will do the same.

CLOSED SESSION - to consider 9.1 - Public Employee Performance Evaluation - City Manager and 9.2 - Conference with labor Negotiator - Name City Council Designee to negotiate salary and benefits for City Manager.

City Clerk Peggy Johns called on Wed. morning to report that there was Nothing to Report from the Closed Session.
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Laguna Hills Crime Watch
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Laguna Hills Crime Watch for the past 3 weeks go to:http://www.ocregister.com/articles/police-crime-blotter-2087713-arrest-burglary?City=Laguna Hills Laguna Hills Crime, What's Happening in your Neighborhood by Alejandra Molina, Reporter, Orange County Register. Keep up with crime in Laguna Hills, where it's happening and how it might affect you. This column is continuously updated.
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Information, Questions, Concerns and Comments from Watch Dog Readers
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What do you think about the new candidate for Laguna Hills City Council? Go to www.kogerman4council.com Send us your comments at blandMJ@AOL.com

Did anyone read the OC Register Watchdog Story Protest backfires: State bigwigs will get early pay cut http://taxdollars.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/20/why-wait-big-pay-cut-for-state-bigwigs-to-happen-sooner-rather-than-later/44217/
The City Manager of tiny Laguna Hills makes more than the Governor
of the State of CA. How upside down is that? Jeff

Did the city of Laguna Hills Unadopt their Marines?

On 11/12/2009 - The Laguna Hills Watch Dog received a message from Dee Dee McGann-Gollwitzer a Laguna Hills resident who was trying to contact the Committee to support the Marine Unit adopted by the City of Laguna Hills. She said she had e-mailed the "darkhorse" address on the City of Laguna Hills web site and in the Watch Dog, and that e-mail address was no longer valid. She called the number for Debra Allen and it was disconnected. She called another number for the Community Center and talked to someone at the desk who had never heard of it. Dee Dee's concern was, "I wonder if they unadopted the Marines?"

There is a disclaimer on the city web site but the Mayor, City Manager or whoever should be at the helm of the city apparently dropped the ball on this one so the Laguna Hills Watch Dog took this problem to Laguna Hills City Council Member Melody Carruth who researched and reported that Laguna Hills resident Dick Nagle is reconstituting the 3/5 Marine Battalion Citizens Support Committee. Melody said we lost military mom Barbara Breazeale-Pozzi and Deb Allen (both moved out of state). If citizens are interested in serving on a committee this is the perfect time to get involved. In addition to Laguna Hills, the 3/5 Marine Battalion was also adopted by Mariner's Church in Irvine - see their contact information below to donate to the Marines and their families during the Holidays.

Council Member Carruth also said that at the Tuesday, November 24 City Council meeting she will ask the city council to approve gift card/toy collection sites at the Community Center and City Hall for 3/5 Marine Battalion families for distribution December 22. Ms. Carruth added, following back to back deployments in Iraq and Southeast Asia Laguna Hills residents will have opportunities to work with members of 3/5 and their families in 2010 and the formal Nov. 6, pre-Veteran's Day 3/5 ceremony at Laguna Hills High School Hawk Stadium was a wonderful example of the community connection these great Marines have with Laguna Hills. As they watched the game and chatted with coaching staff, parents and faculty members it was clear to me that these moments have meaning to them. These Marines and their families have made an impact at all levels of our community.
Thank you so much to Dee Dee for bringing this to our attention and to Council Member Melody Carruth, who was willing to play both detective & Santa to help and clearly did not misrepresent the city on this issue as Council Member Craig Scott queried at the 11/24 council meeting. Thank you to both Dee Dee and Council Member Carruth for bringing the Adopted Marine Division back to Laguna Hills for Christmas!

**Clarification to 11-10-09 Report - At the 11/10/09 Laguna Hills City Council Meeting - Community Services Recreation Program Rate Study - Staff Recommended that the City Council approve Increasing the rates charged for recreation programs as outlined in the staff report. New increased fees for facility room rentals and increased fee schedules for classes were brought up to date after never having been reviewed in the past 10 years, by the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Staff to insure that the city does recover direct as well as indirect costs. A total of $9,530 would be the amount of increase in revenue to the city with the updated rates.

City Council Member Randall Bressette objected to rate increases of a third or more for residents because he wants to enable residents to keep taking their children to classes. He stated he would vote for increases only for non-residents.

Mayor Lautenschleger said he agreed with recovering costs and added that this should have been done every couple of years instead of waiting so long.

Vote was 4 - 1 with the only dissenting vote being Council Member Randall Bressette

Clarification to the Community Services Recreation Program Rate increases Report on 11/10/09. The Laguna Hills Watch Dog reported the Community Services Recreation Program Rate Increases as they were stated at the meeting - "A total of $9,530 would be the amount of increase in revenue to the city with the updated rates". Since that time we heard from City Council Member Melody Carruth that the $9,530 figure stated by Laguna Hills Community Services Superintendent Dan Meehan was a "Quarterly Figure" not an annual figure. We confirmed this with City documents and with a phone call to the office of David Reynolds, Deputy City Manager where we spoke with Jami

In addition to the $9,531 figure being a "quarterly" figure the staff report documents state that these figures are for the Spring 2009 Quarter Activity and their numbers show that although there is a $9,531 "Increase in Revenue" this is still a ($2,651) loss overall. According to staff numbers the staff led classes do not break even but the Contract Instructor led classes made a profit prior to the rate increases and will do better after the rate increases. The numbers from the staff report are as follows:
Profit/(loss) Profit/(loss) Increased
Current rate Proposed rate Revenue

Staff Classes ($18,038) ($10,730) ($7,353)

Contract Instructor $5,901 $8,079 $2,178
Classes------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total ($12,182) ($2,651) $9,531

Clarification Comments from Laguna Hills City Council Member Melody Carruth "While I voted against the residential rate increases for the Community Center Facility and Sports Park in May, I support the recreation class fee increases- in particular increasing those fees charged for non-residents. Non-residents ought to be charged a higher rate for classes and activities to cover the cost of City operational expenses. I believe we need to be in line with recreation class fees charged in other south county cities to move closer to full cost recovery. The City will continue to offer affordable classes while remaining competitive with surrounding cities and the School District. The approved reasonable rate increases will further maintain and protect the quality of our city facilities."
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How to Support the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Division
Adopted by the City of Laguna Hills

For now - Interested residents and businesses may contact Steven Vidal at the Mariner's Church in Irvine at 949-854-7030 ext. 267 or ext. 316 to donate to the Marines and their families during the Holidays. More information about the Laguna Hills 3/5 Adoption Committee, donations and providing support for the Marines, Sailors and families of 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines will be forthcoming.
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OC Register News Stories and blogs
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City Manager Benefits top $170,000 November 06, 2009
http://www.ocregister.com/news/city-218145-insurance-salary.html

Laguna Hills buys its city manager a $60,000 car - in Tustin
http://taxdollars.freedomblogging.com/2009/10/30/laguna-hills-buys-its-city-manager-a-60000-car-in-tustin/41479/

Checkpoint nets 14 people in Laguna Hills
http://www.ocregister.com/news/drivers-219231-dui-checkpoint.html

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/dogs-christian-county-2609339-suit-one
Woman mauled by 3 bull mastiffs sues county, city

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/city-million-budget-2473902-year-positions
Laguna Hills makes cuts to two-year budget

Remember to visit the page www.ocregister.com/readerforums/saddleback
when you've got something to share with the community.

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/survey-city-respondents-2366204-hills-percent
Laguna Hills a good place to live, survey says

Laguna Hills Report Recommends Pet License Outreach. It also says shelters aren't crowded enough for spay, neuter program.http://www.ocregister.com/articles/city-dogs-laguna-2281407-hills-report

Laguna Hills City Manager gets $23,000 bonus over objections http://www.ocregister.com/articles/bonus-council-channing-2253011-scott-city

Senior Center in Laguna Hills Suffers financially - Officials of the nonprofit are angry that the city has never provided money, despite the services provided to its residents. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/senior-center-services-2216444-county-south
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Laguna Hills City Council Members Say the Darndest Things in Public ==================================
Dec. 4, 2008 - LHCC Member - Craig Scott stated ".... based on what is recited here I think it is fair comment to say that Nellie Gail was not remarkable. "We did some research on this issue and if that's the best we can do, a school teacher, 2 daughters and ran the ranch until turning it over to her children, I submit that's not necessarily remarkable."
Really, Well, Mr. Scott, would you say you are a "remarkable" city council member and how would you define that? ***Craig Scott is speaking about Nellie Gail Moulton (1878-1972) who was born in Irving, KS on Dec. 8, 1878. Nellie Gail spent her childhood in Nebraska and came to California with her family in 1893. Upon receiving her teaching credentials, she taught school in the state of Washington near Seattle at the turn of the century. On one of her summer trips to visit her family in southern California she met Lewis Moulton whom she married in 1908. The couple settled on a ranch of 22,000 acres. When her husband died she ran the 22,000 acre ranch while raising 2 daughters. She was also a school teacher, and an artist. Most of her paintings appear to have been done in and around Laguna Beach. Nellie Gail Ranch, in Laguna Hills, is named for her. Be sure to see the exhibit of her Remarkable life at City Hall!

June 10, 2008 - LHCC Member - Mayor Allan Songstad said - "We have to go through a bidding process and sometimes the low bidder is not always the best contractor, but sometimes that's what we're stuck with."
Thank you Mr. Songstad, that is exactly what we have been trying to tell you about the Laguna Hills City Council "sticking us" with the same bad vendor - The Orange County Animal Shelter for the past 18 years.

On May 27, 2008 - LHCC Member Craig Scott stated, "I am on the toll road every day and I don't want the tolls to go down, I want them to stay where they are or go higher and I'm ready to pay that price and I'd prefer NOT to have others do the same."
Are there any volunteers willing to support a resolution proclaiming that the 73 Toll Road be set aside for the Exclusive Use of Laguna Hills City Council Member Craig Scott until such time that this pesky congestion problem caused by less entitled people, like the rest of us, is brought under control? OR - maybe people would like to e-mail Mr. Scott at ccouncil@ci.laguna-hills.ca.us to encourage him to broaden his perspective. He has been a Laguna Hills City Council Member for 18 years)

March 11, 2008 - Don White, Assist. City Manager states Laguna Hills rejected a proposal from Mission Viejo to share their animal shelter in 2005 due to increased expense and "unknown and serious contractual problems that exposed the city's budget to unknown and uncontrollable cost increases and expenditures".
So, Don if the contractual problems are "unknown" how do you know they are serious and uncontrollable? Laguna Niguel has had the same contract that was presented to Laguna Hills with the Mission Viejo Animal Shelter for more than 10 years and in 2008 Aliso Viejo joined the Mission Viejo Animal Shelter so none of this has been a problem for them? October 25, 2005 - Mayor Allan Songstad, speaking about the Laguna Hills City Council said, "When you've been doing business in a certain way for 13 years you're not likely to change that." So true, Allan, so unfortunately true.