Listening to the Laguna Hills City Council - January 26, 2010
Reporting the Laguna Hills City Council Meetings unvarnished with detail, and commentary
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Laguna Hills City Council has declined to video tape/web stream unedited City Council Meetings so there has been no opportunity for citizens to learn how the actions of the city council affect their lives without attending all the meetings, until now. After 6 years of attending Laguna Hills City Council meetings, we tape record and report the facts from these meetings to educate residents and ourselves and we keep our editorial comments separate from the facts. Anyone can receive free e-mail reports by e-mailing BlandMJ@AOL.com and requesting the Laguna Hills Watch Dog.
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FEATURES:
** Special Announcements - Contact City Council Candidate Barbara Kogerman at www.kogerman4council.com to participate in her Laguna Hills City Council Term Limits Initiative Campaign.
** Presentations and Proclamations - Lisa Mc Corkell, received a Certificate of Recognition for serving as LHHS Student Liaison.
** Public Comments - Kogerman Update on Term Limits Initiative, Update on off street parking for Bella Tierra Residents, question remains - should they have had better onsite parking?
** LHHS Student Liaison Report - by Jason Brower
** Consent Calendar - Warrant Register total = $1,070,670.40
Revised work for Sports Complex Renovations sand or no sand?, Ratifying the City Council's awarding of Max. bonus for 2009 to the City Manager - Mayor's regrets, Neighborhood Stabilization Program Funds, 2nd Quarter Financial and Treasurer's Report = ups and downs, County has requested that the city assume responsibility for the widening of corner of El Toro Rd. and Avenida De Carlota.
** Items removed from Consent Calendar - 3 pulled by Mayor Bressette
** City Council Public Hearings - None
** Planning Agency Report and Public Hearing - Conditional Use Permit request by Verizon Wireless for wireless communication facility continued to future date.
** Administrative Reports - Senior Transportation Program finally coming to Laguna Hills but what took so long?
** Other Business - None
** Matters Presented by Mayor & City Council Members - Congratulations to Deputies Botta and Lambert-Few! Council Member Craig Scott says it isn't so? Example of City's delays in service amplified by it's continued use of terrible animal shelter services for residents.
* Closed Session - City Manager Public Employee Performance Evaluation cancelled
* Crime Watch Laguna Hills Report - in the Orange County Register Newspaper* Information, Questions, Concerns and Comments from Watch Dog Readers - The Anti-Drunk Driving Pgrm. at LHHS, Analyzing the Refinance of Laguna Hills $17,650,000 debt-How successful was it?, Another call for better Animal Care Services for Laguna Hills, Senior Transportation Services, City Council Election advice from citizen/ business owner.
* How to Support the Adopted 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Division- Adopted by the City of Laguna Hills. ????? more to come,
* OC Register News Stories and blogs - see Laguna Hills in the news! * City Council Members Say the Darndest Things in Public - Memorable Quotes from City Council Members* Reminders & Directions for - OC Register Newspaper Letters to the Editor, Contact information for the Laguna Hills City Council
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01/26/10 Laguna Hills City Council Meeting
City Council Members were present except Allan Songstad ==========================================
PRESENTATIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS – Lisa Mc Corkell, LHHS Student Liaison received a Certificate of Recognition for serving as the Student Liaison for the Fall, 2009 Semester.

LHHS Student Liaison Report - Appointment of Jason Brower as Student Liaison for the 2010 Spring Semester. Jason stated, the LHHS Hawks wrestling team performed extremely well at the invitational last weekend despite very rough competition. Finals started today and will continue through the end of this week. Coming up on Feb. 20 the Laguna Hills (MUN) Model United Nations hosts the 18th Annual Invitational Conference with up to 400 guests attending. Jason is a member of the MUN program and Ms. Giger is the MUN Coach. Jason took command of the LHHS Liaison Position like a Pro!

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Barbara Kogerman, Candidate for City Council in 2010 stated she started the Initiative Process 2 weeks ago for Term Limits for the Laguna Hills City Council and there will be a Rally on Saturday morning to begin the process of collecting signatures. She invited the city council members to attend the Rally and sign the initiative on the first page.

Adam Wayne from the Bella Tierra Community, Laguna Hills, gave an update on the off street parking that the city permitted for the residents due to lack of capacity for parking in their development. He stated that the Bella Tierra Citizens continue to keep the streets clean in the parking area and are grateful for the additional parking.
** editors note - This is a community that was taken over from the County on Sept. 18, 2000 by the City of Laguna Hills. It was an apartment complex that converted to condos. The question of why the Laguna Hills City Council never required the community parking to be brought up to city code, during the condo conversion, to prevent this problem for these residents was asked on 2/27/09 by Merik Lottie, Laguna Hills Citizen, from Carriage Hills Lane who said he is an architect and has a son who has a condo in Bella Tierra and asked why was the parking problem not fixed by the city when the city of Laguna Hills had already annexed that area before the apartments were converted to condos in Bella Tierra? He said the city inspected the beams in the converted apartment of his son and required that they be repaired, which took 2 additional months until Shey Homes fixed them, so why did they not require the same for the parking problems? This question was never fully answered by the city council.

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

The Warrant Register = $1,070,670.40

*** See more detailed Reports of all Items on the City Web Site under Agendas and Minutes.

Item 4.3 - Revised scope of work for Sports Complex Renovations
FY 2009-10 Proposed work includes exterior painting of facilities in park area of Community Center and Sports Complex. maintenance of parking lots, repairs and maintenance of walkway and parking lot lighting.
Staff Recommendation - Staff suggests approve the painting an lighting improvements, delete the parking lot improvements at this time and add the refurbishment of the surfacing of the playground due to significant wear of the rubberized surface. Budget of $305,000 included in the Capital Improvement Budget. Receive and file report

Item 4.4 - Resolution ratifying the City Council's Action related to the City Manager's compensation.
Resolution states in the City Manager's annual performance evaluation on Dec. 8, 2009 the performance bonus was approved by a 4 - 1 vote (with Council Member Melody Carruth voting NO). The city manager is awarded the maximum performance bonus for the calendar year 2009 as authorized pursuant to Sec. 5(B) of the Employment Agreement.
Staff Recommendation - A Resolution of the Laguna Hills City Council ratifying the award of a performance bonus to the city manager
*editor's note - There was no Bonus $ Amount identified in this report it is assumed to be in excess of $23,000 because it is 10% of the city manager's current salary? No formal vote in Open Session was taken on the City Manager's benefit's package at the last City Council Meeting on January 12, 2010. On Dec. 8, 2009, in Closed Session, support for the City Manager's Maximum bonus for 2009 was moved by Council Member Joel Lautenschleger with a 2nd by Allan Songstad and approved 4 - 1 with Council Member Melody Carruth being the only No vote. Melody stated she had expressed concern for 3 years regarding the City Manager's Compensation, bonus, car, vacation and travel. See more about this City Manager's salary and benefits for 2008 of more than $170,000 on top of his $230,000 salary and NOT including his $60,000 car in 2009 at http://www.ocregister.com/news/city-218145-insurance-salary.html

Item 4.5 - Contact with County of Orange regarding Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) Funds
Objective of this is to stabilize neighborhoods that have been negatively impacted by numerous foreclosures through funding for purchase of foreclosed units to be rented to households that qualify as very low and low income. City Staff has identified the Aliso Meadows Condo development and an ideal candidate for these funds and states there is potential for this program to implement the City's General Plan objectives for the Via Lomas area. The City of Laguna Hills has been tentatively awarded NSP funds totaling $729,486 to be used to purchase up to 5 dwelling units.
Staff Recommendation - Approve a contract with the County for FY 2009-10 Neighborhood Stabilization Program Funds

Item 4.6 - 2nd Quarter Financial and Treasurer's Report
Highlights include Anticipated use of Reserves because the year to date funding sources totaled $7.6 million and funding uses were $9.5 million = a deficiency of about $1.9 million. Civic Center lease income for last 3 months ending Dec. 31,2009 - total income $330,272 - Total expenses of $229.296 = net income of $100,976.
Staff Recommendation - Receive and file report.

Item 4.7 - $121,789.30 progress payment to RJ Noble Co. for Laguna Hills Dr. resurfacing.

Item 4.8 - Amendment to Agreement with County of Orange for the widening of NW corner of El Toro Rd. and Avenida De Carlota.
County of Orange was unable to complete the widening of Avenida de la Carlotta between Paseo de Valencia and El Toro Rd. as part of the Foothill Corridor Phasing Plan (FCPP) so has requested that the city assume responsibility for the project. Fiscal Impact - will transfer to the City $1,275,000 of FCPP funds for the project. This project has been identified in the City's Capital Improvement Pgrm. Budget as CIP # 164 in the total amount of $2,171,000. The budget item anticipated the receipt of FCPP funds from the County, Measure M Funds and Prop. 1B funds.
Staff Recommendation - Approve the Amendement

Items pulled from the consent Calendar by the City Council Members

Mayor Randal Bressette pulled item #s 4.3, 4.4, and 4.5. Regarding 4.3 the Sports Complex Renovations, Randy admitted that he is a Sand Man and would prefer to keep the sand in place for the children's playgrounds. Council Member Melody Carruth agreed. Ken Rosenfield, City Engineer noted that excess sand is collecting in the valves of the landscape sprinkler system and ruining the valves which need to be replace frequently so he suggests porous surface rubber matting in place of some of the sand areas. Council member Joel Lautenschleger areed with the city engineer. The issue was sent to the Parks and Recreation Committee for their consideration and then will return to the City Council.

Regarding Item 4.4, the Resolution for the City Manager's Bonus for 2009 passed in closed session 4 - 1 (no vote being Council Member Carruth. Mayor Bressette stated, "As I indicated at our last meeting, the December meeting during closed session, which as you well know I cannot discuss, left me making a decision that on further review and further investigation we couldn't enact, and therefore, if the opportunity presented itself, I would vote NO today, and this is the only opportunity that I have to say that." Council Member Carruth responded, "You're not inferring though, that this resolution does not reflect the results of a discussion and a vote that was taken on December 8, you're not saying that this does not accurately reflect that vote?" Mayor Bressette suggested to Council Member Carruth that they could discuss this further in private.

Regarding Item 4.5 - contract with the County of Orange for the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, Mayor Bressette said that he hoped when we see this item next we will have a better performa of cash flow. Vote taken - Consent Calendar Items passed 4 - 0.

Planning Agency Public Comments - None

Planning Agency Public Hearings

Item 5.2 - Conditional Use Permit request by Verizon Wireless to install and operate a wireless communication facility an existing So. CA. Edison utility Pole on city Owned Property No. of Via Lomas Dr. and West of the Community Center. Proposed antenna will consist of 9 panel antennas, 1 microwave antenna and one GPS antenna. Equipment will be enclosed in an 8 foot tall wrought iron enclosure with landscape around it.
Staff Recommendation - Approval ** This item was continued for the second time related to Verizon's need to continue to work with staff on some of the conditions of approval.

Administrative Reports - City Manager Channing reported the re-financing of the city's debt was a success.

Item 6.2 - Senior Transportation Program
David Reynolds, Deputy City Manager reported according to the 2000 census 16% of the city's population was 60 years of age or older and that was roughly 4,908 residents. That population has undoubtedly increased now in 2010. Need for Senior Transportation Services rated very high in the 2007 Laguna Hills City Survey. City Staff received permission on June 10, 2008 from the city council to study this and hired the Solis Group to conduct a needs assessment of seniors and disabled persons. City Staff researched current transportation services in Laguna Hills for these groups and transportation services offered in other cities. Mission Viejo has been conducting this program for 3 years with a steady increase in trips taken from 700 the first year to 1700 the 2nd year and predicted to be 2,600 this year. Staff will check to be sure applicants for this program are of the appropriate age and there is a restricted radius of travel for the participants.
Staff Recommendation - Develop a Taxi Transportation Program for Seniors to begin July 1, 2010 and apply for OCTA's Senior Mobility Program to help fund the cost of a senior taxi program. The city of Mission Viejo's contract with CA. Yellow Cab expires on June 30, 2010 so Laguna Hills city staff saw this as an opportunity to establish some type of partnership with Mission Viejo to provide senior taxi service in both cities. With funding from OCTA's Senior Mobility Pgrm., 80% of the transportation program costs would be met and the City of Laguna Hills would only need to match 20% of program costs. For
2010-11 this would amount to $31,980 in funds available through OCTA and $8,557 paid by the city for this program. In 2011-12 OCTA's Senior Mobility Program funds would increase to $42,738. City staff also discovered that the OCTA funds can be used to cover city staff time, materials and supplies to administer the program as well as the costs of taxi service providers. "In-Kind" contributions from the City may be counted against their entire 20% match requirement which could result in completely offsetting the general fund impact to the city. Cost estimate is $2,830 for the 1st year and $6,318 for the 2nd year and staff anticipates no General Fund Impact with OCTA funds being used since the City's match can include staff time and other expenses to administer the program.
This item passed 5 - 0

**editor's note - this issue was on the 3/13/2007 Laguna Hills City Survey under Spending Priorities. The categories were High, Medium, Low and Do Not Spend. It was stated as: Provide Transportation Services for the Seniors and Disabled Citizens. 390 citizens responded to this out of 400 polled. It was the 2nd highest rated spending priority by the citizens, just under Coordinate Traffic Signals. 51.5% of respondents voted this as High Priority, 31.3% voted it Medium priority, 12.6% voted it Low priority and 4.6% voted - Do Not spend.

COMMENTS:

Barbara Kogerman, Candidate for City Council in 2010 asked, What took so long? She said this was a high priority in 2007, studied in 2008 and is finally being addressed, now, in an election year, after her public shaming of this council for failure to address the needs of Seniors in any manner approaching that of neighboring cities. She stated she was very supportive of this long overdue measure.

Matters Presented by Mayor & City Council Members

Council Member Lautenschleger gave his overview of the most recent OC League of Cities Division of the CA. League of Cities Meeting. Discussions of Transportation, Clean Water, etc. , with same goal of no unfunded mandates on cities. Council Member Carruth thanked City Engineer Ken Rosenfield and staff for the good job done with clearing of fallen trees, keeping drains open, etc. during the storms. Council Member Craig Scott stated, "There is a doctorate in the law that suggests that under certain circumstances silence equals acquiescence and agreement. I do not intend, for one, to sit here quietly when a member of the public makes outrageous claims and charges. As to Mrs. Kogerman's comments on the Senior Transportation Program that we heard moments ago, I believe that it was one of the most ridiculous, laughable and baseless recitations I have ever heard. Each point of which could be demonstrated to be factually inaccurate." Mayor Randal Bressette stated Laguna Hills Sheriff's Deputy Ray Botta was honored by the Saddleback Valley Elks Club as Laguna Hills Deputy of the Year and the American Legion gave their metal of merit to Laguna Hills Crime Prevention Specialist Casey Lambert-Few for producing 2 years of the Citizens Emergency Preparedness Academy in which almost 200 citizens have participated. Casey's Virtual Briefing is another significant contribution. This is an online tool for the deputies to have up to date information about what is going on in the city. He also explained that government is a slow methodical process that requires careful deliberation. He noted as an example the issue of the agony we went through to determine whether or not we could have our own animal care facility. He noted this process was long and drawn out, etc. **editor's note - This is a great example of long delays in needed services from the city. After 6 years it is still an effort in futility for all Laguna Hills Citizens with pets. Citizens identified the need for better services in 2004 but the Laguna Hills City Council still chooses to provide the worst animal shelter care services available for their citizens through their continued use of the 60+ year old County Shelter in Orange that was built in the 1940s to serve 200,000 people, has no room to grow, and is now trying to serve close to 3 million people. This shelter has done little to improve services for pets or citizens, has a 40% and higher kill rate, impounded 43,000 animals last year, and ignored the suggestions of the last of several OC Grand Jury Investigations of it. Because the Laguna Hills City Council refused to pay more for local City Shelter services, Laguna Hills is one of only 4 cities left in So. OC that continue to provide such terrible and distant services for their citizens with pets.

CLOSED SESSION - Item # 9.1 - Public Employee Performance Evaluation - City Manager There was no closed session related to the absence of Council Member Songstad.

================================= Laguna Hills Crime Watch ================================= 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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I am sorry to read that the city I live in (Laguna Hills) does not value the Anti Drunk Driving "Every 15 Minutes" program as Lake Forest does. It touches every student at our school as the students who "die" are removed from their classes. Students that participate are selected months in advance and are carefully chosen so that when the accident happens, every group of students at the school is well represented and pretty much every student knows someone who is involved in the tragedy. Val

Regarding the Refinance of the City of Laguna Hills debt report from the city manager at the 1-12-2010 city council meeting, the city had $17,650,000 of debt, maturing in 2024, at 4.5% fixed (I assume for the term and fully amortizing). So the City had 14 years of payments left. The cost of getting a new better interest rate was a 2% redemption fee on $13,200,000 or $264,000 plus consulting fees, plus underwriting fees. I'd say it was a no brainer to refinance given where interest rates have been for the past 2-years off and on. See data at http://www.treas.gov/offices/domestic-finance/debt-management/interest-rate/yield_historical.shtml and http://www.treas.gov/offices/domestic-finance/debt-management/interest-rate/yield_historical_2008.shtml Lookiing at the 10-Year column, as that seems to be the measure the city manager was quoting, the key point to note is that at the end of 2008 10-year money dipped below 3%. This was clearly a signal to refinance the 4.5% debt. As recently as December 1, 2009 the 10-year rate was 3.28%. The city finally refinanced at the end of December obtaining around 3.75%. The difference costs the city $88,000 the first year and a little less each year over the term of the refinance. We can quantify the exact cost of the city's indecision but it is certainly $500,000. Had we locked in 3% money imagine the savings. Also did they convert to fixed rates over the term of the COP or only fixed for 10-years? 4TruthinFinance

When are Citizens of Laguna Hills ever going to get better Animal Care Services it's been 6 years of pointing out the need to the city council and still nothing?
I would like to point out that yesterday there was a dead raccoon laying in the northbound lane (in the gutter) of Paseo de Valencia between Alicia and Hawk Way by Laguna Hills High School. I saw it there at 7:45am when I dropped off my daughter to school. Later on that day, this poor raccoon was still laying there, so I called the emergency animal control number to have them remove it. It is now over 24 hours later at 9:13 am and that poor raccoon is still in the street. DD
Laguna Hills is finally considering Transportation Services for Seniors - Has Barbara Kogerman's Candidacy for Laguna Hills City Council in 2010 made a differencealready?

I read the information on the city web site about Senior Transportation and I saw that after 3 years the city is finally doing something about this because they have found a way to do it for free and choose to do it in an election year when threatened by a candidate who has potential to win. The city council has always been overly controlling and prefered to save citizen money for bonuses, cars and other benefits for the city manager, for themselves and pet projects that make them look good. I have known these people for 20 years and what the citizens need to understand is that Craig Scott, Joel Lautenschleger and Allan Songstad control the council. This core of 3 do not view the city as made up of citizens and businesses, but as their personal property. Bressette and Carruth, who are more citizen oriented, are necessary nuisances to them. The council acts as the Planning Agency because they want to control every aspect of the city. Notice the huge numbers of conditions with which any small business must comply before being granted the simplest Conditional Use Permit. I am speaking up now because the only way to get much needed change in Laguna Hills for citizens and business is to eliminate Craig Scott this year and Lautenschleger and Songstad in 2010.Long time Laguna Hills Senior and business owner. =======================================
“I’m gratified that, the City Council is following my lead, and finally addressing these important services for our Seniors,” says Barbara Kogerman, challenger for a city council seat in the Nov. 2010 election. Volunteers plan to begin gathering signatures Saturday to place the Laguna Hills City Council Term Limits Initiative, that Kogerman is chairing, on the Nov. ballot. Today's council is the same one elected by voters at incorporation in 1991. On Dec. 8, 2009 they voted to study term limits. Kogerman urged them to place her initiative on the ballot. Learn more about Kogerman’s City Council Campaign & Term Limits Initiative at www.kogerman4council.com ========================================== How to Support the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Division Adopted by the City of Laguna Hills
??????? More to follow.
========================================== OC Register News Stories and blogs ==========================================
No go for anti-DUI program on Laguna Hills Drive
http://www.ocregister.com/news/hills-229166-program-city.html

Laguna Hills to study council term limits
http://www.ocregister.com/news/council-228938-city-term.html

No go for anti-DUI program on Laguna Hills Drive
http://www.ocregister.com/news/hills-229166-program-city.html

Marine families get pampered by Laguna Hills
http://www.ocregister.com/news/city-228862-battalion-training.html

City manager who got car now gets performance bonus
http://www.ocregister.com/news/city-223526-bonus-manager.html

City Manager Benefits top $170,000 November 06, 2009
http://www.ocregister.com/news/city-218145-insurance-salary.html

City manager won't comment on $60,000 car
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/city-channing-car-2635479-year-hills

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/

It's the Health Insurance, Stupid
http://taxdollars.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/05/its-the-health-insurance-stupid/42089/

Full benefits for part-time elected officials are reasonable, mayor says
http://taxdollars.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/05/full-benefits-for-part-time-elected-officials-are-reasonable-mayor-says/42213/

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

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 objectionshttp://www.ocregister.com/articles/bonus-council-channing-2253011-scott-city
==================================================== 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, 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.
======================================== Reminders & Letters to the Editor
To write letters to the editor of the Orange county register newspaper: letters@ocregister.com Please provide your name and telephone number (telephone numbers will not be published). Letters of about 200 words will be given preference. Letters will be edited for length, grammar and clarity.

You can contact all of the Laguna Hills City Council Members at: ccouncil@ci.laguna-hills.ca.us phone: 949-707-2610 fax: 949-707-2614