09/14/10 Laguna Hills City Council Meeting
All Members were present
PRESENTATIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS – Mayor Bressette presented a 10 year Anniversary Award, a Certificate of Recognition, a plaque and a clock to Vern Jones, Community Development Director for his years of great service to the City of Laguna Hills. Vern has a Master's degree in City Planning, has overseen the development of the New City Plan and manages the City's planning, building and code enforcement functions. Congratulations Mr. Vern Jones!
PUBLIC COMMENTS -
Jim Haines, Laguna Hills Resident for 25 years lives near the Claim Jumper restaurant and stated he plans to be at city hall a lot in the future related to excessive speeds through his neighborhood that is used as a cut through route from La Paz to Paseo de Valencia frequently at speeds higher than 50 mph. He noted this has been a problem for years and the neighborhood tried to address this a few years ago, got past the Traffic Commission, but was shot down by the City Council for any kind of action related to the volume of traffic being too small. He said this problem was recently made worse by the renovation of the shopping center where the Claim Jumper is located. The traffic volume is much heavier now and there are a lot of young children in the neighborhood so something has to be done. He said he is going to the Traffic Commission with this problem tomorrow night but wanted to give the city council a heads up about this problem and get suggestions.
Bill Thorpe, Laguna Hills Resident stated that the City Council has done a good job for the City for 20 years and he hopes they will embrace the spirit of the Term Limits for the Laguna Hills City Council Members Initiative, Measure T. He noted that the nation's Founding Father's, Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams and others envisioned a representative form of government whereby citizens would give public service to represent the interests of their fellow citizens. They would go away to serve and then were expected to come back to their communities and live under the laws they helped make while others would then serve in their places. He said there now seems to be a pervasive attitude of self interest, and personal gain brought about by power, familiarity and longevity in office. He added that nowhere in the founding structure of our nation is there the concept of a permanent, career oriented form of government. He ended by encouraging all voters to turn out and vote for Term Limits for the Laguna Hills City Council -"Measure T". Bill Thorpe spoke again during Planning Agency Public Comments and added that he is a 30 year resident who has served on commissions and then stepped aside so others could have an opportunity to serve.
Bob Dickson, Laguna Hills Resident proposed the idea of reporting total compensation of city management staff and elected officials on the city web site in a W2 format, because this is an easy format and one that is familiar to everyone. He added that an extra box can easily be added to this format for additional information when one is needed.
Lt. Col. Bill Kogerman, US Marine Corps retired and long time Laguna Hills Resident stated 1st amendment, Freedom of Speech, rights include political campaign yard signs that are also protected by Articles 1 & 2 of the CA. Constitution. He said over 100 private property owners have given him exclusive rights to put his wife's election signs on their properties, but on La Paz and Paseo de Valencia many of their election signs have been removed from Public Property even though it is permissible to place signs on Public Property if they are not in the median and 2 feet from the sidewalk. He added that the screaming of Councilman Craig Scott's wife at his wife this weekend was seemingly approving of vigilantism on one corner located in public domain but that corner was okay for political signs. He recalled that in 2008 City Council Candidate Ellie Michaels-Smith spent thousands of dollars on signs that were beaten into the ground when she ran against Council Members Songstad and Lautenschleger. He said he filed a criminal complaint regarding the theft and vandalism of his signs. When asked by the officer taking his report if he had any idea who might have taken his signs, he responded that the same thing happened in the 2008 election and it is happening again with the same 2 councilmen now working on behalf of Councilman Scott, so it may be a coincidence but it's more of a coincidence that in the private (gated) community, where Councilman Lautenschleger lives, Kogerman signs have been taken off of private property. He announced that he is now publicly offering a $500 reward to the arrest and conviction of anybody taking down Kogerman for Council or Yes on Measure T signs.
Council Member Craig Scott asked Mr. Kogerman if he had personally seen Mr. Songstad or Mr. Lautenschleger touch one of his signs. Kogerman responded, if he had seen that he would have told the officer taking his report. Scott retorted, "How dare you sir, how dare you accuse these honorable gentlemen!" Kogerman, "There was no accusing of anything, I chose my words very carefully and said to the officer, there's a coincidence, so don't put words in my mouth, as you are prone to do." Scott, in a louder voice, "Don't you come into this chamber and accuse these fine gentlemen!" "You are so out of line!" Mayor Bressette reminded the speakers to maintain order and decorum despite the (but was interrupted by) Scott yelling, "Despite wild accusations by Mr, Kogerman." Kogerman, "and costs too caused by" Scott, "Caused by whom, sir?" Kogerman, "Whoever is doing the act." Scott yelled, "Don't you dare come here and suggest it was one of these council members! Unless you can prove it don't say it." Kogerman loudly, " Do not put words in my mouth, Scott." Mayor Bressette interrupted again, "Mr. Kogerman and Mr. Scott, thank you" (again, Craig Scott interrupted the Mayor) Scott, "You are so out of line!"
Council Member Carruth reminded the Council Members of rules of decorum to which City Council Members are supposed to adhere. Council Member Songstad responded that he had never touched a sign of another candidate but had lost many of his own signs and it is disturbing and unfortunate. Council Member Lautenschleger yelled loudly, "I have never stolen a sign in my life" and then accused the 2008 candidate running against him of covering up and destroying his signs. Mayor Bressette added that it is inappropriate to campaign in this chamber that is about the people's business.
Editor's Note: We have no idea who is responsible for thefts and defacings of Barbara Kogerman's election campaign signs, but related to issues of honesty we do have copies of a letter signed by Lautenschleger and Songstad asking for campaign contributions for Craig Scott that were mailed to many Laguna Hills citizens. Included in their letter is this statement - ("Sadly, one city council challenger is amassing a large war chest of out-of-town money she's already begun spending in a vicious misinformation campaign. Her stated objective in running for City Council is to "remove from the Council all males over the age of 50." ) which we now do know is NOT TRUE. We also know that despite our repeated requests none of them will admit responsibility for this letter or respond to our requests to identify the "she" in the letter or to document the stated objective of, "removing all males over the age of 50 from the city council".
LHHS STUDENT LIAISON REPORT by Mike Spain who said school started yesterday and joked that the students were bummed that school was delayed a extra week as that made it harder to pull themselves away from the beach. The football team won their game, the girls volleyball team had an awesome season start and at the end of September, the Spanish General Council is coming to speak to them, also Uganda's "Invisible Children" are coming to LHHS on October 4th including some of the victims to speak about the use of children in gorilla warfare. Council Member Carruth asked how the new SRO is working out as Deputy Botta the previous Student Resource Officer has moved on to other assignments.
Editor's Note - We wonder how this LHHS student felt about his first time addressing this city council following the previous drama?
Back to PUBLIC COMMENTS - Mr. Michael Mofid, owner of The Hills Hotel in Laguna Hills, inquired about the need for more effective lighting and signage to make his hotel more visible from the nearby freeway. He asked if the city council would consider LED lighting? Community Development Director Vern Jones stated that there had been complaints from residents previously about using roof lights and LED lights are similar in intensity. Mayor Bressette suggested that this issue be brought back as a scheduled agenda item in the near future to investigate and study.
MINUTES - Recommendation that the City Council Approve the Minutes of the previous, City Council meeting for publication on the city web site. The Minutes from tonight's meeting will not be approved for publication on the city web site until the next City Council Meeting.
CONSENT CALENDAR *(The Consent Calendar consists of multiple items, including the Warrant Register, on which the city council votes as a whole, with no public discussion, unless an item is pulled for individual consideration )
Item 4.3 - 14th Annual Inter-coastal Watershed Clean-up Day + 26th Annual California Clean-up Day - Sept. 25. The City is asking for volunteer participation from 9 am to 12:00 noon to pick up trash and debris to prevent it from flowing into the ocean. The meeting location is at the Laguna Hills Community Center for more information contact the Public Services Dept. at 949-707-2657 or go to www.ci.laguna-hills.ca.us
Warrant Register: $278,272.64
Items of interest - $2,900 to Joe A. Gonsalves and Son, Professional Fees, Legislative Services - a company that lobbies the State Legislature This is the 3rd payment for this amount to them that we have found but there is never information about the issue that requires lobbying.
ITEMS PULLED from CONSENT CALENDAR - Item 4.3 Watershed Clean-up Day was pulled by Mayor Bressette to encourage citizens to participate. Item 4.2 Warrant Register Item pulled by Council Member Craig Scott because he cannot vote on a payment to A-Throne CO, Inc. a client of his. VOTE - The Warrant Register was passed.
CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARINGS - NONE
PLANNING AGENCY PUBLIC HEARINGS - NONE
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS - NONE
Unagendized Item 7.1 required immediate attention - Council Member Lautenschleger was appointed as voting delegate to the League of CA. Cities Annual Conference in lieu of another council member who dropped out.
MATTERS PRESENTED by MAYOR & CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
Item 8.1 - Presented by Mayor Randal Bressette -
A. Amendment for the Laguna Hills Municipal Code - City Manager - Acquisition and Budgeting of the City Manager's Contractually Authorized City Vehicle.
Recommendation - City Council direct the City Attorney to return to the September 28th city council meeting with 1st reading of an ordinance to add - the acquisition of the City Manager's vehicle shall be budgeted in the Biennial Budget in which the vehicle is acquired and shall require city council approval before acquisition.
B. In the City's Purchasing System, replace the phrase "Total Value" with the phrase "Total Gross Purchase Price" The use of the phrase 'Total Value" is ambiguous and ineffective in the City's purchasing Policy and has led to the acquisition of a city asset stirring unnecessary debate. Recommendation - City Council direct the City Attorney to return to the Sept. 28th meeting with 1st reading of an ordinance defining the term as Total Purchase Price, including sales tax and any other relevant fees and before deducting for discounts, allowances, returns and trade-ins.
Council Member Craig Scott asked if staff believes there is a need for a more broad based overhaul of the City's Purchasing Policy regarding both 8.1 A and B here? He also said he listened to the tape of the last city council meeting and agrees with the need for a comprehensive approach, a need to review the entire purchasing system not just the City Manager's purchasing authority.
Assistant City Manager Don White responded that one of the work plans for this fiscal year (City of Laguna Hills Fiscal Year begins on July 1 and ends on June 30 every year) is to do an update of the City's Purchasing Ordinance, the last one is about 7 years old.
Mayor Bressette made a motion that the City Council direct the City Attorney to return to the September 28th 2010 city council meeting with 1st reading of an ordinance to add - the acquisition of the City Manager's vehicle shall be budgeted for in the Biennial Budget in which the vehicle is acquired and shall require city council approval before acquisition. Council Member Carruth seconded the motion and said that this item was separate from an overhaul of the entire purchasing policy, and is needed to make all council members aware of purchase requests prior to an acquisition such as the City Manager's car.
Council Member Songstad said he believes it is already budgeted and said the city council should combine A and B and ask the City Attorney to come back with a review of all the equipment purchasing provisions of the city's code. A comprehensive review is needed, the policy has been successful for many years and he doesn't agree with some suggestions for the definition of the term "Total Value" such as including sales tax.
Mayor Bressette questioned whether the City Attorney would be able to bring this back by Sept. 28, 2010.
Greg Simonian, City Attorney stated the substitute motion, as he understand it would direct city staff and the City Attorney's office to undertake take a comprehensive review of the Municipal Code's approach to purchasing and come back with a report, a recommendation or an option's report including comprehensive provisions. He said his understanding is that staff has already embarked on this issue but an estimate on the time for this would be that it could take 3 to 6 months.
Council Member Carruth requested that in any review process there be assurances that the staff has clear direction related to a definition for the term "Total Value". She also said it is not necessary to spend hours and months and a lot of money to fix these 2 items that triggered the $60,000 car purchase. It is simple change to be sure that the council can approve before this type of item is purchased.
Mayor Bressette reminded the council that in 3 to 6 months they will already be discussing a new budget and that before that, these 2 issues need to be clearly defined. Also, if the city manager's car was budgeted the city council should be able to prove that. He said the term "Total Value" is even more critical and can't wait to be discussed in 3 to 6 months.
Editor's Note - The Laguna Hills Watch Dog requested City Records to show where the car for the city manager was budgeted 3 times, in 3 different ways and was told there were no records to support the $50,000 or $60,000 for the City Manager's car being in any approved budget or any other budget for the City of Laguna Hills. However there is a definition in Section 3-08.020 on the Purchasing System that states: "Approved budget" refers to the adopted appropriation for the procurement of materials, supplies and equipment"- vehicles are included in this definition. So, the purchase of the car could have been lumped into a larger budget of "equipment" for the city where it could not identified as a single purchase? We also requested any records that define the term "Total Value" in the City's Purchasing Policy and were told there were no records of a definition from the city for the term "Total Value".
Council Member Lautenschleger suggested asking the Assistant City Manager how long his review would take. Assistant City Manager, Don White responded that it should be completed this fiscal year. (that would be by the end of June, 2011). He added that the work on this has not yet begun in earnest, but should take 2 or 3 months.
Mayor Bressette concluded this was a clever way to simply avoid this issue, that is a simple change, by sending it off to another report.
VOTE - Item 8.1 A and B both failed. The Substitute Motion for the entire purchasing system to be studied for 2 to 3 months as a comprehensive review passed 3 - 2
Editor's Note - We strongly agree with Council Members Bressette and Carruth here. At the last city council meeting Songstad and Lautenschleger stonewalled this idea, and at this meeting they and Council Member Craig Scott shipped "accountability" off to the dead issues office.
Council Member Carruth questioned City Manager Channing, saying from what Assistant City Manager Don White just told us the city staff has already embarked on a comprehensive review of the city's purchasing plan, so why wasn't the Council advised of that at the last Council Meeting when this same issue was being discussed? Wouldn't it have been helpful to all of us if we had been advised of this?
City Manager Bruce Channing's response was, "If the council was interested at the time, I didn't get the impression that it was looking for information from the staff on that item." "No questions were asked of the staff."
Editor's Note - At the last council meeting there was an extensive discussion of the issue of holes in the City's Purchasing Policy that allowed the City Manager to acquire his $60,000 car through ambiguity related to the undefined term "Total Value" and without city council approval. The city manager was in attendance during that entire discussion?
C. Annual Posting of the Public Official's Compensation Report on the City's Web Site. Recommendation - City Council direct the City Attorney to return to the Sept. 28th meeting with 1st reading of an ordinance amending the City's Municipal Code to add a Chapter entitled "Annual Posting of a Report entitled "Public Official's Compensation Report" including requirements the report be posted as a link on the home page of the City's web site, be posted no later than the 1st Friday in February of the given year and the report shall state the preceding year's total compensation for the City Council and Management Staff.
Mayor Bressette asked that the above motion (C) be passed in response to all of the press related to the City of Bell. He said he does not want a one time response here but continous annual updated and posted reports for inspection by the Laguna Hills Community. Council Member Songstad suggested reporting the information the city has already reported and update when that is required. Greg Simonian, City Attorney stated this motion would become a city law requiring compensation reporting.
PUBLIC COMMENTS - Barbara Kogerman, Candidate for City Council spoke in favor of the motion, she explained how she did her study of the total compensation of all the City Managers in Orange County. She said copies of city records of the Employee Relations Contracts from each city were obtained and the costs of all item in each contract for every city manager, assistant city manager and city council member were added just as the costs appeared in the records. She said she was surprised by the amount of over $400,000 in total compensation for the Laguna Hills City Manager and with or without the $60,000 car the Laguna Hills City Manager still received the highest total compensation in all of Orange County. She noted it was apples to apples with all cities treated the same.
VOTE - Item 8,1 C requiring Annual reporting of total Compensation Passed. 5-0
D. Amendment of "Public Official's Compensation Report" to include tables detailing Salary and Benefit's information for City Council and Management Staff.
Recommendation - City Council direct the City Manager to amend the "Public Official's Compensation Report" to include all of the total compensation items which are in the existing report and to add unused vacation buyout, unused sick leave buyout, taxable personal use of a city-owned vehicle, taxable personal toll-road fees and employee's Medicare contributions paid by employer. Additionally the report will include an easy to read "at-a-glance" tabular format with tables inserted after the City Council compensation section for each City Council Member and each Staff Member.
Mayor Bressette - made a motion including the information listed in (D) above.
Council Member Songstad stated our city has already done an outstanding job so until there is more legislation we should stick with what we have. Mayor Bressette said he thinks we have an obligation to report to our residents/taxpayers in an easier to read format detailing the numbers and the total rather than expecting them to read through 11 pages to consolidate the pieces of information that appear throughout that report. He said the city manager disagreed about posting the vacation buyout, but items should be detailed not reported in a lump sum. Council Member Carruth stated that reporting requirements of the state controller, there is an expectation from our community to provide accurate information in an easy to understand format. Why not get ahead of the curve on this rather than to wait for a requirement to keep up.
PUBLIC COMMENTS - Lt. Col. Bill Kogerman said, What seems to be missing from this discussion is why this information needs to be published. Legislation is pending but the issue is not what the IRS deems taxable. What we as taxpayers care about is what this council is approving for the total cost of doing business with City Management Staff. We don't want to get into issues of who thinks what should be considered "compensation". The citizens demand transparency and the total costs. This is the thrust of the entire issue.
Council Member Songstad made a substitute motion stating approve the compensation report already written by the staff and if changes are required the report can be modified at that time. Mayor Bressette expressed dismay that the substitute motion does not include total costs, says it's fine the way it is and does not recognize a need to detail this for our residents what we are paying ourselves and Senior Management Staff. He said he was not sure what was included and what wasn't. He said, "I'm the Mayor and I don't know. How is that possible?" He added he has been asking for this information for years and so has Ms. Carruth. It is wrong not to provide this kind of detail to our citizens. Council Member Lautenschleger stated you are doing the citizens a disservice by saying they can't figure out the information that is there now, the information is complete. Council Member Craig Scott - No Comment
Vote - Item 8.1 D failed and the Substitute Motion of - Approve the compensation report as written by the staff and if changes are required the report can be modified at that time passed 3 to 2.
** A Member of the Audience boldly spoke out asking the Council, what many of us were thinking, "What are you gentlemen so afraid of?"
Click the links below to see more about this in the Orange County Register
OC has two of state’s best-paid city managers September 17th, 2010, 3:00 am · 15 Comments · posted by Teri Sforza, Register staff writer http://taxdollars.ocregister.com/2010/09/17/oc-has-two-of-states-best-paid-city-managers/64492/
Published: Sept. 10, 2010 Laguna Hills posts compensation report - go to
http://www.ocregister.com/news/calpers-266010-city-contribution.html
Item 8.2 from Council Member Melody Carruth -
A. - 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Division Military Support Committee Information
Recommendation:
1. Direct Staff to establish a Military Support Committee to support the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Division based at Camp Pendleton and
2. Direct the City Attorney to establish a 501 (C) (3) non-profit corporation for the 3/5 Military Support Committee Organization, and
3. Appoint residents Richard Nagle, Karen Robbins, 2 members of the city council, and a member of the city staff, chosen by the City Manager to the Military Support Committee.
Kimberly Reese, the 3/5 Family Readiness Officer, has indicated that she will represent the 3/5 at meetings.
Council Member Carruth thanked Richard Nagle who has been helping to reconstitute the 3/5 Marines Support Committee and announced that the 3/5 Marines are packing their bags now to deploy Afghanistan. She said we need to take action to reconstitute the 3/5 citizens committee now. She said we know now where the organization of the previous committee went wrong so we don't need another study. She said she and Mayor Bressette met with the representatives from the 3/5 Battalion, discussed all the issues and found no problems or objections to the new organization (as stated above) of the support committee, so there is no need for more delay for the 3/5 or more discussion for the city council. She then made the motion stated above as Item 8.2 and Mayor Bressette seconded the motion. Mayor Bressette added that during their meeting with the Marines they discussed the specifics of the problems with the first committee and worked them out. Council Member Songstad said he agreed with supporting the Marines but another study is needed to do it right this time. Council Member Lautenschleger stated he is in favor but the history of this is trouble, so although Council Members Carruth and Bressette may have talked to the Military, we need to get the military here to talk with the entire city council so we can all hear first hand.
PUBLIC COMMENTS - Lt. Col. Bill Kogerman stated he couldn't believe he was agreeing with the 3 guys who are the majority on the council, but stressed doing it right.
Council Member Craig Scott made no comment but at the November 24, 2009 City Council Meeting, he 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..
Due to lack of support for immediate action, Council Member Carruth introduced a substitute motion to study the issue further with a staff report by September 28, 2010. City Manager Bruce Channing interjected that the staff may not have enough time to get information from other cities about how they organized their support by September 28. Mayor Bressette countered with - it is not too short a time to establish how to establish a military support committee and how to establish a 501 (C) (3). He said if the Council gives permission he and Council Member Carruth will make this a success. Council Member Songstad stated he wanted information from Laguna Niguel and Dana Point on what they did, input from Mr. Richard Nagle, and information from the City Attorney about establishing a 501 (C) (3) non-profit.
VOTE - The motion to set up the new organization for the support group as stated above failed and the substitute motion from Council Member Carruth to study the issue further and to get a staff report by September 28, 2010 passed 5-0.
See Stories about the history of the Marine Adoption by the City of Laguna Hillls at:
OCREGISTER: City to look at renewing support for Marine battalion
http://www.ocregister.com/news/support-266469-city-battalion.html
OCREGISTER: No support committee just yet for Laguna Hills' adopted battalion
http://www.ocregister.com/news/committee-266605-support-city.html
Editor's Note - The Laguna Hills Watch Dog obtained city records about the City's failed Marine Adoption and noted that on August 28, 2007 the Laguna Hills City Council voted 5-0 to Adopt the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division based at Camp Pendleton. Just 2 months later (on October 23, 2007) the City Council rescinded all city support for the Marines except the "Formal Adoption" in a 4-1 vote. Council Member Bressette who was the only NO vote also strenuously objected to cutting off a line of communication to the City for the Marines. 11 months later (on September 27, 2008) the City hosted a Formal Public Adoption Ceremony for the Marines at the Laguna Hills High School Stadium with guests & pamphlets including color photos of Allan Songstad (the Mayor at that time) and the Marines. Photos were also in "City Views" the city news magazine. The Public Adoption Ceremony took place less than 2 months prior to the 2008 City Council election for incumbents Allan Songstad and Joel Lautenschleger while the city continued to provide NO Official support for the Marines.
One month after the Formal Public Adoption Ceremony, at the October 14, 2008 Laguna Hills City Council Meeting the council was given a beautiful hand carved dark oak stained wooden plaque with the head of a horse with a flowing mane at the top to represent the Dark Horse Battalion. The Mayor at that time, Allan Songstad, stated the plaque would be hanging in city hall for all to admire. That plaque has since disappeared from City Hall.
Eight months after the Formal Public Adoption Ceremony, at the May 26, 2009 Laguna Hills City Council meeting, Mayor Lautenschleger announced he was invited to and attended a Camp Pendleton Adoption Committee Appreciation Banquet. He said 20 cities sponsored/adopted Marine Divisions at Camp Pendleton and Members of the Adoption Committees were honored and were given a list of how to raise funds for their adopted battalions. He also said the 3/5 was in Iraq again.
Eleven months after the Formal Public Adoption Ceremony, at the November 24, 2009 City Council Meeting Council Member Craig Scott (in response to Council Member Carruth's efforts to strengthen support for the Marines) 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 and the city should not be about reconstituting.
The question remains why did this City rescind support for the 3/5 Marines? With the help of our Correspondent Tom Epperson, we looked into that - City records indicate that when the City Council rescinded their support for the Marines some Council Members blamed Tim Sloat, an experienced advisor who assists cities to adopt Military units, for not giving them enough information to properly organize their steering committee related to the Military not being able to sit on a committee that also has a city staff member sitting on the same committee. In speaking about this with Mr.Sloat, Tom Epperson learned that a change in the committee could have been easily made by replacing the city staff member with a citizen liaison or replacing the active military person on the committee with a non-military liaison assigned by the 3/5 Marines. Mr. Sloat indicated that in his opinion the most successful adoptions are those where city government is not involved in the actual adoption committee. We can now understand his reasoning for that.
Many other cities have been able to find a way to successfully adopt military units and continue to support them. Some of those cities participate directly with their adopted military units and others participate through their adoption committees. Information contained on city web sites varies from calendar information, to contact information, to support committee members as well as history of the adopted units. Adoption committee members in other cities often includes city council members in addition to citizens. Many of the cities' web sites have city advertising regarding how to support their adopted military units including a point of contact at the cities for sending donations, and drop off locations at city halls for donated items.
CLOSED SESSION - Items 9.1 and 9.2 - Conferences with Real Property Negotiators re. prices and Terms of lease for space #s 220 and 310 at City Hall.
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Elections Information - Laguna Hills City Council Candidates for 2010 The Laguna Hills Watch Dog has a Candidate Questionnaire for all non-incumbent City Council Candidates. We will be happy to e-mail or hand one to each candidate to fill out if a candidate wishes to have his/her information included in the Laguna Hills Watch Dog. The non-incumbent candidates for Laguna Hills City Council are: Barbara Kogerman - http://www.kogerman4council.com/ , Pierre Gilbert - www.gilbertforcouncil.com/ , Saeid Hariri http://votesaeidhariri2010.webs.com/platform.htm , Ali Djowharzadeh, and Randal Scott Oakley. Only Barbara Kogerman has filled out our questionnaire and we could not find candidate web sites or any campaign information yet for Djowharzadeh, or Oakley.
City Council Candidate Barbara Kogerman has Campaign Signs ready to hand out now for your yard. Contact Barbara Kogerman at 949-855-9889 e-mail to Kogerman4council@cox.net Her campaign web site is at - http://www.kogerman4council.com/ Barbara has already delivered to the citizens of Laguna Hills the Term Limits for the Laguna Hills City Council Initiative which is on the November Ballot as Measure T and her study of the total compensation of all the City Manager's in Orange County has led to State Legislation requiring transparency in public reporting of compensation for city staff and elected officials.
Information, Questions, Concerns & Comments
from Watch Dog Readers
Please let people know to go to the Laguna Hills City Web Site and look under City Council and Craig Scott to see this - Craig Scott is the author or co-author of six books in his field of legal specialization. Soon to be published is his Severance Agreements: 6 Steps™ to a Better Deal (A How-To Guide for City Managers and Other Public Executives). Scott also negotiates the Laguna Hills City Manager's compensation packages. Vote Council Member Craig Scott out in November! Sick of Deception
After all the whining, complaining and bad mouthing of Professor Smoller, his students and Barbara Kogerman by some members of the Laguna Hills City Council, look who is legitimate and getting an award for it! Good for them, it's about time - Transparency honor goes to Brandman students, law passes http://taxdollars.ocregister.com/2010/09/01/transparency-honor-goes-to-brandman-students/63589/ Laguna Hills Citizen who is reading and listening.
The Laguna Hills City Manager, Bruce Channing being on Brown’s list is confirmation of the Kogerman report’s finding: that he is overcompensated. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/09/atty-gen-probes-more-high-salaries-across-california.html Watching and Learning
Here is the reason for the small amount of recent transparency we now find on the Laguna Hills Web site - Scott, Lautenschleger and Songstad will never agree to do more than they are required by law to do for transparency. They have not done that for 20 years and see no reason to change to change unless forced to do so - OCREGISTER: City posts compensation information http://www.ocregister.com/news/city-263829-manager-annually.html Throw the bums out!
"In August, State Controller John Chiang announced cities and counties in California were required to clearly report compensation for public employees and elected officials, which will be posted on the controller's web site in November. The requirements come after it was reported the city of Bell's City Manager was paid nearly $800,000. Cities could face up to a $5,000 fine if they do not comply." Thank you to the OC Register and to Barbara Kogerman! Voting for Kogerman for City Council in Nov. and NOT for Scott.
I attended the 8/24 city council meeting and observed Lautenschleger and Songstad using the term "echo" frequently to indicate that they were repeating each other. If they are going to do so much repeating why not just have one of them speak for both and save the citizens a lot of time? Eliminate the Waste
I learned that Council Member Craig Scott was absent from the 8/24/10 City Council meeting, after a previous month of recess from city council meetings, because he was vacationing in Alaska. I heard one member of the audience at the 8/24 City Council meeting say, "He better be bleeding," when it was announced that Craig Scott was absent from a meeting that was very important for citizens . I now understand why she said that and agree. If we want someone to serve the citizens perhaps this lady should be running for council because she obviously feels strongly about Accountability, something that Scott, Lautenschleger and Songstad are missing. Listening and Learning
Well, harumph! What hubris, though not I suppose for the first time. Perhaps Channing needs a new title since City Manager is obviously too humble for such an exalted personage. Grand Poobah, perhaps, or Your Lordship? Maybe The Semi-Great Dictator. Does all this make our city council people his humble subjects or just his dupes? Seriously however, it only reinforces the fact that he is the unelected boss of the city and we, who pay his salary, etc., have no input whatsoever. Vote for the Citizens
I don't like the fact we are giving away our money to buy a new luxury car for the City Manager. They should have bought him a car from our City Dealer. Our City dealer's cars are large enough to handle the job quite well. My husband suggested the City Manager drive his own car to work and then use one of the City vans at the Community Center or drive his own car to work and have a car sitting at the City for him to use. We should not be purchasing a luxury family car for him to use for work. This is a government not a corporate job. I 'm also upset about cutting back on the police services and last fall, as I took my daughter to school, there was a dead skunk in the gutter on the side of the road right across from the Paseo de Valencia entrance to the Laguna Hills High School. It took 4 days to remove this dead animal. Kids were walking by this animal in the street and dead animals carry bacteria and disease. I called 3 times to get this animal out of the street. I called the City and then animal control. Another service our citizens have lost is a good, full time Code Enforcement person - Beverly Thompson-Garcia. Beverly was out on maternity leave and was going to return but now they have two people in Planning taking calls, who do nothing. Someone named Erin works only Friday and Saturday to actually handle the calls and do inspections. Citizen who wants city money used for Citizens
Lets clean house. let’s get all the hidden agenda out and see daylight. Giving hidden pay increases with sick days and vacation pay should not be the way it's done, and SHOULD NOT count toward retirement. Sick days should maybe be cashed out at 50 % and not count toward retirement or to retire early because not used, same goes for vacation pay. Mr. C
How to Support the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Division Adopted by the City of Laguna Hills OCREGISTER: Marines given royal sendoff by Mariners Church
http://www.ocregister.com/news/mariners-255221-families-regiment.html - that the City of Laguna Hills took credit for adopting and then apparently abandoned. This article says the 3/5 will be going back to Afghanistan in September. - Council Member Melody Carruth told us - If you want to serve on a new Support Committee for the Adopted Marine Division and/or make a contribution contact Richard Nagle at rnagle74@cox.net
For "CRIME IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD" *** Update - go to
OCREGISTER: Crime in your neighborhood - http://www.ocregister.com/news/reported-257761-block-road.html Also: www.ocregister.com/saddleback scroll down to "Local Maps" move the map to your area, and click on the crime icons for details that show calls to the OC Sheriff's Department. You can also see stats for Crime in Lake Forest & Laguna Hills on Fridays in the Saddleback Valley News that is delivered to our area. There is also more information at http://www.ocsd.org/ (the OC Sheriff's Dept.) click on "E-Services" for the pull down menu, next click on "Sheriff's Blotter" then click "Laguna Hills" for the 7 or 30 day view.
OC Register News Stories & blogs re: Laguna Hills
OC Register Editorial: City pay data belongs in daylight
http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/city-261556-compensation-cities.html
Proposed California law would sanction cities that pay excessive salaries
http://www.latimes.com/news/la-me-bell-legislation-20100812,0,4204782,email.story
Mad scramble to yank veil off city salaries begins http://taxdollars.ocregister.com/2010/08/05/mad-scramble-to-yank-veil-off-city-salaries-begins/62215/
Editorial - Orange County Register on Friday, May 21, 2010 - Managing some big pay packages begins with "If you require a fresh source of indignation over public employees' perks, look no further than Laguna Hills," http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/compensation-249743-city-public.html
Top city manager compensation: $460,809, report says
http://taxdollars.freedomblogging.com/2010/05/17/top-city-manager-compensation-460809-report-says/57287/
Controversial city manager compensation report now online
http://taxdollars.freedomblogging.com/2010/05/17/controversial-city-comp-report-now-online/57357/
Frustration, lack of transparency mar quest for city pay data
http://taxdollars.freedomblogging.com/2010/05/26/frustration-lack-of-transparency-mar-quest-for-city-pay-data/57991/
Laguna Hills defends city manager pay increases
http://www.ocregister.com/news/city-251558-manager-channing.html
OCREGISTER: Kogerman submits term limit initiative
http://www.ocregister.com/news/city-251580-council-kogerman.html
City Manager who got car now gets performance bonus
http://www.ocregister.com/news/city-223526-bonus-manager.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/
Laguna Hills City Council Members Say the Darndest Things in Public
Feb. 1, 2010 - Laguna Hills Mayor Pro-Tem. Craig Scott commented on KOCE TV that Term Limits are undemocratic and shift power to Career Bureaucrats, campaign consultants and those who have other than our best interests at heart.
Council Member Craig Scott seems confused about this considering that a career is a course or progress through life, or a distinct portion of life and a Bureaucrat is a term that usually connotes someone within an institution of a government. Council Member Craig Scott has been a Laguna Hills City Council Member without a break for 19 years so far and is expected to run again in 2010. So, by definition he has achieved Career Bureaucrat status and he achieved that without Term Limits. Congratulations Mr. Scott!
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? Council Member Craig Scott is speaking about Nellie Gail Moulton (1878-1972) Born in Kansas in 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 a summer trip to visit her family in Southern California she met Lewis Moulton whom she married in 1908. They 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 in the lobby at City Hall!
June 10, 2008 - 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 Council Member Songstad, that is exactly what we have been trying to tell you about the Laguna Hills City Council "sticking " the residents with the same bad vendor - The Orange County Animal Shelter for the past 19 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 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 19 years)
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.
August 19, 1994 - LHCC Member Alan Songstad - From the Los Angeles Times Newspaper Article Collections - Orange County Focus August 19, 1994LYNN FRANEY - Laguna Hills Councilman Declines to Run for Reelection With Councilman L. Allan Songstad Jr. declining to run for reelection, at least one newcomer will gain a seat on the City Council this fall. Songstad said he never intended to run for a second council term and that he is not a "career politician." That leaves space for at least one of the challengers, Cindy Greengold, Saeid Hariri, Grant R. Marcus or Charmane Riggs.
Now, in 2010 with 18 years on the Laguna Hills City Council we are guessing Council Member Songstad has changed his mind about being not being a "career politician."
Reminders & Letters to the Editor
To write letters to the editor of the Orange county register newspaper: letters@ocregister.com 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
