Laguna Hills Watch Dog


HEADLINES/ ITEMS OF POSSIBLE INTEREST for the Tuesday, October 23, 2012, Laguna Hills City Council Meeting - 7 PM at City Hall


** Consider Attending a Council Meeting to express your opinion on items of interest to you or just to observe.


** SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS - ** Prior to the last 2 City Council Meetings the City of Laguna Hills web site has Blocked Public Access (on Sat. and Sun.) to the Agenda for a Tues. night City Council Meeting. This happened after the City Manager pledged on behalf of the City, on Aug. 28, 2012, to uphold the provisions of the Brown Act including the preparation and posting, at least 72 hours before a regular meeting, of an agenda with description of each item of business to be transacted. - City Staff told us at the Oct. 9 City Council Meeting that this was not deliberate and they are working on the problem. ** On Friday, October 19 access for Residents was again blocked, to the Agenda for the Tuesday Oct. 23 Council Meeting. There was an announcement on the web site that stated - Page will be down for scheduled maintenance October 19, 2012 from 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm (Please check back later.) The good news is that the city web site including public access to the Agenda for the Oct. 23 City Council Meeting does appear to be working well on Sat. Oct. 20.  Apparently the City Council and Staff need to change the scheduled computer maintenance down times to mid-week rather than Fridays and weekends when Residents are looking for City Council Meeting Agenda Items.


The Orange County Register Newspaper has endorsed Andrew Blount and Raghu Mathur for Laguna Hills City Council - They said, "The Laguna Hills City Council has been divided in recent years over issues of transparency and compensation for the city manager. Two incumbents, Joel Lautenschleger and L. Allan Songstad, were up for reelection this year, but decided not to run. That presents Laguna Hills voters an opportunity to add two new members to the Council who can help move it beyond its internecine squabbles and deal squarely with transparency, executive compensation and other issues facing the city of some 30,000 residents." to see what they had to say about the other candidates just click on - http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/city-374220-council-hills.html


*** WE also STRONGLY ENDORSE Raghu Mathur, Ph.D www.mathurforlagunahills.com  University Administrator and Educator and  Andrew Blount, www.blountforlagunahills.com Small Business owner because, after many years of attending and reporting on Laguna Hills City Council Meetings, we believe they have the needed experience to serve, the dedication to being fiscally conservative, the dedication to serving residents and businesses, an extensive knowledge of our city government, a genuine interest in service to our citizens, in our schools and NO TIES to bind them to previous council policies of Lack of Transparency and Accountability for taxpayers. Perhaps, most importantly, they have pledged to proactively listen to residents and businesses. We encourage you to check candidates' web sites for endorsements from current and previous long term Laguna Hills City Council members who have clear records of voting against transparency and accountability and we hope you will make a decision to Vote in Favor of Maximum Transparency and Accountability in your city. 

Also Please see - see - Ka-chinghe sound of a city manager being fired - just click on http://taxdollars.ocregister.com/2012/10/19/ka-ching-the-sound-of-a-city-manager-being-fired/163292/
Attorney Craig Scott, quoted in this story, was a long term City Council Member in Laguna Hills who was often appointed by the rest of the long term city council members to be the labor negotiator for the Laguna Hills City Manager, who became the highest compensated City Manager in Orange County, and has the 4th highest severance package in the 7th smallest city in OC. Craig Scott was defeated for re-election in 2010 and Laguna Hills has a chance now to replace 2 more long term council members who supported this bloated compensation.  In our opinion, we need to be very careful NOT to elect city council candidates supported by the council members who are leaving, to avoid continuing the same policies.


COUNCIL MEETING FEATURES DIRECTORY


1. PRESENTATIONS and PROCLAMATIONS -   LHHS Student Liaison Report - Adam Wong - alternate Amanda Jafee  and  Laguna Hills 3/5 Marine Support Committee Update


2. CONSENT CALENDAR Items of interest - Item 4.3 - Clarification of Municipal Code for Terms of Office for the Parks and Recreation and Traffic Commissions. These changes were amended by a Resolution in 2005 and had a first reading at the Oct. 9, 2012 City Council meeting. The new ordinance will read: "The term of each board of commission member shall be four years with staggered terms, and expire on January 31. When a commissioner's term expires, reappointment is not automatic."


3. CITY COUNCIL/PLANNING AGENCY PUBLIC HEARINGS: Item 5.4 - MINOR SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT/PARKING USE - A REQUEST, ON BEHALF OF SADDLEBACK MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER, FOR A JOINT USE PARKING PERMIT TO ESTABLISH OFF-SITE STAFF PARKING FOR USE BY MEMORIAL CARE CANCER TREATMENT CENTER, WHICH PLANS TO OCCUPY THE EXISTING BUILDING AT 24302 PASEO DE VALENCIA, AND FOR A MINOR SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT FOR A 3,160 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING ADDITION AND MINOR SITE IMPROVEMENTS.


**According to the City web site under the Planning Dept. We won't be hearing more about the the Fritz Duda Company's proposal to REDEVELOP the OAKBROOK VILLAGE SHOPPING CENTER INCLUDING THE CONSTRUCTION OF MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL RENTAL UNITS, UNTIL a new date is announced - "Public Hearing Scheduled for: TBD"


4. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS - the Council Select and Appoint a designated Representative for purposes of conducting Labor Negotiations with the City Manager, an unrepresented employee. Prior to the closed session the council is required to hold an open session in which the council's labor representative is identified and designated.


5. CLOSED SESSION - 


Item 10.1 - Conference with Labor Negotiator - City Designated Representative City Manager Bruce Channing and Assist. City Manager Don White and Laguna Hills City Employees Association, City Employee Organization


Item 10.2 - Public Employee Annual Performance Evaluation - City Manager


Item 10.3 Conference with Labor Negotiator for City Manager - Agency Negotiator - John Goss, Labor Representative, Unrepresented Employee - City Manager, Negotiation - Terms and Conditions of Employment. Reconvene in Council Chamber for any reportable action taken. ** Editor's Note - We recently spent 8 months of closed sessions and $23,000 of taxpayer money on a labor negotiator to negotiate the City Manager's Terms and Conditions of Employment and all we got was an announcement from Mayor Carruth that Negotiations were concluded. Hopefully this will be more productive?


The 3/5 Marines adopted by the City of Laguna Hills
Team Dark Horse has collected all your donations for the Baby Shower for 23 Marine Expectant Mothers whose husbands are currently deployed on ships to the Middle East.  There were some wonderful surprises included in those donations.  We will receive an update about that at the council meeting.


** Win-Win-Wednesday Schedule - Check the WWWednesday web site at www.winwinwednesdays.com/ to find the current hosts and download flyers to take to the eating establishments.


October 24 - Chipotle (Laguna Niguel) - ** (Only 4 pm to 7 pm)
October 31 - Mountain Mike's Pizza (Laguna Hills) - all day
November 7 - Five Guys Burgers (Mission Viejo) - all day
November 14 - Wine Works For Everyone (Mission Viejo) - all day
November 21 - Polly's Pies (Laguna Woods) - all day (+ Pies for Marine Families in cooperation with Teen Darkhorse at LHHS.) November 28 - El Pollo Loco (LH) - all day
December 5 - Ruby's (LH) - all day
December 12 - BJ's Brewhouse (LH) - all day
December 19, Cafe Rio (LF) - all day
December 26 - Golden Baked Ham (LH) - all day everyday!


CONGRATULATIONS TO WIN-WIN-WEDNESDAY FOR THEIR SUCCESS - THEY ARE BOOKED THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR!!!   Way To Go Win-Win- Meg and all the others who worked to make this project such a success! Huge Thank Yous also go out to all the participating eating establishments and to all the W-W-Wed. Supporters who all Win-Win by helping our schools and our businesses through enjoying delicious meals on Wednesdays.