Laguna Hills Watch Dog
Laguna Hills City Council Meeting - January 22, 2013
FEATURES DIRECTORY
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS -
ANOTHER LONG TERM TRANSPARENCY PROBLEM FOR THE CITY OF LAGUNA HILLS CONFIRMED!
FROM THE LAGUNA HILLS CITY MANAGER'S YEAR END REPORT 2012 -
"FINANCIAL AWARDS - For the twentieth consecutive year, the City was awarded the GFOA Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the year ending June 30, 2011".
FROM THE March 13, 2012 LAGUNA HILLS CITY COUNCIL MEETING - PRESENTATIONS and PROCLAMATIONS - Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Distinguished Budget Presentation Award and Certificates of Recognition for the City's Biennium Budget beginning July 1, 2011 Budget Presentation to Janice Mateo Reyes, Finance Manager, Melissa Au-Yeung, Senior Management Analyst, and Don White, Assistant City Manager.
FROM LAGUNA HILLS CITY VIEWS 2012 Spring Edition - AWARD -WINNING FINANCIAL REPORTING- In Recognition of Laguna Hills commitment to fiscal responsibility and reporting transparency, the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) has bestowed the City with its Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the 19th year in a row to conclude the 2010 fiscal year.
FROM THE OC WATCH DOG in the ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER NEWSPAPER - ‘Distinguished Budget Award’ more about good looks than financial health
January 17, 2013 - OC Watchdog by Keegan Kyle, http://taxdollars.ocregister.com/2013/01/17/distinguished-budget-award-more-about-good-looks-than-financial-health/165287/
"It only took one high-profile court filing last year to underscore the limits of a budget award regularly received (and subsequently touted) by more than a dozen Orange County cities and public agencies. San Bernardino won the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award in 2011. Then in court last year, the city filed for municipal bankruptcy. Turns out the award doesn’t measure fiscal stability. Instead, governments pay a national trade group to assess whether all the components of their budgets are in order. The review measures good looks more than substance." The (GFOA) says the checklist and review process are meant to help agencies improve transparency practices.
**EDITOR's NOTE - The Laguna Hills Watch Dog learned, years ago, from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) web site that the GFOA is a fee based organization whose membership is open to anyone whose career, studies or interests involve government financial management in the United States and Canada. They offer annual conferences, and training programs, and encourage their members who meet their standards through awards including the "Distinguished Budget Presentation Award". There were 410 winners from their members in CA. in 2008 according to their 2010 web site report. The City of Laguna Hills touts this every year, as a major award for the City, in their CITY VIEWS Magazine, at City Council Meetings and in the City Manager's End of the Year Report. The Laguna Hills Watch Dog, every year, tells residents that this is a good thing but nothing exceptional related to the financial state of the City, so we are glad to be receiving this confirmation from the Orange County Register Newspaper. It's important for citizens to know the whole truth, not just political spin and one of the purposes of this GFOA checklist, this review process, is to help agencies improve transparency practices!!!
It appears that the City of Laguna Hills' finance staff did a very good job of passing the GFOA reporting requirements, but the CITY MANAGER and last year's COUNCIL MEMBERS (except Council Member Kogerman who stated the City Council could be more accountable for the contents in City Views, with use of less puffery) FLUNKED the "Transparency" element for citizens. If the City wants to continue to tout their awards they will need to be more honest with the public about the meaning and purpose of those awards. We will be watching for them to do better this year.
LAGUNA HILLS HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE WORKSHOP
Thursday, February 7 Laguna Hills City Council Chamber, 6:00-8:00 p.m., 24035 El Toro Road, Laguna Hills - The City of Laguna Hills has commenced an update to the Housing Element portion of its General Plan, which will establish the City’s housing goals and policies covering the period between 2014 and 2021. Residents and other stakeholders interested in housing-related matters affecting the city are invited to attend a public workshop hosted by the City of Laguna Hills Community Development Department. The workshop will include a presentation on housing trends occurring in the community. Participants will also have the opportunity to comment on housing issues affecting the community. For more information, contact Julie Molloy, Senior Planner at 949-707-2671 Or email jmolloy@ci.laguna-hills.ca.us
WOOD BURNING RESTRICTIONS
The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD), the air pollution control agency for all of Orange County, has activated an annually recurring program to reduce air pollution caused by burning wood or manufactured logs in fireplaces or outdoor fire pits. During late fall and winter, pollutant levels can rise to unhealthy concentrations during stagnant atmospheric conditions. Under the South Coast AQMD’s “Check Before you Burn” program, mandatory no-burn alerts will be issued on days and in specific areas where PM2.5 levels are forecast to reach unhealthy levels.
During a no-burn alert, residents in affected areas are not allowed to burn wood or manufactured fireplace logs in their fireplaces or outdoor fire pits. During a typical Southland winter, 15 to 20 no-burn alerts are expected to be issued from Nov. 1 through the end of February. To learn if a mandatory no-burn alert has been issued for a particular area of the Southland, residents can: Sign up at http://www.airalerts.org/ to receive electronic e-mail notices when a no-burn alert is issued for their area; Enter their ZIP code at www.aqmd.gov/noburn to see if a no-burn alert has been issued for their area; or Call AQMD’s 24-hour Check Before You Burn toll-free line at (866) 966-3293. For more information please visit the AQMD web site at: http://www.aqmd.gov/news1/2012/CBYB.htm
**** NEW CITY of LAGUNA HLLLS DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS FOR OPENINGS IN TRAFFIC AND PARKS AND REC. COMMISSIONS IS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013 There is an application form and more information online at the City of Laguna Hills web site at http://www.ci.laguna-hills.ca.us/
** YOU CAN NOW LISTEN TO OUR MAYOR, Barbara Kogerman. ON FM RADIO- KSBR (88.50). She is being interviewed the day before and the day after each City Council Meeting (beginning on Tues. February 12, 2013,) by Dawn Kamber of Saddleback Community College's FM radio station. The interviews will be played in 30-second spots, every hour and half-hour from 6 am through 9 am on the day of and two days after the council meetings. Their regular programming throughout this time is easy-listening jazz.
** Citizen Alerts/HEADLINES for future City Council Meetings will be listed on this blog site within 4 days prior to a meeting - Consider attending a meeting that interests you.
** Presentations and Proclamations -
Item 1.1- 1.2 - We say goodbye tonight to LHHS Student Liaison Reporter from Adam
Wong with a Certificate of Recognition from the City and welcome to Amanda Jafee. Plus the Swearing In of Amanda Jafee and alternate Kerstyn Gonzales Item 1.3 - LHHS Student Liaison Report from Amanda Jafee - alternate Kerstyn Gonzales - Winter Formal, Sporting Events, National Signing Day, Music, Financial Aid Night, Unofficial SAT ACTs, Fundraising Food Trucks, MUN Conference, LHHS HAWK CHEER CLINIC, Win-Win-Wednesday and Fundraising for Injured LHHS Student
** Public Comments - Speaker on COIN - Civic Openness in Negotiations
** Consent Calendar - Warrant Register - $1,059,507.01
** Items of Interest from the Warrant Register - None
** Items Pulled from the Warrant Register- None
** Items of interest in the Consent Calendar - Item 4.2 - One year extension of the Joint Recreation maintenance and Operation Agreement with the Saddleback Valley Unified School District for use of the Upper High School Field.
** Items pulled from the Consent Calendar for discussion - None
** Planning Agency/City Council Public Hearings - None
** City Council Public Hearings - None
** Administrative Reports -
Item 7.2.1 - 2013 Biennial Citizen Survey - Recommendation that Staff proceed with the 2013 Biennial Citizen Survey. This after Assist. City Manager Don White asked twice in 2011 to discontinue the Citizen Survey for 2013. See more + PUBLIC COMMENTS.
Item 7.3.1 - La Paz Open Space Project - Preliminary review of Concept Plans - Recommendation that the City Council review 3 concept plans and direct the Public Participation Process continue at the next available Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting + PUBLIC COMMENTS
** Matters Agendized and Presented by Council Members and Mayor- None
** City Council Member Comments - Reminder of Feb. 19 Workshop starting at 6 pm,
Compliments on new landscape at La Paz Interchange
** Closed Session - Item 10.1 - Public Employee Performance Evaluation - City Manager
** City Council Members Report Card - How did they score?
** Information, Comments, Questions, Concerns from LH Watch Dog Readers from the previous blog post - ABOUT: The need to be Informed Citizens, Win-Win-Wednesdays and Community Building; The Passing of Mayor Kogerman's Mother; Council Member's unexplained absences; Community Building and Helping Others; A Citizen based Planning Commission for Laguna Hills PLUS ***WIN-WIN-WEDNESDAY'S SCHEDULE OF RESTAURANTS
***You can place comments in the "COMMENTS" section at the bottom of this blog site report and see comments there from others and you can send comments to BlandMJ@aol.com Your name will not be displayed in the comments section unless you give permission
** HOW TO SUPPORT OUR 3/5 ADOPTED MARINES and UPDATES FROM - TEAM DARK HORSE
** NEWS STORIES and BLOGS ABOUT LAGUNA HILLS - find more in the OC Register online under "City-by-City News" - "Laguna Hills" and in the OC Watchdog
**CRIME IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD - See where to look for Crime Reports for your Neighborhood
** WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR of the ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Laguna Hills City Council Meeting - January 22, 2013
All Council Members were present except Council Member Carruth
=========================================
See information for Win-Win-Wednesdays under INFORMATION, COMMENTS, QUESTIONS and CONCERNS from Watch Dog Readers, Contact Laguna Hills City Council Members at - ccouncil@ci.laguna-hills.ca.us
PRESENTATIONS and PROCLAMATIONS -
Item 1.1- 1.2 - We say goodbye tonight to LHHS Student Liaison Reporter from Adam Wong and welcome to Amanda Jafee. It is the end of the Fall Semester at LHHS for Adam and we Congratulate Adam for a job well done with very organized reports, and we wish him well in his last semester at LHHS and in his future that we are sure will be bright. Adam received a Certificate of Recognition from the City with much applause from the audience and Amanda was sworn in as new Student Liaison for the Spring 2013 Semester, with Kerstyn Gonzales as the alternate. Mayor Kogerman asked Amanda and Kerstyn to briefly tell us about themselves and state their goals in representing their school. Amanda said she is a Senior at LHHS, a 4 year varsity tennis player, and track and field, high and long jumper. She said she hopes to pursue a career in government. Kerstyn said she is a Junior at LHHS, has played softball and volleyball and hopes to be a good alternate for Amanda.
** Item of interest - The Staff Report states the Student Liaison Program was established by the City in 1993.
Item 1.3 LHHS Student Liaison Report from Amanda Jafee, alternate Kerstyn Gonzales
This Tues. is Finals Week. Winter Formal will be on Sat. at SOKA University - Theme of "When in Rome". Sporting Events: Friday, Jan 25 Girls Varsity Basketball Game at home and Boys Varsity Basketball vs El Toro at El Toro. Girls Varsity Soccer at Capo. On Wed. Feb. 6 is National Signing Day for all the Seniors who commit to signing a binding National letter of Intent to play for a college and sign that they all have a recognized standard for working together for their school. Music: 2 students, a Freshman and a Junior, have received seats in the National All Star Orchestra. Financial Aid Night: Wed. Jan. 23 to assist those looking for financial aid for College. Unofficial SAT ACTs: on Feb. 9 from 8 am to 12 pm. to practice SAT and ACTs. Fundraising Food Trucks: Starting at LHHS every Thursday beginning Jan. 31. Trucks will be at LHHS in the parking lot from 5 to 8 the proceeds will support school programs. MUN Conference: on Feb. 23. LHHS HAWK CHEER CLINIC on Feb. 2. for kindergarten through 8th grade students. Win-Win-Wednesday on Jan. 23 at Daphne's California Greek (AV) - all day with all the money going to the PTSA. Fundraisers for Injured Student: Fundraisers are being held at the school for a Student injured in a Dirt Bike Accident who is unconscious. If you purchase anything at the Pizza Store tell them you are with Team Kainan and 20% of your purchase price will go toward his medical bills. . On Friday there was a Recognition Day for Kainan with a card signing for him. (From the OC register Newspaper - Kainan Rejtharek, a 17-year-old Laguna Hills High School junior has been in a coma since Dec. 29, when he fell 40 feet off a cliff while riding his dirt bike during a family vacation in Ocotillo Wells - http://www.ocregister.com/news/kainan-383787-family-rejtharek.html
Mayor Kogerman added - GO HAWKS!!
Win-Win-Wednesdays are ongoing:
January 30 - Flamingo's Mexican (LH) Laguna Hills - all day
February 6 - Pei Wei Asian Diner- both (LF) Lake Forest & (LN) Laguna Niguel - all day
February 13 - Villa Roma Argentine/Italian (LH) - all day
Item 1.4 - Orange County Human Relations Council Annual Report
Commissioner Ken Inouye, with the OC Human Relations Council gave a presentation re. the data collected by the council specific to activities in the City of Laguna Hills, in the year 2012 including hate Crimes and incidents, mediations and various programs. He said it's been a difficult year for cities and conflicts grew into public demonstrations. He said the Orange County Human Relations Council serves as a healer and saves tax dollars in that process. County wide they provide Human Relations Training for Police Officers, Crime Victim Support, Promoting a Voice of Reason and Respect, etc. In Laguna Hills they provided mediation for 36 cases, and there were no reported hate crimes. The helped in Fullerton with the Kelly Thomas case, also in Anaheim with the civic unrest that followed a series of police related shootings, in San Clemente with gang violence and in Santa Ana with Latino and Jewish Community Conflict. When a crisis hits it can be enormously expensive to address the problems but significant savings are achieved by using this organization.
PUBLIC COMMENTS - Mayor Kogerman clarified that speakers are requested to complete a pink speaker form to be given to City Clerk Johns. This is voluntary and asked as a courtesy but is not required and stating your name and address publicly is also not required.
Mr. John Bosh, Laguna Hills Resident spoke about COIN - Civic Openness in Negotiations. - He said that during the campaign there was a good deal of interest in an acronym called COIN - Civic Openness in Negotiations. This was passed by the Costa Mesa City Council on Sept. 24, 2012. In short Civic Openness in Negotiations Ordinances expose labor contract negotiations to additional public scrutiny without violating the Meyers-Milias Brown Act. He said he prepared a copy of that ordinance for each of the council members to review to include City Manager Channing, and would like to see this agendized for discussion as to it's viability and merits for our city. He concluded with, I think there are good points, made in the COIN Ordinance, that make good sense that will allow citizens a view into how their money is spent. Mayor Kogerman added that this will be included in the Minutes.
MINUTES - The City Council Approves 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 until the next city council meeting so there is always a significant delay for the public related to timely documentation of information but you can now watch and listen to the City Council Meetings on the City's web site at www.ci.laguna-hills.ca.us
*** Apparently you will not be able to listen to the Laguna Hills City Council Meeting of Jan. 8, 2013 online on the City Web Site where we found this message posted - For audio recording of the January 8, 2013 City Council meeting, please contact the City Clerk's office at 949.707.2630.
CONSENT CALENDAR - Warrant Register = $1,059,507.01
Items of interest from the Warrant Register - None
Items of Interest pulled from the Warrant Register - None
VOTE - Warrant Register approved 5 - 0.
ITEMS of INTEREST from the CONSENT CALENDAR -
Item 4.2 - One year extension of the Joint Recreation maintenance and Operation Agreement with the Saddleback Valley Unified School District for use of the Upper High School Field.
Background - In 1994, the City and the Saddleback Valley Unified School District (SVUSD) entered into a fifteen-year Joint Recreation Maintenance and Operation Agreement for the shared use of the upper field at Laguna Hills High School. The City funded the installation of lights on a softball field and partial soccer field and, in return, the SVUSD provided field use times in the fall and spring for City scheduled recreation programs. Staff predominately uses its field allocation rights to provide the City’s youth sports organizations such as AYSO with practice fields. The City Council, on May 12, 2009, extended the agreement for one year and the current Agreement term expires on April 26, 2013. City staff and SVUSD staff desire to extend the Agreement for another year, until April 26, 2014, under the same terms and conditions.
FISCAL IMPACT: The City’s share of the electricity costs for night lighting of the athletic fields and a proportionate share of the field maintenance costs are approximately $15,000 per year.
Staff recommends the agreement be extended for one year.
Item 4.3 - Progress payment # 21 for the La Paz Rd. widening at I-5
Item 4.4 - Authorization to Advertise for bids for Civic Center (City Hall) improvements for Suite 100B.
BACKGROUND: Suite 100B has been vacant since 2008. A number of factors have contributed to the
vacancy, one of which is the large bank vault and cosmetic columns located within the
suite. Staff is proposing specific improvements to Suite 100B including removal of the bank vault. The Civic Center Management Committee reviewed this matter and approved the project.
The Civic Center has 33,000 square feet of leasable space. The building currently has
fifteen tenants, however there are still four suites available for lease, including Suite 100B.
Suite 100B is the 5,585 square feet, first-floor suite.
FISCAL IMPACT: Staff estimates it will cost approximately $25,000 to complete the Civic Center, Suite 100B improvements. To that extent, a Civic Center budget amendment in the amount of $25,000 may be required at a future date.
Items Pulled from the Consent Calendar for Discussion - None
Vote - Consent Calendar passed 5 - 0
CITY COUNCIL/PLANNING AGENCY PUBLIC HEARING - NONE
PUBLIC COMMENTS - NONE
CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARINGS - NONE
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS -
Item 7.2.1 - 2013 Biennial Citizen Survey - Recommendation that Staff proceed with the 2013 Biennial Citizen Survey.
BACKGROUND from the Laguna Hills Watch Dog's Council Meeting Tapes and Reports - Assist. City Manager Don White asked twice (on January 11 and May 10 of 2011) for the 2013 Citizen Survey to be eliminated due to a low number of citizen land line phone numbers listed in the white pages. On Jan. 11, 2012 he suggested that eliminating the citizen survey would save $18,000 from the City Budget and suggested that amount could be spent on enhanced information in "City Views". In 2011 many of the previous survey questions had been eliminated and Council Member Bressette asked about one question that incorrectly asked citizens if their dog was licensed "with the City" related to it being misleading. No dogs are licensed "with the City". All dogs from Laguna Hills are licensed with the County Animal Shelter in Orange. Council Member Kogerman made some suggestions related to alternative methods for contacting citizens and the council voted 5-0 on May 10, 2011 to leave the City Survey Money in the budget as place holder for the next 2 years to look at alternatives for contacting citizens.
BACKGROUND from the CITY - This item was presented by Melissa Au-Yeung, Senior Management Analyst. - The City has commissioned a citizen survey with the goal of giving a voice to all residents, irrespective of the level of education, income, length of residency, social aptitude, and degree of involvement in the City. Over time, the representative sample has been eroding, skewing the survey results toward a narrower and older demographic segment, not necessarily representative of the whole adult population. For the 2013 Citizen Survey this issue has been rectified through the use of a new survey methodology -- Address-Based Sampling which will result in a larger, more representative sample. Staff recommends the City Council authorize staff to proceed with the citizen survey.
Since 1995, the City has commissioned the Survey Research Center (SRC) at the University of North Texas to conduct a scientifically valid, random sample telephone survey of Laguna Hills residents covering a broad range of City related services, projects, and issues every 2 years. SRC has used random sampling to generate 400 respondents. In anticipation of the 2013 Citizen Survey, SRC contacted staff regarding new the methodology - the Address-Based Sampling that uses land line phones, cell phones, the Internet, and mail to contact residents in a selected sample. A copy of the 2011 Citizen Survey is available at the City Clerk’s office and will be used as the beginning template for the 2013 Citizen Survey.The citizen survey is scheduled to be conducted in March. Results will be presented to the City Council at the budget study session scheduled for April 16. To further solicit public input, the City will also be holding three public budget study sessions (April 2, April 16, and May 7), as well as a public hearing on the budget in June.
FISCAL IMPACT: Due to the more labor intensive Address-Based Sampling method used for this year's survey, the cost of the citizen survey will increase from $16,500 to $20,000, however, this will result in a larger, more representative sample. This year’s budget has allocated $18,000 for the citizen survey. There are ample funds to cover the additional $2,000.
In addition to the staff report info. above, Melissa stated that this survey is critical because it gives a voice to all residents and asked for input re. any other areas not already included in the 2011 survey the council would like added to this year's survey. She said its been the city's practice to set aside a significant amount of time and energy during these inquires of all cities policies and programs, once every 2 years, in conjunction with the development of the cities biennial budget. Additionally the online staff report says the survey has traditionally covered a broad range of City related services, projects, and issues. To that effect, the results have been used by both the City Council and staff as an aide in developing and setting priorities for the biennial budget and capital improvement plan.
Council Member Dr. Dore Gilbert stated since we have just been through an election with a tremendous opportunity to get an excellent sampling of the points of view of people in Laguna Hills. He said he believes a survey is important but wonders if we need to do them every 2 years at a cost of $18,000 to $20,000. That money might be better spent on other parts of our City. He proposed that we should consider lengthening the time between surveys? ** Editor's Note - Reminder to all that we wasted $23,000 to $30,000 of taxpayer money in 2012 for a paid labor negotiator in a failed 8 month long attempt to re-negotiate the Terms and Conditions of our City Manager's Employment Agreement. At least this money is being spent for the Citizens to have a chance to provide input.
Council Member Randy Bressette spoke about about changes in questions asked in the 2011 Survey. He asked that the question that states "Overall would you rate the Laguna Hills solid waste collection system as excellent, good, fair or poor?" be changed and simplified from "solid waste" to "trash collection". He also wanted to know how many times residents have used electronic pick up. He asked that in addition to question "Would you rate Animal Care Services provided by Orange County to the City of Laguna Hills as excellent, good, fair or poor", there should be follow up questions such as, "Have you been involved in an angry dog incident or cited for being off leash?" He asked for a question about pursuing the Internet Library system and about the usefulness of the City web site - did you like it?, did you find what you were looking for?, would you like to see more information on it?, and the usefulness of the city pursuing Social Media. He said keep the question "Do you have Internet access at home, work or both" to see how many people are using Internet. He then asked Assist. City Manager Don White to tell him what value the survey serves in the budget for the staff and for the city council.
Assist. City Manager Don White answered, "That's maybe a bit of a loaded question, I will try to answer it objectively." He said he said he had just reread all the surveys going back to 2001 and in looking at the results of the information we've gotten, if you recall 2 years ago we recommended not going forward with the survey because of our thought that the sample had been eroded, another reason was that what we had found was we had been getting a lot of the same information every 2 years. It's good information to get, the City has received positive ratings on all of it's services, on the overall evaluation and the direction that the City is going in. There hasn't been a lot of change from one survey to the next. There were times we asked questions on new items and received good information on those and once in a while we get a surprising bit of information. He added, as to its value, I think different council members look at the information and it may or may not influence them and their decision making. He continued, I think for staff, we find the information interesting, our thought was we would use it to see if there were significant changes in the survey that would reveal areas that we need to address, but actually since we've been doing that since 1995 we really haven't had anything like that come up. In terms of its overall value that kindof an individual assessment that each person would have to make.
**Editor's Note - In our years of covering the Laguna Hills City Council meetings we believe that what Assistant City Manager Don White said about the concentration, in the survey, on repeatedly asking a lot of the same questions that receive positive feedback for the City and the fact that information derived from the surveys may or may not influence council members and thus the direction the City is taking is a much more realistic accounting of how this information has been used, in the past, by this City, than the information from the current staff report that states - "This survey is critical because it gives a voice to all residents." and "The survey has traditionally covered a broad range of City related services, projects, and issues. To that effect, the results have been used by both the City Council and staff as an aide in developing and setting priorities for the biennial budget and capital improvement plan." We agree with the need to take a critical look at the survey questions to allow for a true rating of the policies, services and direction of the City by the citizens and to actually allow the answers from the citizens to influence the operations of the City. We don't agree with eliminating the survey because it is the one consistent means citizens have of expressing their opinions, seeing the opinions of other citizens and gauging feedback from the City, but we do agree with making the survey a much more useful tool for citizens and publishing the results for all to see. It has also been our experience that interrupting citizens during a busy day or evening is not the best way engage them in thoughtful responses, so this change in the gathering of data may be helpful. What do you think?
Mayor Pro-Tem Andrew Blount asked if Assist. City Manager White could site any specifics that gave direction to the City? Assist. City Manager White said he thought the one area that comes to mind was Senior Transportation. He said it was from a survey 4 years ago or maybe 6. He said they got info. that people wanted them to look at Senior Transportation and this was a surprise because we'd never heard that before. As a result of that information we did put together a Taxi Voucher Program. He noted that the participation in that program is quite low. He said we didn't get the numbers we thought we might, given the response from the survey.
**Editor's Note - The information that people wanted Senior Transportation came from the 2007 Laguna Hills City Survey - Provide Transportation Services for Seniors and Disabled Citizens was rated as the 2nd Highest Spending Priority in 2007 by 51.5% of the 390 people who answered this question. Coordinate Traffic Signals the was the highest rated spending program in 2007 by 70.2% of the 396 people who answered that question. Don White also said that as a result of that information they put together a Taxi Voucher Program, but that took 3+ years for the City to do from the time the 2007 survey responses were gathered. The City didn't do anything about Senior Transportation until Seniors began complaining loudly at the 10/28/08 City Council Meeting that Laguna Hills Seniors did not have adequate transportation to get to the Senior Center in Laguna Hills or other places. Shirley Witt from the Florence Sylvester Senior Ctr. in Laguna Hills told the council that seniors call the city for information about transportation and are re-routed to the Florence Sylvester Senior Center for that information. Marilyn Ditty from the Florence Sylvester Sr. Center told the council that many Cities have City Sr. Transportation Programs but Laguna Hills does not and gave examples of how other cities partner with OCTA, a program called ACCESS, the TSR Program, etc. It was not until 1-26-2010 that the City of Laguna Hills announced that they received Permission to Study the Issue on June 10, 2008 and then found an opportunity to partner with Mission Viejo with OCTA funds to start the Senior Taxi Program in July 1, 2010. It has never been announced that there has been any study of why the participation in that program is low so there are many possibilities but no information.
Council Member Gilbert asked - Was that a specific question on the survey - How do you feel about Senior Transportation? Assist. City Manager White answered, Yes, we read them a list of 10 or 12 items and asked them to rank them and senior transportation came in 2nd. **Editor's Note - Don White's account of this is mostly correct, this issue was 2nd in terms of ranking a list of items but it was Not a question like-How do you feel about Senior Transportation?
Mayor Pro-Tem Blount asked if the format this year was going to be a letter sent to each household with a request to contact or call the City or answer the survey at their convenience. Melissa answered, There are 3,500 random households that will receive a letter to contact us. There are also about households with land lines that will be sent a letter saying we'll be contacting them by phone, others with out listed land lines will be sent a letter saying they can go online and answer the survey questions. Calling cell phones is not available as part of the survey. It's either respond on a land line or respond online. The goal is to get a sample of 400 but could get 600 to 800 this time. Blount asked - Do the number of questions determine the expense? Melissa answered, Not to my knowledge. Don White said, We haven't asked them that question. Blount said he was struggling with the questions related to if they are providing us with valuable information on which to base actual decisions.
Mayor Kogerman asked if the number of questions is determined by how long people will stay on the phone and was told, Yes, by Don White. White added that some of the 2011 survey questions will be changed and/or eliminated and new questions added. Kogerman continued that she'd like to see some additions to questions about services and programs being important or not such as Senior Services and Youth Services and increased Opportunities for Citizen Involvement. She suggested asking people if they are watching the City Council web broadcasts in place of the old question that asks would you consider watching city council meetings, because the web streaming of the council meetings is new since the last survey. She also suggested asking if people view the City web site to get information about activities in the City. She said she wanted to ask about rating of items for future spending including after school programs for elem. school children, programs for senior citizens, programs for pet owners and what types, and about encouragement of development of business retention. She also wanted to add a question about an annual maintenance assessment to improve the appearance of the privately owned slopes in the City and Don't say are your dogs licensed with the City, it's the County not the City, you can simplify to are your dogs licensed.
PUBLIC COMMENTS - Kenny Gerinrich (sp?) asked Will the Citizens get a chance to view the survey results? He also noted that some other cities have blanketed the City with these survey questionnaires via the Internet, and is that possible for us to do? He also asked why send our money to the U. of Texas for this survey, why not use a University in CA? His questions were directed to Council Member Bressette but there were no actual answers from Bressette or anyone else.
Council Member Bressette made a motion that staff be authorized to proceed with the 2013 Biennial City Survey and that staff take into account the comments on questions and submit the questions to 2 council members for final review before those questions are submitted. Mayor Kogerman seconded the motion. Bressette added that campaign surveys are targeted and skewed so should not be used to make decisions for citizens of Laguna Hills, etc. He noted that before these surveys the council made a lot of these decisions in a Mayonnaise Jar/without a clue. He said they spent a lot of time coming up with these unbiased questions and related to animal control they spent a lot of time on trying to find an animal shelter that "we could control". He said Jean Bland is out that and she knows that still today they are trying to provide that service.
**Editor's Note - We wish we could agree with Council Member Bressete on this, but the truth is citizens of Laguna Hills have seen missed opportunities for our City to share in much better animal services close to home over the 21 years of cityhood but have never seen evidence of this City actually trying to do any better for its citizens than the only Animal Control Services they have provided for the past 21 years. These are the same Animal Control Services we had through the County before Laguna Hills became a City. Our services are from a well documented always overcrowded 70 year old County Animal Shelter, 20 miles away in the City of Orange with a very high kill rate that never significantly changes. The City may believe it is "controlling" this system because the cost is low for the City, but the quality of services are low for citizens and the pet licensing fees are higher than the fees at much better shelters in our area. Services are and have always been poor at the County Shelter related to a chronic lack of support for change from the County Supervisors and from the Cities that use these services.
Due to a legitimate fear of calling the County when animals are found in Laguna Hills and because of the fear of what could happen in a brief period of time to a lost pet in Laguna Hills, Laguna Hills citizens, are forced to do much of our own sheltering, so we have a Lost and Found Pet Notification System in Laguna Hills through the South County Animal Shelter Coalition. We do our best to track all our lost and found pets ourselves to quickly return them safely to their owners and spare them from having to be in the County Shelter. If you care for your pet, be very sure to always keep 2 forms of ID on your pet, a microchip implant and a clearly readable address and phone number on your pets collar, that are both kept updated, so you can prevent your pet from ever having to be in that shelter.
New Reports with 2011 Statistics for the 70 year old Orange County Animal Shelter that Laguna Hills still uses for it's citizens http://www.ocregister.com/articles/fewer-338291-killed-shelter.html?pic=1
Total euthanasia rate of 53%. http://taxdollars.ocregister.com/2012/02/16/three-out-of-four-cats-still-dont-leave-shelter-alive/148403/ Teri Sforza OC Watchdog Kill Rate for Cats at the OC Animal Shelter in 2011 was 74% and only 17% adopted. Euthanasia Rate Stuck at Nearly 50% at O.C. Animal Care http://ranchosantamargarita.patch.com/articles/shelter-euthanizes-fewer-animals-in-2011 County Shelter finally admits killing animal for space.
Council Member Bressette continued that he wants to stay updated and get direction from citizens through the surveys. Regarding the Internet he said actually everyone does not have Internet although the city does have that Internet library. He also said citizens often don't know that you can call our Trash Collection Service and have them come and pick up an old refrigerator or an old TV for free. ** Editor's Note - We do question that "free" statement because we tend to believe that the cost for that is woven into the service fee we are all paying, however, if we are already paying for that service it is definitely valuable to know it is available. Bressette added all the electronics we have will be picked up with no limit, by just giving our Trash Hauler, CR&R, a few days notice. He added again "that's free" and again we question that? He added he would really like to know how citizens feel about Twitter and Facebook and if we should spend staff time and energy to pursue those things. Bressette then repeated his idea about a 2 council member review committee to go over the questions for the survey before they are submitted.
Assist City Manager Don White answered Mayor Kogerman's question that the time frame for pursuing all these ideas is Feb. 8th. but could probably push that a few days ahead. Mayor Pro-Tem Blount offered a substitute motion that the expense for the survey not be approved until the questions are reviewed by the council.
Council Member Gilbert clarified that he is not opposed to information but just not sure that information needs to be solicited every 2 years at this cost. He added that most people would probably check off that they believe we should have all the things that sound important on a survey but we are in serious financially difficult times and don't know what the next year or 2 holds for us. He said his goal is to make sure that every dime we spend is absolutely necessary. He added people are welcome to come to council meets, and call the City or e-mail, etc. to express their opinions on any items, so he would vote against spending this money for the survey in the near future. Mayor Pro-Tem Blount restated that he is not compelled to spend $20,000 on these questions and his substitute motion is he would like to see the set of questions. Need to do the work on the questions and review them. Bressette suggested that Blount be one of the members on the 2 member ad hoc committee to review the questions.
VOTE - the motion to review the questions with a 2 council member ad hoc committee passed 4-0.
Bressette added that he would prefer the 2 members on the ad hoc committee reviewing the questions to be Mayor Kogerman and Council Member Carruth. Mayor Kogerman asked when Mrs. Carruth would be back in town. Someone answered next week. Kogerman added that she believes it would be useful to have Mr. Blount on that Committee. Bressette stated Kogerman has been through one (survey), Mr. Blount has been through none and Mrs. Carruth has been through all of them and has a passion for ensuring that all the questions are appropriate and complete and he continued to give additional reasons for Carruth to be one of the reviewers. Gilbert added that although he has immense respect for Carruth however, although Andrew Blount is new to the City Council he has a keen intellect and can handle looking at possible questions to be used in a survey. His knowledge of numbers and ability to think boldly, his energy, all of those would make an ideal candidate to look at questions on a survey that he's not going to vote for anyway. ** This comment inspired laughs from the council members and the audience. Bressette again moved that Kogerman and Carruth be appointed to this ad hoc committee. There was no 2nd for that motion. Gilbert recommended Kogerman or Bressette sit on that committee with Blount. Kogerman consulted the City Attorney and then volunteered to be on the committee if that was okay with Mr. Bressette who said, "Sure".
VOTE - Passed 3 to 1 for Kogerman and Blount to be on the committee reviewing the survey questions. The No vote was Bressette. ** Editor's Note - This was a lengthy but lively discussion with good points made by everyone. We were especially pleased, and consider it refreshing as well as a sign of real progress, to be able to report that this entire discussion was completed with no one saying, "because this is the way we've always done it."
Item 7.3.1 - La Paz Open Space Project - Preliminary review of Concept Plans - Recommendation that the City Council review 3 concept plans and direct the Public Participation Process continue at the next available Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting.
This item was presented by Ken Rosenfield, Director of Public Services
BACKGROUND - In early December 2012, approximately 2,400 notices of a public meeting were mailed to all households located between Oso Parkway and Alicia Parkway in addition to notices sent to Homeowner’s Associations in the project area.The first public meeting was held on December 19, 2012, at the Laguna Hills Community Center. 31 residents attended this meeting and actively engaged in the discussion for the landscaping of these 9 acres.
Resident's suggestions are noted here.
• Develop trails (walk, bike, horse) with trees and bushes, no benches, no water
fountain, no exercise area. Others said include a drinking fountain and benches.
• Place the trails as far removed from homes as possible
• Minimize the use of irrigation (i.e., use drought tolerant plants)
• Use low-level lighting
• Establish landscape plantings that will attract wildlife
• Provide “doggie waste disposal stations” with bag dispenser and trash cans
• Control water runoff with a “natural stream” look
• Install plant materials that may help to reduce road noise
• Provide educational signage
• Place trails in the middle to give distance from adjacent residents and the street
• Consider the use of Cisterns to collect rainwater
• Plant large size trees
• Do not create an environment for homeless encampments
Some residents suggested uses that were more active than passive such as a community garden, a dog park and/or an exercise course. Because these may attract users from a “driving distance” to the site, they may require the development of a parking lot that could be disturbing to the nearby residents, so they have not been included in the current concept plans.
FISCAL IMPACT: The cost estimates for the various concept plans include the cost of construction management and a 20% contingency. The estimated costs for the 3 concepts proposed to date are $1,258,000, $1,199,000 and $1,072,000. The project funding resulted from the proceeds of the sale of Parcel 1 of Parcel Map 2009-134 to the adjacent shopping center.
***The next meeting on this landscape will be on February 6, at 7 pm at the next Parks and Rec. Commission Meeting.
Mr. Richard Fisher, the Landscape Architect and was at the council meeting to answer questions, clarify, give feedback, etc.
Mayor Pro-Tem Blount asked if there was any difference in maintenance costs between the 3 concept plans presented. Ken Rosenfield answered, "Essentially, no". Council Member Gilbert commented so there is no cost for maintaining bridges? Mr. Fisher answered the bridges are just concrete suggestions of a bridge across a dry stream. Gilbert asked what was the cost of the survey for input from the people that were interested including mailings, etc. Rosenfield answered - about $1000. Gilbert responded, "That's what I call a good survey!" and everyone laughed. Gilbert continued- Do we supply our Parks and Rec. Commission with a philosophical goal of this council? Are we looking to build fancy or economical trails, etc.? He said he thought Parks and Rec. should know this because the buck stops here and he would hate for them to not be aware of the direction in which we are going. City Manager Channing clarified that the direction for this project has always been fairly low scale, open space type of amenity with no active recreation use. Gilbert asked the purpose of a Hitching Rail? Mr. Fisher responded that riders could be arriving here from a wider trail system at some point in time so could have come a long way and need a rest. 2 hitching rails are designed into Concept 1 and 1 hitching rail is designed into Concepts 2 and 3. In answer to a question from Bressette Mr. Fisher stated he would not normally design a trail so close to a street but did this in consideration of the wishes of the residents in the area who wanted the activity away from their homes. Mayor Kogerman said one of the shops on the right in the renovated center will also have a hitching rail and asked if we need some low level lighting? Council Member Gilbert asked if lighting is used in the project, could the City then be sued if someone was hurt and claimed the lighting was not good enough. City Attorney Greg Simonian answered this project is designed and geared toward the preservation and enhancement of open space. The council has a range of options available including low level lighting,etc. and said he wouldn't be concerned.
The Landscape Architect Richard Fisher commented that this, to a great extent, mirrors what was done on Oso Pkwy. from a cost per acre standpoint. Concept # 1 at $1,285,000 is within $1000 or $2000 per acre to being identical to what was done about 2 years ago on Oso Pkwy. Concept 2 at $1,199,000 is 95% of what we spent on Oso Pkwy., and Concept 3 at $1,072,000 is 85% of what we spent on Oso Pkwy. and this is a project that, unlike Oso Pkwy, is starting from scratch and is not a park but is amended open space. Mayor Pro-Tem Andrew Blount reminded us that this area has looked bad for a long time and his suggestion is make it look nice but keep the cost down.
PUBLIC COMMENTS - Mr. Dave Stevens, a Laguna Hills Resident, for over 30 years, who has lived in the Aliso Hills area for 17 years said this 9 acres has been his backyard. He stressed Passive Use in this area and said Concepts 1 and 2 will put however many people that use this trail, and whenever they want to use it, within 20 feet of his house and houses of other residents. He noted he has seen only about 30 horses in that area over the past 17 years and doesn't expect to see a lot more in the future related to concerns re. any clashes of horses and people. He strongly suggested Concept # 3, thanked the committee for actually listening to what public input about this, and noted that 16 families will be directly adversely affected by anything that is done, but Concept 3 is the least intrusive. He said it's a thruway, not a picnic area, and requested no attractive nuisances such as water fountains, benches or lights. He added that it's basically a trail to be used by those fit enough to use it and asked the council to keep in mind the quality of life of the 16 or 17 families who are most affected by this.
Council Member Randy Bressette said he had lived in Aliso Hills for 24 years and saw the state of disrepair this land was in for so many years before the Aliso Hills HOA asked the City to take it. He said the City got rid of the fire threat that was there and improved it to what it is related to what the City budget would allow. He added this was supposed to be a trail as part of the master plan for trails, and that being said it's not your backyard. It belongs to the people of the City of Laguna Hills. He added he thought Concept 1 was too intense, Concept 3 placed people next to the street, a bench and a fountain are okay, so Concept 2 would be his choice protecting people and animals from a very busy street and said he favored the use of non-intrusive lighting.
City Manager Channing reminded the Council that they were not requested to give their choices tonight, just their comments for the Parks and Recs Commission. He added that the council can make it's choices known when this issue comes back to the council from the Parks and Recs. Commission.
Council Member Gilbert said no to Concept #1 related to cost and amenities. He added he thought it was fair for Parks and Rec. to know what he's thinking. He added that he preferred Concept # 3 that places the trails further from the homes in that area. He asked if hedges could be placed between the people and the horses and was advised by Mr. Fisher, the Landscape Designer explained that trail fencing will be used on both sides of the equestrian trail to separate horses and people because horses fear being surprised by what they can't see more than what they can see. Council Member Gilbert stressed the importance of watching cost on every project for overall savings to the City. Mayor Pro-Tem Blount asked if there is any estimate of the numbers of people and horses that will be using this trail? Mr. Fisher answered that he could not predict the numbers of horses and/or people that would be using this trail. City Manager Channing added his opinion that there should be about the same amount of use of this trail as there is for the Oso Pkwy Trail. Mayor Kogerman noted the distinct difference here being that this trail will have a definite destination of the renovated shopping area, whereas the Oso Pkwy. Trail does not, so she estimates more use of this trail. She added she would like to see at least one park bench because she noted on previous city surveys that the public requested more park benches. She added that she leans toward Concept # 2. Mayor Kogerman reminded Mr. Stevens that he other residents will have another good opportunity to speak at the Parks and Rec. Commission Meeting when this issue is discussed there.
Mayor Pro-Tem Blount, and Council Members Gilbert and Bressette all said they were Not in favor of Concept # 1.
MATTERS AGENDIZED AND PRESENTED BY CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR - None
CITY COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTS - Mayor Kogerman noted the February 19 Workshop that will now be starting at 6 pm. and added compliments and thanks to Ken Rosenfield, Director of Public Services regarding the landscape at the new La Paz interchange. She said there is now a great new view from the Hills Hotel and guests of the hotel are requesting rooms with this view.
CLOSED SESSIONS – Item 10.1 - Public Employee Performance Evaluation - City Manager to finalize goals and objectives for the City Manager.
The Next regular City Council Meeting is Tuesday, February 12, 2013 - 7 pm, at City Hall. Contact Laguna Hills City Council Members at ccouncil@ci.laguna-hills.ca.us
================================
CITY COUNCIL and CITY MANAGER REPORT CARD - Categories - (T) Transparency for Citizens, (A) Accountability to Citizens, (CI) Championing Citizen Related Issue, (AG) Achieving Citizen Related Goal Grades - (P) Pass, (A) for Authoring a Citizen Friendly Item, (F) Fail, (A+) Extra Credit. City Manager will be scored related to online and agendized Staff Reports and Requests:
Blount -
P - Vote to review the question on the City Survey with a 2 council member ad hoc committee before the survey is approved.
A+ for suggesting a review of the questions on the City Survey before it is approved and getting that idea passed.
P - Voted for Kogerman and Blount to be on the committee reviewing the City Survey questions.
Bressette -
P - Vote to review the question on the City Survey with a 2 council member ad hoc committee before the survey is approved.
A+ for requesting a 2 council member review panel to review the Survey questions and getting that passed.
F - Voted against Kogerman and Blount being on the committee to review the City Survey due to being in favor of Kogerman and Carruth being on the committee after suggesting that Blount be on that committee. - Not a citizen friendly vote, because Carruth was not present for the lengthy and detailed discussions re. the survey, therefore citizens had no chance to hear her views.
Carruth - ABSENT
Gilbert -
P - Vote to review the question on the City Survey with a 2 council member ad hoc committee before the survey is approved.
P - Voted for Kogerman and Blount to be on the committee reviewing the City Survey questions.
Kogerman -
P - Vote to review the question on the City Survey with a 2 council member ad hoc committee before the survey is approved.
P - Voted for Kogerman and Blount to be on the committee reviewing the City Survey questions.
City Manager -
F - for continuously touting the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) "Distinguished Budget Presentation Award" every year, as a major award for the City when it is more good looks than substance and no guarantee of solvency.
** INFORMATION, COMMENTS QUESTIONS and CONCERNS from Watch Dog Readers - since the last council meeting: ABOUT: The need to be Informed Citizens, Win-Win-Wednesdays and Community Building; The Passing of Mayor Kogerman's Mother; Council Member's unexplained absences; Community Building and Helping Others; A Citizen based Planning Commission for Laguna Hills
ABOUT: The Need to be informed Citizens
Anonmous said: Re. the need for Citizens to be informed -
Taxpayers have a right—and, more important, a responsibility—to see how their money is spent.
From the Wall St. Journal, January 18, 2013, Susan Combs: Debt Excess Even Lives in Texas http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424127887324391104578230143810930984-lMyQjAxMTAzMDIwMjEyNDIyWj.html?mod=wsj_share_email
ABOUT: Building Community and Win-Win-Wednesdays
Meg Gorham said...under NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS FOR LAGUNA HILLS THAT WERE NOT ALREADY PUBLISHED
Win-Win Wednesdays!! is building community and raising funds one Wednesday at a time. Please participate when you can. Sign up for our eblast delivered electronically every Tuesday afternoon. "LIKE" us on Facebook. Tell your friends. If you attend a WWW!! event, "check-in" on Facebook and finally, tell the restaurant manager THANK YOU for supporting our school and our Laguna Hills community.
Two great cases in point demonstrate the crossover effect of Win-Win Wednesdays!! We told you last month about the way Target + Five Guys + LHHS Boys Basketball + LHHS PTSA = a quad-Win for all. You may also recall that back in November, WWW!! was held at Polly's Pies on Moulton in Laguna Woods the day before Thanksgiving. WWW!! partnered with the City of Laguna Hills' Team Dark Horse Marine support committee to take orders for pies purchased on the day of our event. In exchange for the extra promotion and $$ contribution to our proceeds, LHHS WWW!! "shared" a portion of the proceeds with TDH. And it became a 4-way Win: Polly's Pies sold an additional $1,000 in pies and meals as a result of our event; LHHS PTSA made $45 to support their programs benefiting every student at LHHS; Team Dark Horse earned $135 to support THEIR programs reaching out to our adopted Marine families; and 60 Marine families enjoyed a delicious Polly's Pie from our local Laguna Hills shop! How's that for a Win-Win-Win-Win!
I guess what they say about "being careful what you wish for" is true. With the success of WWW!! has come a need to spread the wealth and the administration of this great series of restaurant fundraisers. Over the coming weeks, you will see an increasing number of WWW!! Shares events on the schedule [linked?], whereby LHHS PTSA is sharing a percentage of the proceeds in exchange for promotion for any given Wednesday date. We have already partnered successfully with Cheer, Aquatics and other LHHS sports teams and you'll see from the upcoming schedule, we will be sharing WWW!! with not just other LHHS groups (like MUN and the Alumni Association) but with community groups as well (like Laguna Hills Little League, AYSO 1422, and Valencia Elementary School.) It takes LHHS fundraising to the entire community and adds just one more layer of "win" to the mix. They say "it takes a village" and we're thrilled to have the support of the entire village of Laguna Hills!
Meg Gorham
For more information on Win-Win Wednesdays!!, visit our website at www.WinWinWednesdays.com or email us at WinWinWednesdays@gmail.com.
Mike Bland said... Regarding Community Building, did you see this in the OC Register?
HELPING OTHERS WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY
The moral is that the more you engage yourself to help others, the more you’ll help yourself. If you’re down in the doldrums for whatever reason, doing something nice for someone will generate positive feelings that will radiate back to you.
Mary Jo Fisher, OC Register Columnist
Mike Bland
ABOUT: the Passing of Mayor Kogermaqn's Mother
Jean Bland, et al., Citizens of Laguna Hills said...
We at the LH Watch Dog want to send our condolences to our New Mayor, Barbara Kogerman and her family. Her mother, Betty, passed away on Thursday January 10, 2013 in Laguna Hills. She was 92 years old. We were honored to be able to see her at the December 11, 2012 Laguna Hills City Council Meeting when her granddaughter so beautifully sang the Stars Spangled Banner and her daughter was elected Mayor of Laguna Hills. We were seated just behind Betty and her pride in her daughter and granddaughter were very visible. We are so glad she was able to experience that evening with her family. Col. Bill Kogerman told us her passing was very peaceful and she led a grand life. She was a self-taught organist, painter, poet and genealogist (having written two published books on her “Pond” family.) Barbara discovered through her mother’s research that she is actually a true Daughter of the American Revolution (DAR) having had 5 relatives arriving in America on the Mayflower. Both Betty and Barbara were/are members of the local chapter of the DAR. Mayor Kogerman added, she was a real go-getter and so proud of her family, and boy did she love her sports!
Anonymous said...
I read the obituary for Mayor Kogerman's mother and discovered that she was a a Daughter of the American Revolution (DAR), and became a certified genealogist in addition to many other things. http://www.oconnormortuary.com/obituaries/Betty-Snyder/#/Obituary
ABOUT: Council Member Absences from Council Meetings
Anonymous said...
Are the absences of City Council Members at City Council Meetings ever explained to the public who elected them to be at the meetings? We noticed the absences on the 2012 Report Card and now there is already one absence in 2013 with no explanation?
Jean Bland, et al., Citizens of Laguna Hills said...
In answer to your question about council member absences at council meetings, we have rarely heard a reason given, in public, for the absence of a council member at a meeting. We understand what you are saying and agree that we did elect them to attend the meetings so if they need to be absent, we also would appreciate a public explanation as a courtesy to the electorate. For the Laguna Hills City Council Members there are 21 Council Meetings Scheduled for the year 2013, plus 5 study sessions and 1 League of California Cities Annual Conference. There are also breaks built into the schedule such as from July 10 to August 26 from Dec. 11 to the first meeting in 2014.
ABOUT: A Citizen Involved Planning Commission in Laguna Hills
Anonymous said...
Did you see the Jan. 18 OC Register Story about Lake Forest's 5 member Planning Commission that advises the City Council on land use? Lawyer, accountant appointed to Lake Forest Planning Commission. When Laguna Hills gets one of these I would like to be informed. We need more citizen input into these projects in Laguna Hills. Citizens have been to often ignored in this area.
** WIN WIN Wednesdays!! is an on-going series of restaurant fundraisers, a project of the Laguna Hills High School PTSA. Eat at these great local restaurants on Wednesdays and in return, they donate a percentage of the proceeds to the LHHS PTSA. It’s good for us AND it’s good for the local restaurant community. This allows the Laguna Hills High School PTSA to fund many worthwhile programs such as "EVERY 15 MINUTES" (a vividly realistic drunk driving prevention presentation), the Award Winning "I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE" program and the SAFE and SOBER all night "GRAD NIGHT" that keeps our kids not only safe but in Laguna Hills and on campus continuing a 23 year tradition that makes us HAWK Proud! *** Recently the PTSA was able to donate $16,000 for a State of the Art Language lab for the LHHS Language Immersion Program whose Spanish Immersion Component has recently won an INTERNATIONAL AWARD for the BEST SPANISH IMMERSION PROGRAM IN THE WORLD and whose teacher, Mrs. Tonya Iribarne, won a NATIONAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARD ** For Weekly Flyers and Schedules go to our web site at http://www.winwinwednesdays.com/ and please be sure to "LIKE US" on Facebook!
** Bring the WWW!! flyer to these participating restaurants on these dates and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the LHHS PTSA and you can now get durable and attractive business card size Win-Win-Wednesday Fan and Supporter Cards that contain all the info. for W-W-Wed on one side including how to subscribe to W-W-Wednesday to get your flyers, dates and Restaurant Information sent to you weekly on Wednesdays and the other side of the card will serve as a universal flyer, if you forget to bring a flyer. You can sign up for an e-blast at WinWinWednesdays@gmail.com to have the weekly schedule and flyers for Win-Win-Wednesdays e-mailed to you.
January 30 - Flamingo's Mexican (LH) Laguna Hills - all day
February 6 - Pei Wei Asian Diner- both (LF) Lake Forest & (LN) Laguna Niguel - all day
February 13 - Villa Roma Argentine/Italian (LH) - all day
February 27 - Baja Fresh - (LH) Laguna Hills - all day
March 6 - Athena Greek (LH) - all day
March 13 - California Pizza Kitchen (LH Mall) - all day
March 27 - Chick fil-A (LH) - all day
**Don't forget to see our "WWW Everyday Partners - Alpha Cleaners, Golden Baked Hams and ToGO's on our web site. Bring the flyers for these everyday partners and Support the businesses that support us!
** HOW TO SUPPORT THE 3rd BATTALION, 5th MARINE DIVISION - Adopted by the City of Laguna Hills
BE SURE TO SEE ALL THE GREAT THINGS YOUR DONATIONS HAVE MADE POSSIBLE at the Team Dark Horse web site - http://teamdarkhorse.org/ and you
can see the Laguna Hills 3/5 Adopted Marines Face book page by clicking on this link - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Laguna-Hills
Donation checks can be made to "Laguna Hills Team Dark Horse" and mailed to - Team Dark Horse, 27251 Lost Colt Dr., Laguna Hills, CA. 92653 or anyone can now donate via PayPal on the web site at http://teamdarkhorse.org/ The Non-profit Corporation 501 (C) (3) status has been approved so all donations are tax deductible. E-mail Mike Bland at 35bland@gmail.com with questions, suggestions, etc. Laguna Hills City Clerk Peggy Johns is the City Liaison to the 3/5 Support Committee.
** NEWS STORIES AND BLOGS ABOUT LAGUNA HILLS: Click on the links below to see the stories.
‘Distinguished Budget Award’ more about good looks than financial healthJanuary 17, 2013 - OC Watchdog by Keegan Kyle, http://taxdollars.ocregister.com/2013/01/17/distinguished-budget-award-more-about-good-looks-than-financial-health/165287/
Resident's Resolutions for Laguna Hills, Lake Forest at http://www.ocregister.com/news/city-382833-lake-forest.html
Laguna Hills Needs an Identity of its Own at http://www.ocregister.com/news/laguna-382827-hills-town.html
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/
Grand Jury gets last laugh on "Shadowy" pension costs - Orange County Register OC Watchdog - Oct. 8, 2012 http://taxdollars.ocregister.com/2012/10/08/grand-jury-gets-last-laugh-on-shadowy-pension-costs/162930/
City officials abused power, grand jury says July 6th, 2012, 1:22 am · posted by Teri Sforza, Register staff writer http://taxdollars.ocregister.com/2012/07/06/city-officials-abused-power-grand-jury-says/158361/
City among worst for alcohol fueled crashes
Fullerton and Laguna Hills had the worst rates of crashes that involved underage drinkers
Read more at: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/cities-348774-crashes-among.html
New Reports with 2011 Statistics for the 70 year old Orange County Animal Shelter that Laguna Hills still uses for it's citizens http://www.ocregister.com/articles/fewer-338291-killed-shelter.html?pic=1
Total euthanasia rate of 53%. http://taxdollars.ocregister.com/2012/02/16/three-out-of-four-cats-still-dont-leave-shelter-alive/148403/ Teri Sforza OC Watchdog Kill Rate for Cats at the OC Animal Shelter in 2011 was 74% and only 17% adopted. Euthanasia Rate Stuck at Nearly 50% at O.C. Animal Care http://ranchosantamargarita.patch.com/articles/shelter-euthanizes-fewer-animals-in-2011 County Shelter finally admits killing animal for space.
Fred Smoller,The Brandman University Professor of Public Administration, "who offended the power elite" when his Master's Degree students won awards assisting Council Member Kogerman to research the total compensation of City Managers in Orange County has just resigned from his post. Why did this happen? - Click on http://taxdollars.ocregister.com/2011/10/12/professor-who-offended-power-elite-resigns-post/109833/
LAGUNA HILLS CITY WORKERS: 12 PERCENT UNDERPAID? http://taxdollars.ocregister.com/2011/09/01/laguna-hills-city-workers-12-percent-underpaid/95765/
Which city council makes the most money? http://taxdollars.ocregister.com/2011/07/11/which-city-council-makes-the-most-money/88311/#comment-169311
LA Times: Laguna Hills City Manager Salary http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-oc-salaries-20110621,0,1126677.story
June 9, 2011 ORANGE COUNTY GRAND JURY REPORT - Compensation Study of Orange County Cities http://www.ocgrandjury.org/pdfs/comp-study-oc-cities/Compensation-Study-of-Orange-County-Cities.pdf
City manager says compensation is fair http://www.ocregister.com/news/city-303264-channing-compensation.html
After attacks, city-manager-compensation sleuths win state award March 21st, 2011, posted by Teri Sforza, Register staff writer http://taxdollars.ocregister.com/2011/03/21/after-attacks-city-manager-compensation-sleuths-win-state-award/78545/#comment-139633 Click on http://www.publicceo.com/ for more of this story.
No more $60,000 SUVs for city manager? http://taxdollars.ocregister.com/2011/02/09/no-more-60000-suvs-for-city-manager/75030/
OCREGISTER: Laguna Hills councilwoman says no to health benefits http://www.ocregister.com/news/city-282972-benefits-council.html
O.C. cities lavished health benefits on council members http://taxdollars.ocregister.com/2010/12/06/oc-cities-lavished-health-benefits-on-council-members/69544/
Who has the best-paid city council in California? (updated) http://taxdollars.ocregister.com/2010/12/02/who-has-the-best-paid-city-council-incalifornia/69418/ In Laguna Hills the Taxpayers pay the entire cost of heath care premiums for the elected part time city council members and their families. In addition, the City Manager's contract states "To the extent that payment of all or any portion of the dependent rate of premium, is not approved by the city council for all city employees, Channing shall be entitled to a salary increase or cash payment sufficient to cover the amount of premium or rate for dependent coverage not provided by the City plus applicable income taxes on that amount."
OCREGISTER: Chris Norby: Local officials susceptible to 'Bell syndrome http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/elected-276253-city-syndrome.html "Bell syndrome thrives where elected boards vote in lockstep, where groupthink is elevated, and skeptics are ostracized, and where top staff are seen as irreplaceable experts – with rubber-stamped salaries to prove it. Bell syndrome thrives when self-congratulation trumps self-examination."
** CRIME IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD - For a roundup of Laguna Hills police calls check Sheriff's Blotter information - County of Orange at http://ws.ocsd.org/Blotter/ then choose a city/area and either a 7 day view or a 30 day view. The Sheriff's Open Calls,Cities and Areas - Media Page allows members of the media and residents of the community to see all open calls for all cities and areas. The Sheriff's Blotter enables residents to know what activity is occurring in their communities. A regular review of the calls in your area and the year-to-date crime statistics, at the bottom of each page in the OCSD Patrol Areas section, will provide you an accurate view of law enforcement activity in your community. It will also show you Official Radio Codes. You can contact the Sheriff's Dispatch by phone at 949-425-1800.
** You can also check the Saddleback Valley News every Friday for some of the police calls.
** WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR of the Orange County Register Newspaper - E-mail to letters@ocregister.com Please provide your name, city and telephone number (telephone numbers will not be published). Letters of about 200 words or videos of 30-seconds each will be given preference. Letters will be edited for length, grammar and clarity.
