Laguna Hills Watch Dog - HEADLINES/ ITEMS OF INTEREST for the Tuesday, June 25, 2013 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. Citizen Alerts/HEADLINES for future City Council Meetings will be listed on this blog site within 4 days prior to a meeting.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:
(** Editor's Note - Update on Fireworks Display problem for July 4, 2013 - For the past 3 years the City of Laguna Hills has had problems with their 4th of July Fireworks Displays. We looked back through our previous reports, did a little investigating and found that the vendors used for the fireworks displays for the last 3 years by Laguna Hills were:
2011 Pyro Spectaculars, Inc - Cost to the city of $24,675 was announced at the May 10, 2011 council meeting.
2012 Pyro Engineering - Cost to the city of $24,000 was announced at the April 10, 2012 council meeting.
2013 Pyro Engineering - Cost to the city of $24,500 was announced at the May 14, 2013 council meeting.
We also found this Internet link: http://www.pyrouniverse.com/forum/showthread.php/31259-Bay-Fireworks-Pyro-Engineering-Inc that connected Pyro-Engineering and Bay Fireworks. On Saturday morning we read in the OC Register Newspaper http://www.ocregister.com/articles/fireworks-515845-city-people.html
that Bay Fireworks was named as the vendor that "put on the fireworks" in Laguna Hills. Bay Fireworks was also named as the vendor that put on the faulty fireworks show in San Juan Capistrano this year as well as the Simi Valley fire works display that reportedly shot pyrotechnics into the crowd. ** We have worked with David Reynolds, Director and Dan Meehan, Superintendent of the Laguna Hills Community Services Dept. and found them both to be first rate as people and as city employees as well as exceptionally hard working. Laguna Hills' contract with the vendor reportedly calls for a recoup of all costs if the show has a gap of more than 15 minutes. We will keep you posted.)
** YOU CAN LISTEN TO YOUR MAYOR, Barbara Kogerman. ON FM RADIO- KSBR (88.50). She is being interviewed the day before and the day after each City Council Meeting 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.
** The WIN-WIN-WEDNESDAY RESTAURANT for July 10, 2013 is Flamingo’s Mexican Grill (McIntyre – LH) All Day
** For Weekly Flyers to take to the designated restaurant to get a donation, for the LHHS PTSA, from the proceeds of your meal go to the Win-Win-Wednesday web site at: http://www.winwinwednesdays.com/ and download the flyer for the designated restaurant!! **Don't forget to see our "WWW Everyday Partners - Alpha Cleaners, Golden Baked Hams and ToGO's on our web site." Take our flyers to these everyday partners and Support the Businesses that Support Us!
LAGUNA HILLS' CITY COUNCIL MEETING FEATURES DIRECTORY for Tuesday, June 25, 2013
1. CLOSED SESSION - None
2. PRESENTATIONS and PROCLAMATIONS:
Recognition of Annie Pankowski, a resident of Laguna Hills, who was recently named to the U.S. Women’s Hockey National Team
Orange County Transportation Authority presented the City Council with an update on the I-5 widening Improvement Project from SR-73 to El Toro Rd
3. CONSENT CALENDAR:
Item 4.3 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF LAGUNA HILLS, CALIFORNIA, ESTABLISHING EMPLOYER PAID MEMBER CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CALIFORNIA PUBLIC EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Laguna Hills City Employees Association (LHCEA),
Item 4.4- AUTHORIZATION TO LEASE CITY VEHICLE, a new Mazda model CX-9, for Don White, Assistant City Manager.
Item 4.9 - APPLICATION FOR THE CYCLE 6 HIGHWAY SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL to partially fund the widening of proposed sidewalk expansion project along La Paz Road to Valencia Elem. School.
Item 4.11 - FY 2013-2014 TRAUMA INTERVENTION PROGRAM AGREEMENT
Item 4.12 - FY 2013-2014 SCHOOL CROSSING GUARD AGREEMENT
4. WARRANT REGISTER = $410,141.64
Items of Interest from the Warrant Register;
1. $33,856.00 to Age Well Senior Services - via Pass through grant from City of Laguna Hills
2. $950.00 to CA. Yellow Cab Dial a Taxi Senior Transportation Program - Use of this program is increasing!!
5. CITY COUNCIL/PLANNING AGENCY PUBLIC HEARINGS - A REQUEST TO SUBDIVIDE THE CABOT TOWN CENTER PROPERTY INTO FOUR PARCELS AT 25214-25272 CABOT ROAD IN THE FREEWAY COMMERCIAL ZONING DISTRICT AND A REQUEST FOR A VARIANCE FROM THE MINIMUM SIDE SETBACK REQUIREMENT FOR THE EXISTING BUILDING ON PROPOSED PARCEL 2".
6. CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARINGS: RECEIPT OF 2013 WEED ABATEMENT COST REPORT
7. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS:
Item 7.1.1 - REQUESTS FOR RAISES AND ADDITIONAL BENEFITS FOR LAGUNA HILLS CITY MANAGEMENT
Management Staff states that it has found that since 2009, adjusting for inflation, overall management compensation has decreased significantly and over the past 3 years has saved the City a total of $347,000. Staff says management has received only one cost of living adjustment since July 2008 and the City Manager has not received a bonus since 2009. In 2011 the city council defunded the City Management Incentive Program where managers could earn up to 10% performance pay. The City changed medical Insurance programs July 1, 2011 which yielded a significant savings in insurance premiums. The former Community Development Director retired in Dec. of 2011 and the new director started at a lower salary, etc. Staff report concludes that as a percentage of the total budget management cost for the 2012-15 biennial budget are 7%. The report continues that none of the management staff is receiving the 5% above the comparator city's average as is the traditional practice of Laguna Hills. Based upon this information from staff, staff is proposing that all management staff and confidential employees receive a 3.5% increase effective July 1, 2013 + Cost of Living Allowance of 3.5% to be effective July 1, 2014 + management is asking that current management not participate in cost sharing for their CalPERS Retirement Benefit but new hires be required to pay the full 7% employee portion of the CalPERS Retirement Benefit. (**Editor's Note - Again staff never mentions their PARS (Public Agency Retirement System) Retirement Benefit which is another of the Retirement System Benefits the City has been providing for its employees since 1999 but always fails to Publicly mention and was not able to be found on the city web site but cost the City $90,862.75 in FY2011/2012.) Staff is also recommending that management and confidential employees be granted an additional 8 hours of holiday time to accommodate the closing of City Hall for Veteran's Day and staff is also recommending increases in salary ranges for Community Services Staff Leaders
Item 7.2.1 - APPROVAL OF THE PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS AND AUTHORIZATION TO ADVERTISE FOR BIDS FOR THE LA PAZ OPEN SPACE IMPROVEMENTS, MOULTON PARKWAY TO ALAMEDA AVENUE with stated changes to plans to include:1 - Elimination of the 2 access ramps with handrails due to modifications in grading in the area.
2 - Greater separation between the Multi use trail and the Equestrian use trail but no changes to to the Multi Use Trails that are closest to the residential back yards.
3 - Equestrian Trail west of the La Paz vehicle entrance to the Center has been modified to accommodate shopping Center signage.
4 - Multi Use trail pavement had been modified to include intermittent grooved concrete panels.
5 - The bench and trash receptacle has been placed at the top of the ramp noted in #1 above.
6 - Location of the Equestrian Stock Tank and Hitching Post has been moved further toward Moulton Pkwy. adjacent to the La Paz vehicle entry to the center which is 75 ft. further from the potential outdoor eating area at the center and the center now has a fenced corral to accommodate up to 6 horses and an immediately adjacent bench and trash receptacle for riders to use.
7. Multi-Trail lighting is provided by 8 inch diameter by 42 inch tall light bollard with LED lamps place at approx. every 90 feet of linear distance. The backs of the lights are shielded to avoid illumination of residential properties.
8. Permanent illumination of the 2 tunnels is provided
FISCAL IMPACT: The La Paz Open Space Improvements, Moulton Parkway to Alameda Avenue are included in the current fiscal year Capital Improvement Program Budget in the amount of $1,200,000.
8. MATTERS AGENDIZED and PRESENTED by COUNCIL MEMBERS and MAYOR - None
** Information, Comments, Questions, Concerns from LH Watch Dog Readers from the previous blog post - ABOUT: Friendliness to City Businesses and July 4th problems
** The 3/5 Marines adopted by the City of Laguna Hills
Team Dark Horse says THANK YOU, **BE SURE TO GO TO THE TEAM DARK HORSE web site at http://teamdarkhorse.org/ to SEE HOW YOUR DONATIONS ARE HELPING. Team Dark Horse now has PayPal online, in addition to its mailing address, and see the Laguna Hills 3/5 Adopted Marines Face book page by clicking on this link - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Laguna-Hills-Team-Darkhorse/132765660119128?ref=ts&fref=ts
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