The Buzz column, Jan. 16

It’s official – the city’s “new” attorney is the city’s old attorney. Perhaps the council majority wanted to see how many thousands of dollars it could spend on “finding” its current law firm. The process took a year and how much money? On a closed-session 3-2 vote on Tues., Jan. 17, the council majority decided to award the contract to Richards, Watson and Gershon. While the public announcement didn’t reveal which three council members were in the majority, the contract will be ratified in open session on Feb. 6. Wasn’t Frank Ury the one who campaigned on getting rid of Richards, Watson and Gershon? It will be interesting to see how he votes Feb. 6.

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Among the council’s few agenda items on Jan. 16 was the public hearing to amend Chapter 9.45 Minor Exceptions of city code. Apparently, the planning commission wanted to tighten the planning director’s authority to grant minor exceptions. The director previously had the authority to allow exceptions varying up to 30 percent from code. The council unanimously approved the planning commission’s recommendation to tighten the code to 15 percent.

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Some cities are divided into districts, whereby each council member represents a region of the city. Mission Viejo has a similar practice, if one is in a joking mood. Trish Kelley is the Capo school board’s representative, voting to benefit CUSD at city expense. Lance MacLean represents tall, middle-aged men who want to play basketball at night. John Paul Ledesma attempts to represent ethical views, which explains why he’s in the minority. Gail Reavis tries to represent the city at large, which is why she’s in the minority. And Frank Ury represents those who live outside the city.

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Multiple choice questions are evidently not a strong suit for Chandra Krout, Ury’s far-left and far-out planning commission appointee. According to Registrar of Voters records, Krout had three different party affiliations in 2005. She changed from Democrat to American Independent to decline to state. Her first choice, Democrat, appears to be the correct one. If Ury asked her to change her Democrat affiliation to save face with his far-right supporters, she may have mistakenly chosen the conservative American Independent Party, which is to the right of the Republican Party. Considering the views Krout espouses from the dais, that’s funny.

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Did the failed attempt to recall the Capistrano school board trustees mark the beginning or the end of the parents’ effort to solve problems? According to Jonathan Volzke in the Jan. 12 Capistrano Dispatch, “Depending on which side you were rooting for, you either supported what was sure to be a very bloody coup, or a somewhat imperialistic government beating down the masses.” Voters will have another opportunity in November, when three trustees are up for reelection.

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During Trish Kelley’s year as mayor in 2005, she handed out more than 500 “awards” to citizens during council meetings. The high number alone tends to devalue receiving a city award. Was the real mission to engage some of the honorees in the councilwoman’s reelection campaign? Mayor MacLean is now faced with the dilemma that anyone who ever wanted a city award already has one.