The Buzz Column, June 20

Residents who live near O’Neill Park won a battle on May 22 against a cell tower going up in their neighborhood, but they should remain vigilant. The cell tower applicant (Aspen Associates Telecom, agent for Omnipoint Communications, a subsidiary of T-Mobile) could appeal the Planning Commission’s decision against the cell tower, but it has not done so, according to City Hall. Residents should be able to rely on the council to vote down an appeal; however, the council majority has a history of siding with the highest bidder. With developers and contractors offering campaign dollars, residents should fill the council chambers with protestors against the cell tower – rounding up every man, woman and child – if this item goes before the council.

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The Buzz last week described Ury’s failed political extravaganza on June 3. Ury had advertised a barbeque following the precinct walk he tried to arrange before the Primary Election. One person showed up to walk; however, there was no dinner as promised. The person attending said Ury was so angry at the lack of response he called off the bean feed. The lone stranger didn’t even get a hot dog. Perhaps the one person in town who showed up now knows why everyone else said no.

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Residents watching the June 19 council meeting got a glimpse of council members acting like spoiled children. Perhaps the three in the middle – Council Members MacLean, Kelley and Ury – were confident they were off camera. While another person spoke seriously about city business, the three council clowns yucked it up with each other – appearing to laugh at the speaker.

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Also during the June 19 meeting, Councilwoman Trish Kelley reminded everyone that the Fourth of July will be celebrated on July 4th this year – it was practically that bad. Throughout the meeting, she bestowed lavish compliments and thanked everyone profusely – the well-compensated city staff, the $9,000-a-month foundation director and the pricey contractors. About a contractor’s Information Technology Strategic Plan – which she probably didn’t comprehend – she said, “It’s a wonderful report. I really enjoyed reading it.” Having this woman making decisions explains a lot of the council’s problems, including the lawsuit against the city and the affordable housing mess.

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A resident spoke during public comments on June 19, objecting to remarks made from the public microphone on June 5 when someone blatantly campaigned for a candidate on the eve of the Primary Election. The June 19 speaker said the campaign speech was inappropriate and should have been disallowed. Addressing Mayor MacLean, the resident said, “You didn’t have the leadership or the courage to stop it.”

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The Mission Viejo Community Foundation is taking more heat about its fundraising for the community center expansion. After a report of raising $360,000 in “pledges and in-kind contributions,” the foundation has been asked for specifics of in-kind contributions. Do these contributions include a roll of shag carpet and a gallon of purple paint so donors can get a tax write-off? Even if “fixtures” being donated are usable, the center should have a style other than “Garage Sale Eclectic.”

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Lacking from the beginning has been representation of mainstream residents on the Foundation – community members with a passion to see the center expansion completed. Such residents are infinitely more motivated to be board members than a city vendor who doesn’t live in Mission Viejo. Having residents on the board might also break the code of silence on why fundraising has been at a standstill for almost a year.

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What’s Frank Ury up to regarding his planned takeover of Mission Viejo, forming Frank’s Urynation? He’s been attempting to get endorsements for his “boy,” 20-something Justin McCusker, who has yet to attend a council meeting. Ury can’t get a second to his motions on the council, so he’s running his own candidates in November. In addition to getting the good ol’ boys at the county level to endorse McCusker, Ury’s political lackeys are also working to prevent incumbents Trish Kelley and, particularly, Lance MacLean from getting any political endorsements.