City Preparedness: Don’t Count On It
Staff editorial

The city of Mission Viejo has a highly compensated administrative manager (paid more than $100,000 annually, plus benefits) in charge of emergency preparedness. The city staff presented a report during the Nov. 5 council meeting that indicates Mission Viejo’s readiness plan consists of relying on county agencies.

The 14-page Nov. 5 report includes a map of the October Santiago Fire, a Nov. 1 update on the fire, a chronology of the fire, lessons learned from the fire and an outline of the city’s preparedness projects. Only three of the 14 pages relate to the city’s current and future readiness efforts.

A reader informed blog staffers nearly two years ago of the city’s lack of genuine preparedness. The reader said, “The city is ready to take care of only its own staff members – approximately 140 city employees. The Emergency Operations Center in city hall gives the false impression of a nerve center in the event of a disaster. The county has its own EOC, and the city receives information in a trickle-down fashion from such county agencies as the Fire Authority, Sheriff’s Dept. and Red Cross. When a question came up during a city meeting about how to feed 140 employees, a city staffer suggested walking across the street and breaking into Ralphs.”

The information presented in the Nov. 5 staff report does not allay concerns that residents will be on their own in case of a disaster.

In summary, the report indicates the city has cots, blankets, pillows and sheltering supplies for 160 people. (That means the city is short approximately 99,840 cots, blankets, pillows and sheltering supplies for its nearly 100,000 residents.) The Red Cross will set up shelters, but the capacities and locations aren’t disclosed. Three paragraphs of the report relate to city employees completing training courses. The city purchased satellite phones, emergency radios, laptop computers and a mobile charging station for its EOC, and it plans to upgrade its amateur emergency radio system. The city offers training courses to residents, and it has booths and displays at city events. A city Webpage about preparedness is supposed to be up by March 2008. The remainder of the information describes county operations and county preparedness.

Are a few things missing? Consider that a city employee has spent years (at $100K annually) developing a “plan” that relies primarily on county agencies coming to the rescue. Can anyone explain the difference between “coordinated response” in Mission Viejo and resources available to those living a few miles away in unincorporated areas of the county? Everyone is covered by the same agencies, which appear to have no problem coordinating their response with each other. As another issue, the city lacks the means to communicate its “coordination” to residents in case of a disaster. For example, even with county agencies generating all the updates during the October fires, the city of Mission Viejo was forwarding the emails three days later to its subscribers.

In case of an emergency, Mission Viejo residents will receive their information the way they always do – from radio, TV, Internet, phone calls to each other, etc. They won’t call city hall or drive by the city’s message board at La Paz and Marguerite.

A paragraph in the report describes a city program whereby residents can enroll to learn about readiness. Of course, no information is given about the number of people who have completed a course. The mention of providing “neighborhoods with a better chance of surviving a disaster” appears to be an empty claim. Can any resident describe such a neighborhood readiness program anywhere in Mission Viejo? Has even one resident been contacted by a neighbor regarding such a plan?

Following the October fires, residents asked why the city’s EOC wasn’t opened to evacuees from the canyons or San Diego County. The city responded that the EOC isn’t a shelter. A review of the Nov. 5 report indicates Mission Viejo’s city staff was essentially bypassed by county agencies while fires burned out of control and evacuees streamed through town. With county agencies having their own base of operations, it seems very unlikely county personnel would relocate to Mission Viejo’s EOC for the sake of informing city staffers. A resident says EOC stands for Eat Our Cake – the real purpose of the room, in which gatherings are held and city staff and council members enjoy taxpayer-funded refreshments.

Considering that Orange County has more than 3 million residents, everyone should prepare on an individual basis. In the event of a widespread disaster, there won’t be enough county help, shelter or supplies to go around.

Greatest gifts aren’t hard to find
Letter to the editor

Many thanks for Mission Viejo residents who donated to local food banks or donated blood to the Red Cross over the Thanksgiving holiday. The same needs of the poor and sick continue every day and throughout the Christmas holidays.

Also, thanks to all of you who have or will donate toys for needy children, which is mostly what you hear or read about in the media. Support all the toy collections you can.

But these same kids have to eat, of course, and food banks continue to be under-stocked due to higher prices for food from the farm and fuel for delivery. Many remain 40 percent below normal for the holiday season.

While the Mission Viejo NewsBlog likes to focus on Mission Viejo, all the major food banks serve south Orange County and don’t turn any of the needy away. If your own church has a food bank, donate there. If not, the South County Outreach (www.sco-oc-org) is the perfect alternative.

Also, the holiday season traditionally is the period where Red Cross blood banks are at their lowest levels. Blood donations plummet, but oftentimes demand for blood increases, as more people are traveling during the holidays or otherwise exposed to injury. If you are healthy, make a pledge between now and New Year’s Day to give blood. Go to www.givelife.com.

To turn it into a New Year’s resolution, pledge to give blood about once every two months (the minimum wait period). There is no greater gift you can give to a sick person than to give blood. Think about that as you enjoy the holidays with family and friends.

Allan Pilger
Mission Viejo

Base CUSD Priorities on Needs, Not Politics
Letter to the editor

The Orange County Register article, "High school stadium sparks debate," [Nov. 7] summarized yet another Capistrano school district board meeting, but it did not capture the truly momentous change that occurred that night.

Politics were definitely played, with students paraded in and parents demanding their due. Absurd statements were made, such as, "If your students really want toilets as much as we want a stadium, why are they not here tonight asking for them?" But common sense would say that no student should have to stand in front of their school board and ask that their campus have enough restrooms. 

No student should have to ask that they be able to sit in a clean classroom with decent air and ceiling tiles in place. No student should have to ask for their basic health and safety needs to be met. Yes, politics were played in that meeting, but for the first time in a very long time, politics did not win in a CUSD board meeting. Common sense and fairness won. 

All facilities at all 56 school sites in CUSD will be assessed in the same process, and priorities will be set according to actual needs, not politics.

Sharon O’Brien
Mission Viejo

Look for Reasonable Location and Cost
Reader response, dog park debate

I just came from the second Dog Park Workshop at the council chambers. It appears most people support a dog park, but many residents from the Alicia Park area don't want the dog park there. Fair enough. If they don't want a dog park in THEIR back yard, perhaps the city can annex the slope behind my house and put the dog park in MY back yard! 

However, it seems the second proposed location of Oso Viejo Park drew the least opposition. Fine by me, but I just don't want a dog park south of Oso Parkway. With this city's horrendous traffic, I would rarely ever use it. 

The issue of the dog park's cost was another matter. Many people still don't understand why it would take approximately $1 million to build this park. How much can steel fencing and a few park benches cost? However, if the city can afford a $14-million library that high school kids use to hit on each other after school, then it can afford a modest dog park. 

Maintaining the park was another hot item. Projections call for about $30,000 in maintenance annually (touch-up paint for the fence and grass seed?) and another $500 per month for waste removal. I'm not sure how many licensed dogs we have in Mission Viejo, but at $20+ a pop each year, I'm sure there will be adequate funds available, unless, of course, the city has already squandered our dog tag fees for other idiotic things, like more traffic lights.

Mitch Kronowit
Mission Viejo

CUSD Update, Dec. 15
Editorial staff

Topics of the week include the Capo district’s perpetual shortage of funds, the delay until February in the court case against former administrators James Fleming and Susan McGill, choosing a new school board president for 2008, and the continued debate over finishing the stadium and other projects at the new high school in San Juan Capistrano.

Some of the best suggestions about district finance have come from constituents. Reform-minded parents suggested selling the $52-million administration center even before it was finished. The building, which is so large that district operations can’t fill the space, is a huge liability, and interest payments continue consuming funds that should be spent on classrooms. Six months ago, the district spin machine promoted the idea that revenue from leasing out a portion of the building would be used to maintain and update older facilities, such as Newhart. Earlier this month, a district administrator announced that the rental funds could also be used for debt service on the Certificates of Participation. While the rental revenue could be spent in a variety of ways, the debt service cannot be postponed or pushed down the list.

The district’s plans to sell unused real estate took a turn with the failed sale of the Las Colinas property. Money from the sale could have been used to improve the district’s cash flow. With a potential $3 million expenditure for stadium seating at the new high school, plus the prospect of having to repay the state $8 million over portable classrooms that weren’t installed and the governor talking about a 10-percent cut (because of disastrous state revenue projections), the district is in trouble but still pretending it has money to spend on nonessentials. At least one trustee acknowledged during a board meeting that the district is on the verge of receivership.

Some parents object to selling any more real estate, particularly when funds from such sales are immediately spent. One parent said that the Taj Mahal administration center could be sold, but the district would still owe money on a building it no longer owned.

In the news last week, the court date for former CUSD administrators James Fleming and Susan McGill (both charged with felonies) was delayed until February. McGill’s attorney asked prosecutors to point out specific references in thousands of pages of grand jury testimony that demonstrate McGill perjured herself. The judge said it will take time to read the material and make a decision on the request. Meanwhile, reform-minded parents hope Fleming will feel like plea-bargaining with the D.A., revealing deals with developers, contractors and others who may have illegally benefited.

At the board meeting on Dec. 10, the trustees chose a Fleming holdover, Mike Darnold, as board president for 2008 with a 4-3 vote. Parents reacted by saying it couldn’t get much worse than the current president, Sheila Benecke. Darnold usually says nothing during discussion of agenda items, and it will be interesting to see how he’ll moderate the meetings. Trustee Duane Stiff (another Fleming holdover) was named vice president. Darnold’s term as a board member ends in November 2008, and he’s said he hasn’t decided whether or not to run for reelection.

During the meeting, the board voted to send San Juan Hills High School projects out to bid after tabling the item with a 4-3 vote at the previous meeting. Stiff switched sides (again) by voting with the old guard 4-3 on Dec. 10 in what appeared to be a move forward with spending $3 million on the new school. Stiff explained (no, no, no, I’m not voting to spend) that the board is just getting bids. The board added that the decision to approve spending would be made after an assessment of other facility needs.

Also on the agenda was a seemingly innocuous resolution to shift millions of dollars from school supplies and financial reserves to salaries and employee benefits for non-teachers. Parents said it underlines the district’s precarious financial situation.

The Buzz column, Dec. 15

Reader response: “I especially notice Mission Viejo’s traffic problems in the south part of town when I’m driving to Laguna Niguel to shop. If I wanted to buy a car, I might not have to leave Mission Viejo, but for everyday needs I have to drive a bit farther than I'd like. It isn't very "green" is it? I sure wish our city council was concerned about the residents instead of just their campaign funds.”

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A city activist commented on the county GOP’s self-destructive power struggle over two Republicans, Janet Nguyen vs. Trung Nguyen: “The county Republican Party is extremely short-sighted with one faction supporting Trung Nguyen’s effort to derail County Supervisor Janet Nguyen. Janet is the one with a future, and she’d have a chance to move up if those in her own party would stop attacking her. With her grassroots, she could eventually challenge someone like Rep. Loretta Sanchez. Instead of supporting Janet, a few power-mongers in the county party would rather side with a losing candidate they can control than an elected official who can lead.”

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Mission Viejo volunteers who are raising funds for the Modjeska Ranch Animal Rescue would like to thank all those who made donations of cash and garage sale merchandise. The garage sales following the Santiago Fire raised approximately $5,000 for animal care, food and repairs at the shelter. A volunteer reported, “This is an organization where small donations make a difference because all funds go directly to the shelter. People continue to ask if we’ll have another garage sale, and we’re planning one in January.”

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A reader remarked about an item on a recent council agenda to amend the schedule of fines and fees for the Mission Viejo library. He said, “The library must be desperate for money. I had an unpaid fine for an overdue video, and I couldn’t believe how quickly they turned it over to a collections agency.”

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Who in city hall is driving the effort to destroy the city’s Master Plan? Blog staffers have asked council members who’s in back of it, and no one is taking responsibility. Check out Brad Morton’s Mission Viejo Dispatch this week about a plan at city hall (“General Plan Amendment Proposed”) that would drastically change the area around the intersection of La Paz and Marguerite: http://missionviejodispatch.com. The Planning Commission will discuss the issue on Jan. 28. While some retail areas around town are declining, those near La Paz and Marguerite are reasonably maintained and experiencing full occupancy or close to it. Merchants and other business owners leasing space in retail centers near La Paz and Marguerite have repeatedly gone to commission and council meetings and told the city to butt out.

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A reader emailed about the Dec. 3 council meltdown when Councilman Lance MacLean nominated Councilman Frank Ury for 2008 mayor. The email said, “I was very surprised MacLean would support Frank Ury for anything, especially after Ury backed a nasty campaign against him in 2006. I thought MacLean’s nomination of Ury was just a snub of John Paul Ledesma, who was more or less in line by serving as mayor pro tem this year. Dysfunctional as this council is, we should give Ledesma, Reavis and Kelley credit for not allowing Ury become the mayor. He is bad enough trying to run over other council members, directing the city staff and insulting the residents. If he were mayor, he’d be hell on wheels.”