City Election Shapes Up
Editorial Staff

With a week to go before the Aug. 8 filing deadline, at least six candidates are lining up for two city council seats. Council Members Gail Reavis and Frank Ury are up for reelection on Nov. 4, and both have pulled papers to run.

Speculation that Ury might not file turned out to be wishful thinking among his detractors. Ury gathered steam when he first ran in 2004 by jumping in front of a group of north Mission Viejo residents opposing more overhead power lines. Once elected, Ury turned his back on the issue and put his supporters on ignore. His “business acumen” heralded in his 2004 campaign has been used to enrich developers and good ol’ boys around the county. Activists who don’t agree on a lot of other things are united on dumping Ury.

Speculation that Reavis might not run has been based on her vulnerability, but she’s in the race. She lost the support of city activists over rezoning and other issues, and she filed a $10-million claim against the city. If her statement is true she filed the claim only “to get everyone’s attention,” there are better ways to get attention.

Challengers who have begun the process of filing include Rich Atkinson, Neil Lonsinger, Cathy Schlicht and Michael Williamson. At least one other potential challenger has an appointment next week with the city clerk to get started.

Rich Atkinson is a city planning commissioner, and he works in code enforcement for the city of San Clemente. Councilwoman Trish Kelley appointed him to the commission, and Kelley, Ury and Councilman Lance MacLean are allegedly supporting him to knock Reavis off the council. Atkinson has talked about a campaign budget of $68,000, and residents should ask which outsiders are funding him.

Neil Lonsinger served on the planning commission in 2005-2006, and he was a candidate in the 2006 city election. A retired business owner, he served as president of Mission Viejo’s largest homeowners association. During informal chats, he says that government is too big, it spends too much money, and Mission Viejo residents feel as if they have no voice in decisions. One of his issues is to preserve the Casta golf course.

Cathy Schlicht is a longtime resident and frequent speaker at council and commission meetings. She often talks about the need for open government, and she frequently defends First Amendment rights. Her issues have included power lines and EMF dangers.

Michael Williamson, a police sergeant with the Los Angeles Police Dept. who also works as a lawyer, is a newcomer to city politics. He and his wife Danna have two grown children. According to information he filed with the city clerk, his wife will serve as his campaign treasurer. In an interview on another blog, Williamson indicated his campaign budget is $500, which he says he’ll spend on yard signs. Given that this is 2008, $500 just doesn’t go as far as it used to in, say, 1958. Williamson is registered as a Democrat.

Four other potential candidates made appointments with the city clerk but either canceled or didn’t show up.

Easelgate Update, Aug. 2
Editorial staff

When community activist Lisa De Paul-Snyder began investigating the city’s easel escapade on April 22, she wasn’t just fishing. The huge pile of easels she saw trashed on city property pointed to an obvious waste of tax dollars. From the beginning of Easelgate, the official response from city administrator Keith Rattay has made no sense.

De Paul-Snyder and other activists have been reviewing approximately 2,000 pages of public documents from the files of city contractor Jamey Clark, who built the easels.

After residents thought they had heard it all, Rattay surprised everyone with his June 18 statement that “150 volunteers donated 800 hours” building the easels for the city’s 20th anniversary photo display. His remark first appeared in a memo to City Manager Dennis Wilberg, and he was quoted in the July 9 issue of Saddleback Valley News. Rattay’s claim was immediately challenged by activists.

To reveal Rattay’s whopper about volunteer work, this week’s Easelgate Update centers on how many of the 500 easels were built by Clark at $45/hr. Documents the city released to De Paul-Snyder show that the city paid Clark for building all 500. Where does that leave Rattay’s claim about 800 hours of volunteer help? The following information is from Clark’s invoices to the city. Clark refers to easels as “frames.”

• January 18: cut wood as per bid for picture frames, $3,780.00
• February 1: cut wood for art frames and pre-drill holes in 350 and 200,
   $1,035.00
• February 5: assemble 60 frames, $308.00
• February 8: pre-drill holes for 69 frames; assemble 101 art frames,
  $675.00
• February 14: assemble 130 frames, $720.00
• February 29: cut and assemble 210 frames; cover with tarps, $1,517.00

A summary of Clark’s easel-related activity through February 29 accounts for assembling 501 “frames” (easels) – more than 100 percent, but who’s counting? Wait – there’s more.

• March 7, paint 45 frames; cut, assemble and paint 90 frames; assemble and paint 12 frames, $1,035.00
• March 18: assemble [no number given]; mount on boards, secure and level, $877.50

According to invoices, Clark had assembled more than 600 frames (easels) by March 18, and the clock was still running.

• March 18: paint 169 frames, $1,350
• March 20: paint [number of frames/easels not given], $5,205.00
• March 25: reinforce all 540 frames, repair five frames and staple,
  $462.00 and $46.94
• March 27: assemble boxes [are these the 8-foot-tall signboards?],
   $298.00
• March 27: set up and stake flags and picture stands [are these “stands” easels?], $885.00
• March 27: pick up boxes, paint, assemble/install boxes, $231.00
• March 28: assemble boxes, $2,545.00
• March 29: assemble boxes, $231.00
• March 29: provide labor support for event, $2,730.00

In case anyone is trying to add up the cost, don’t bother. Amounts listed above are the tip of the iceberg in this taxpayer-funded fiasco.

As a separate problem for Rattay (beyond his story about 150 volunteers), he attempted to count the “large easels” or banner boxes in with the 500-plus for the photo gallery, possibly to confuse anyone trying to tabulate the cost. But activists discovered that the large easels had been built and paid for – probably long before November 2007, and Clark refurbished them for use in the 2007 Veterans Day event. Clark’s fee for refurbishing 75 “banner boxes” in November 2007 was $7,415.00 – more than $100 each just for repairing and touching up paint.

One discovery leads to another, but the purpose of the numbers above is primarily to demonstrate that Rattay’s claim of engaging volunteers in easel construction was a hoax. As for what else happened, the allegations get a lot worse – and that's coming.

Keep in mind that the city manager gave reporter Lindsey Baguio of SVN a list of 30 residents to “provide balanced input” against unfavorable articles about city hall. It will be interesting to see how many from the list of “The 30 Most Confused Residents in Mission Viejo” will want to comment.

Initiative Is Back on Track
Editorial staff

Plans are proceeding for advocates of the Mission Viejo Right To Vote Initiative to start gathering signatures on Fri., Aug. 8. Two months ago, community activist Dale Tyler brought the process to this point, but he stopped to add a new paragraph. The new text will allow for the possibility of a special election if the completion of signature-gathering doesn’t coincide with a regularly scheduled election.

A week ago, City Attorney Bill Curley reviewed the proposed initiative and gave it a title and summary. Tyler on Aug. 1 arranged for public notice to appear in the newspaper, as required by law. Signature gathering can begin as soon as the notice is published, which should occur on Aug. 8.

Some residents supporting the initiative see it as the only way to stop the council’s relentless rezoning. With the initiative in place, any major zone change would go on the ballot for a popular vote. Residents, not council members, would have the final say.

Immediately at stake is the future of the Casta del Sol Golf Course, which Sunrise Assisted Living has targeted for high-density housing. Among plans presented by Sunrise, a multistory, assisted-living facility would replace the clubhouse at the south end of the property. As an alternative plan, housing would be sited on the west side along Marguerite Parkway. Neighbors in adjacent HOAs have strongly objected to any plan for housing and/or carving up the golf course.

Numerous other properties are already targeted for rezoning. Among the worst situations is a handful of residents complaining about the retail center at La Paz and Marguerite. Several naive people remark that the center – private property – should be refaced or upgraded. The city staff began the campaign, and Councilman Frank Ury seized the opportunity to bring in the Urban Land Institute to recommend razing the center and rebuilding stores topped with affordable apartment. It’s a package deal – those who want “upgrading” don’t have the option of rejecting apartments on top of stores. With Newhart Middle School bursting at the seams and nearby homeowners dealing with traffic and parking issues, the solution is NOT to allow more housing, more students, more economically depressed families living on top of each other and stores burdened with built-in shoplifters, graffiti and other crimes.

Mission Viejo residents – the reasonable and responsible ones – have an opportunity to seize control over the council’s growing propensity to rezone and overdevelop everything in sight.

If and when anyone speaks out against a vote of the people, residents should ask why they should have no say in rezoning issues that are certain to affect their property values, quality of life and peace of mind.

School Update
Editorial staff

Capistrano USD: Trustee Mike Darnold announced he won’t run for reelection in November. Trustee Duane Stiff says he’s running, if for no other reason than to make sure challenger Michael Winsten will have an opponent. With the election still three months away, perhaps Stiff might think of one positive reason he should run.

A parent who has been active in CUSD reform, Jim Reardon, discovered several months ago that a high-pressure fuel pipeline near San Juan Hills High School is a safety issue. Reardon recently launched a blog to cover school issues. On July 29, he posted, “Last week, CUSD began installation of portable classrooms on its brand-new $150-million high school. With all of the brilliant capacity planning that went into this site, it is now evident that almost half the classrooms on campus were planned to be in so-called ‘relocatable’ buildings.” Readers can find the blog at http://nzj1hn215k.blogspot.com

Saddleback Valley USD: On July 31, the Justice for 375 Trabuco Scholars coalition hoped Judge Jamoa Moberly would stop the Education Testing Service from invalidating their Advanced Placement exams. The judge instead decided the students at Trabuco Hills High School will have to retake the test. The national administration of the AP exams made allegations of cheating and improper proctoring when students were tested in May. Students who filed suit complained that the allegations had not been properly investigated. The principal at Trabuco was removed from his post after district officials said his staff failed to follow national testing protocols. Students had been allowed to use study materials during the tests, bring in their cell phones and take unauthorized restroom breaks in groups. Ten students admitted to cheating.

PALs update from Julie Collier: Now that the new school year is coming upon us, some people are worried with what it means to them. Several communities are realizing that the cuts made during the past school year are now going to affect them in different ways. Mission Viejo is one community that is experiencing growing concern for lost busing to the students. The schools in Mission Viejo are not what many would consider "community schools," as most students cannot walk or ride their bikes to school. They are dependent on busing or carpools. Here is an article that might be of interest to parents: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/bus-school-city-2103135-district-traffic

We might see other cities follow Mission Viejo's lead. If you are not sure if your bus route is available, click below. If your school is not on the list below, it means there is no bus route for that school. An annual bus pass is $401 per year. Second child is $381, and third child is $342. More info can be found at
http://www.capousd.org

I also wanted to remind parents that if they plan to volunteer in their child's classroom this school year, they will need to get a T.B. test and a background check. Please note, if they have had a background check through their work or church, it will not qualify. They must do a separate background check through CUSD at their own cost. Depending on the job as a volunteer (if parents do not work directly with students), they might not have to get the background check. In addition, if paying for the volunteer background check will be a financial hardship to the family, please contact CUSD. They might be able to help.
 
Julie Collier
http://www.parentsadvocateleague.org

Article Correction - July 26 Buzz

We heard from Councilwoman Gail Reavis that she wanted the public to know that she was removed from Economic Development Subcommittee in January 2008 by Trish Kelley. Frank Ury was Gail's replacement. As such, Gail is not responsible for the total lack of useful output from the Economic Development Subcommittee since January 2008.

The Buzz column

A blog reader researched the risks of building homes below an earthen dam. She intends to share her findings with homeowner associations that are mobilizing to oppose housing on the Casta golf course. She wrote, “The problem with developers is that they can pay a consultant to say anywhere is a safe place to build homes regardless of obvious risks. Eventually, someone should ask who owns the dam, and who is going to be sued if it breaks.”

***

What were Capo USD Trustees Ellen Addonizio and Sue Palazzo doing in Supt. Woodrow Carter’s office on July 25 when he wasn’t there? The story hit newspapers as if they were burglars, with writers calling it “CapoGate” and “TrusteeGate.” Addonizio said she was showing Palazzo around the building, and the superintendent’s suite includes a bathroom with a shower. It’s a frequently mentioned feature of CUSD’s Taj Mahal, with the common folks thinking a shower in a school administrator’s office is a little unusual.

***

If CUSD administrator Sherine Smith was truly alarmed about seeing the trustees in Carter’s office, why didn’t she call Carter – her boss? Instead, she called the media. With Smith as a loyalist of the old Fleming regime and Carter at odds with the new majority, it’s a flap that isn’t going to end quietly. The next CUSD board meeting is Aug. 11, and public comments are going to be interesting.

***

The majority of students at Trabuco Hills High School who did no wrong when taking their Advanced Placement tests deserve credit for fighting back. While it’s understandable that the testing service can take no chances about the legitimacy of results, its decision to disqualify all tests came across as mass punishment. The students who formed a coalition lost the court battle, and the test has been rescheduled.

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As reported in the Aug. 1 OC Register, Earthlink decided to end its wireless Internet service for citywide coverage in Anaheim. Earthlink cited few sales and technical difficulties as reasons to end the service. What’s the Mission Viejo connection? Councilman Frank Ury has allegedly been trying to sell such Wi-Fi coverage to cities as part of his unspecified “consulting” business. A similar contract has been discussed by the city of Mission Viejo – what a coincidence.

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The 5.4 shaker centered near Chino Hills on July 29 reminded everyone that it takes only one event to change an inactive fault to an active one. How’s that emergency kit coming along that everyone is supposed to have prepared – food, water and clothing for three days, etc.?

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Mission Viejo had a quake of its very own on Sept. 12, 2007, centered 15 miles northeast of the city. Another small one hit near the same area on Aug. 2, 2008, but this time it was referred to as Rancho Santa Margarita’s earthquake. Another fault that’s near Mission Viejo is the Cristianitos Fault, which geologists estimate hasn’t been active for more than 125,000 years.