The Buzz

Is the Mission Viejo Community Foundation out of money again? Word circulated last week that the Foundation’s administrator is gone, and it is requesting more money from the city in the form of a grant. Approximately $400,000 in city grants propped up the Foundation for its first two years of operation. Instead of having residents on the board of directors – dedicated community members who have the ability to raise cash – the Foundation was run by “suits.” Business people and others from such groups as the Chamber of Commerce printed expensive brochures and hired a director (at $90,000 a year?). No one was sure what the original director did, but raising money was apparently not on the list.

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Six weeks into the signature drive for the Mission Viejo Right-To-Vote Initiative, the effort is approaching the halfway point toward getting the required 6,100 signatures. Petition circulators have several more months to qualify the initiative for the ballot. Volunteers are walking their neighborhoods and working at storefronts, including Albertsons on Olympiad, Trader Joe’s, Ralphs on Marguerite Parkway, Ralphs on Santa Margarita Parkway and Pavilions. When passed, the initiative would require a popular vote for zone changes.

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What’s the status of the golf course? The property is for sale. Sunrise announced several weeks ago that it is “withdrawing its plan” to build housing on the golf course. No one knows if Sunrise will return after the election or if another housing developer will make the next bid. Some folks are proclaiming the threat of housing on the golf course has passed. A city activist said, “Those who are saying the golf course is saved aren’t facing reality, and the initiative is the only way to protect it. With council members like Lance MacLean and Frank Ury pushing for more housing, only one more vote is needed. Trish Kelley rezones everything in sight, and Richard Atkinson looks like he’d rezone the golf course as well. Ury and MacLean are supporting Atkinson, so read between the lines.”

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The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 4 election is Oct. 20. The registration form must be postmarked no later than Oct. 20, which is 15 days prior to the election.

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Councilman Lance MacLean’s outburst during the Aug. 18 closed session was recorded, and the 30-second segment can be heard on Brad Morton’s blog, http://missionviejodispatch.com. MacLean’s comments to Reavis, including, “Shut the hell up,” seem to get a pass from others in the room. Reavis said she left the closed session for her safety. While some people might question if she was in any real danger, MacLean’s anger issues are well known, including his arrest for assault and battery at a concert in Irvine. When a UCI co-worker of MacLean didn’t unlock a restroom door as directed, MacLean picked him up by the neck and pinned him against a wall. Those who question if he’s a problem should observe MacLean’s body language, sullen moods and angry remarks during council meetings.

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The mysteriously initiated proposal to sell the city’s cell-tower contracts is back in the picture. The Investment Advisory Commission decided several weeks ago that the contracts continue to be a good source of revenue for the city and nothing should change. However, Councilman Frank Ury is up for reelection, and he needs campaign cash. How will he finance his campaign if his buddy Tony Ingegneri of ATS isn’t rewarded with lucrative commissions for the proposed sale? Community activists suspect a business arrangement exists between Ignegneri and Ury, who introduced ATS to city hall.