Real City Survey Is Nov. 4
Staff editorial

How happy are Mission Viejo residents about their council representatives? The only incumbent in the race, Frank Ury, has made a recent city-funded survey the centerpiece of his campaign. The phone survey of 400 residents supposedly found that 99 percent of those living in Mission Viejo are quite happy about how the city is run. And why should anyone believe the survey is valid? Because the survey contractor says so! Among the findings, nearly everyone is very happy with the unfinished Crown Valley Parkway widening project. That alone should tell residents everything they need to know. Ury is now using the alleged results to imply that residents are happy about his performance on the council. To the contrary, another “survey” will be conducted on Nov. 4, and voters seem more likely than not to throw him out.

With six candidates running for two council seats, Ury and Richard Atkinson favor the current council majority’s direction. Cathy Schlicht, Neil Lonsinger and Judy Rackauckas favor change, and Michael Williamson is largely unknown.

Schlicht has been incisive, listing the council majority’s lapses of judgment, failure to represent residents and wasteful spending. Lonsinger concurs with Schlicht. While she’s a proponent of open government, he more often talks about the need to apply principles of business management to city finance. Rackauckas mentions city mismanagement and advocates reform, but her remarks are general. She entered the race talking about Easelgate, the city staff’s infamous lie about costs and other aspects of a photo display during Mission Viejo’s 20th anniversary as a city.

Ury alternately runs on his record and away from it. He runs away by denying what happened or altering facts to make the outcome seem more palatable. Atkinson was recruited by Councilwoman Trish Kelley, who is apparently directing his campaign. Atkinson dutifully praises the council majority’s decisions and aligns with Ury at forums.

Ury and Atkinson are frequently vexed by activists witnessing their false claims and taking issue. Both have been caught in lies at recent forums. If Schlicht didn’t quickly react as a forum participant, members of the audience have spoken up to set the record straight. As an example, Ury claims there’s no real threat that the council will bring in more housing, particularly on the Casta golf course. He casually stated at the Oct. 15 Casta forum that the developer, Sunrise, had merely presented plans to the public, which weren’t popular with residents, and the developer walked away. Ury didn’t mention his own acceptance of a campaign donation from the developer’s lobbyist, Roger Faubel. As another troubling aspect, Sunrise surveyed the property and staked the areas for a housing complex of 350 units. The property is still for sale, and neighbors who live nearby say the stakes are still in the ground.

According to city hall insiders, Ury was the one who brought in the Urban Land Institute to “do a study” of the retail center at La Paz and Marguerite (Stein Mart, CVS, Trader Joe’s, etc.). ULI proceeded – over the objections of the property owners – to recommend that the buildings be razed and then rebuilt with apartments on top. ULI, being completely unfamiliar with the nature of the city or its residents, thought a “vibrant center with nightlife” might be a good way to implement the change that no one wanted. The apartments on top were added because it was “the only way to make the project pencil out” and interest owners with the prospect of making money on the housing element.

A parcel next to the new target store on Jeronimo at Los Alisos is known as the Unisys property, but Unisys only rents, and it’s a relatively short-term lease. The property owner wrote a letter to the city, asking that his property be considered for rezoning “to meet the goal for affordable housing.” Ury allegedly directed money from the owner into a PAC in 2006 to support his choice of council candidates. Other council members as well have accepted campaign donations from the owner, whose intentions are clear.

During the Casta forum, Councilman Frank Ury said, “There’s a difference between campaigning and complaining.” Supposedly, listeners were to conclude that any allegations against him were from cranks firing blanks.

The current council race is more than the usual battle of egos. The council direction has increasingly grated on residents, and the worst is to come if Ury is reelected. The council majority is the real enemy – not the city staff that runs amok without adult supervision. Most residents want to preserve the Master Plan and Mission Viejo’s quality of life. In order to keep The California Promise that drew many residents to the city, residents should vote for Cathy Schlicht and Neil Lonsinger on Nov. 4.