The Buzz

City Manager Dennis Wilberg in his August 2009 in-house newsletter acknowledges that work on Crown Valley is incomplete. Compare his statement with Councilman Frank Ury’s August 2008 campaign claim the project was finished. Wilberg allows that some “corrective work” is still needed, and the installation of “art” and the maintenance of landscaping will continue for several months. Contractors say part of the problem with landscaping is city employee Keith Rattay’s conflicting decisions, resulting in planting, un-planting and replanting. Residents have reacted with surprise that no one has been fired over the botched Crown Valley project, now into its fourth year.

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The city staff is calling for photographs from residents to replace its failed exhibit of grotesque pictures on Crown Valley pillars. Buzz readers suggest photos of the trashed easels found on city property after the city staff’s 20th anniversary party, portraits of council majority members receiving campaign dollars in payment for their votes on behalf of special interest and an artist’s rendering of cash being shredded at city hall.

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A taxpayer-funded survey ordered by the council majority was to poll residents for reaction to the possibility of having only one citywide school district. The results of the survey were due Sept. 1. With no report on the council’s Sept. 21 agenda, perhaps city staffers are still trying to deal with results they don’t like. With schools and cities being completely separate entities, perhaps residents said that schools should sort out their own issues. On the Sept. 21 closed-session council agenda are two lawsuits, one against the Saddleback school district and one against the Capo school district, which should underline for residents the cost of the city involving itself in school business.

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According to the Capistrano Dispatch, the Capo school district announced on Sept. 15 that they’d settled with those who sued the district after their names were placed on “Enemies Lists” by school district personnel. No settlement amounts were announced, but the Dispatch expects figures to be released soon. Read the article at
http://capistranoinsider.typepad.com/beyond_the_blackboard/ Those named on the Enemies Lists will next deal with the Registrar of Voters office and its chief, Neal Kelley, who illegally allowed school district officials to view petition signatures after the 2005 effort to recall all seven CUSD trustees.

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The city of Mission Viejo changed one of its online banners, declaring its so-called blog to be “The ONLY Official and Accurate News Blog of the City of Mission Viejo.” The city doesn’t have a blog, and to call its spin machine a blog is an example of its inaccuracies. The real city blogs are this one (founded four years ago by longtime resident Carl Schulthess) and Brad Morton’s MissionViejoDispatch.com.

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To read an interesting letter on the other real city blog, check out Allan Pilger’s latest post on Mission Viejo Dispatch, http://missionviejodispatch.com/

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Those wanting to attend Mission Viejo’s town hall meeting on Sun., Sept. 27, 4:00 p.m. at Casta del Sol, are reminded to RSVP to Beverly Cruse, (949) 770-3368, if they are not already on the guest list. Congressman Gary Miller will moderate the meeting, to be held at Casta’s Rec Center 1. The cross-streets are Marguerite Parkway and Casta Drive.