City Ignores Resident's Offer

City Ignores Resident’s Offer

When City Manager Dennis Wilberg has attempted to debate city watchdogs and bloggers, he’s lost. Brad Morton (on his blog, MissionViejoDispatch.com) has been effective at pointing to Wilberg’s selective memory and/or spin.

On Oct. 17, community watchdog Allan Pilger posted an article about the quirks of city hall, http://missionviejodispatch.com/?p=11804, and Wilberg posted an offer to “educate” him about Mission Viejo’s projects. Other community members, including Joe Holtzman, responded to Wilberg, offering to educate Wilberg about neglected slopes and other infrastructure. When Wilberg didn’t respond, Holtzman circulated an email, demonstrating why residents’ input should be considered. Following is Holtzman’s email text, addressed to Pilger, about the city’s design mistakes on Crown Valley Parkway.

“As to your question on Crown Valley Parkway:

  • The city should have installed only drought-tolerant plants along that new right-of-way and the medians. Also, instead of the pop-up emitters that spray water into the air (and onto the roadway), NetaFilm soaker hoses should have been installed. Not only would this have kept runoff off the road but would better deliver water directly to the plants’ root zones and reduce water consumption by 70 percent. As I mentioned, Mission Viejo Environmental Association HOA has installed more than 3,800 feet of this type of soaker hose – all delivering savings and improving plant health.
     
  • The city should not have installed the Sycamore trees along this parkway. Not only is the Sycamore a water-hungry tree, but it drops leaves in the fall, and its roots cause street and sidewalk damage.  It is a Riparian Tree, which is naturally located along river banks, not roads. See the following
    http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_MLA_apa_research_citation/1/7/3/8/6/p173868_index.HTML
     
  • The excessive use of Mexican Sand Palms was another mistake. They take yearly maintenance that is above what other trees normally require. They were recessively expensive and are spaced far too close to each other. They are truly a safety hazard in a median.”