Street Conditions Decline

If Mission Viejo truly has more than $30 million in discretionary reserves, why is city hall not addressing the problem of deteriorating streets?

Community watchdogs asked that question last summer, and the city was at first in denial http://missionviejodispatch.com/?p=10760 . City Manager Dennis Wilberg indicated during the July 6 council meeting (Agenda Item No. 8) that streets were in good condition. Was he referring to a pavement report from 2006? Check the link: http://dms.cityofmissionviejo.org/sirepub/cache/2/kq4izo5502r2pqjlroovdy55/11032920313201011190981 8.PDF . As drivers can attest, this report is seriously outdated.

City Hall recently stated that residents are responsible for reporting damage to their streets because the staff has “no one” who inspects streets regularly on a citywide basis.

If residents are supposed to inspect their own streets, damage isn’t difficult to spot. First, the asphalt should be dark in color if it still has water-resistant qualities. If the color is gray to light gray, the weatherproofing has worn off, and the pavement is due for resealing. Neglect causes cracks that become wider, deeper and/or sprouting vegetation. Unsealed streets develop bigger problems when water, oil and other harmful substances seep into cracks.

When pavement isn’t properly maintained, the deterioration rate and repair costs increase exponential. While the city may be attempting to avoid spending money through deferred maintenance, the resulting expense obliterates temporary savings. Citywide, Mission Viejo is facing $85 million to $100 million in street repairs, and the lower figure came from a city staff member.

The city’s pavement report in 2006 emphasizes the importance of maintenance. Technical information shows a cost of $2.50 per sq. yd. to slurry seal a street in good to excellent condition. The cost rises to $14 to $25 per sq. yd. to overlay a street in fair to poor condition. Reconstruction costs run upwards of $66 per sq. yd. to repair very poor or failed streets. What happened between the 2006 “city philosophy of maintenance” and current times when so many streets have been allowed to decline?

Some residents who have called city hall about a specific pothole say they’re disappointed with the response. A city contractor will come out and fill the pothole but miss other damage, as if the work order consists only of repairing the pothole instead of addressing entire sections of damaged pavement. Pouring tar on cracks often looks as if a child created a spider web of lines. Such superficial treatments are unaesthetic and temporary.

The rainy season isn’t over, and each storm further exposes just how fragile many streets have become.

MV Dispatch Supports Initiative

On Mar. 2, Brad Morton’s Mission Viejo Dispatch published an analysis in support of the Mission Viejo Right-To-Vote Initiative http://missionviejodispatch.com/?paged=2 . Mission Viejo residents will be able to vote the measure into law in the June 8 Primary Election. Following is the analysis from the Dispatch.

SAVE MISSION VIEJO FROM HIGH-DENSITY BLIGHT. High-density growth can mean adverse impacts to traffic, noise, schools, recreation, aesthetics, environment, utilities, infrastructure, public facilities and city services.

The Right-To-Vote Amendment provides Mission Viejo the opportunity to join affluent towns like Newport Beach and Yorba Linda that adopted initiatives to save their communities from the blight of unwanted high-density growth – by requiring voter ratification of major zoning changes.

PRESERVE OUR FAMOUS MASTER PLAN. The Right-To-Vote Initiative allows residents to protect our nationally famous Master Plan. This is necessary because major zoning changes are susceptible to the lobbying wealth and influence of outside corporations and developers, as witnessed in other once-promising OC cities.

PREVENT ELECTION COSTS. Our City Council will still exclusively approve or reject regular land use changes or affordable housing actions pre-empted by state law. Major changes need voter ratification, but the cost of such regular or special elections WILL NOT BE PAID BY TAXPAYERS. It will be paid by the companies or entities proposing zoning changes.

PROTECT HOMEOWNERS RIGHTS. The initiative maintains the current standards for single family home permits, renovations, additions and other changes not involving major changes to zoning or to existing building standards.

PROTECT BUSINESS RIGHTS. The initiative maintains the current standards for renovations, additions and other changes to businesses not involving major changes to zoning or to existing building standards.

KEEP OUR RECREATION & OPEN SPACE. Voters would need to approve conversion or development of open spaces, or the rezoning of recreation land unless being changed to open space.

PERMIT RECREATIONAL ENHANCEMENTS. Only City Council approval is required to develop recreational land with recreational facilities, such as sports parks or dog parks.

PROTECT FAMILY INVESTMENTS. The Right-To-Vote Amendment may be the BEST way for residents to protect their home investments in Mission Viejo.d)

SRA Hosts Moorlach on Thursday

Saddleback Republican Assembly will have its regular meeting on Thurs., Mar. 18, at 7:00 p.m. The group will meet at Atria Del Sol, 23792 Marguerite Parkway, in Mission Viejo in the first-floor dining room.

The featured speaker for the evening will be Orange County Supervisor John Moorlach. He will discuss various political topics.

Moorlach joined the OC Board of Supervisors and the OC Transportation Authority Board of Directors in December 2006. His prior experience included serving as the OC Treasurer-Tax Collector for nearly 12 years. He graduated from CSU Long Beach in 1977 and passed the CPA exam in 1978.

Those attending the meeting can find extra parking on the south side of Casta Drive in the parking lot of the swim facility. Everyone is invited to arrive early, get a good parking place and enjoy refreshments. Admission is free and visitors are welcome. Call SRA President Matt Corrigan or Kathy Corrigan for more information, (949) 830-8088.

CUSD Update

This blog formerly published summaries of school board meetings written by a Capo parent. She hasn’t sent a summary lately, and she says the meetings are too depressing to describe.

The Mar. 14 OC Register’s front-page article is about Orange County school districts turning to furloughs to cut costs. Among county districts that have cut the most, CUSD ranked No. 4, reducing the 2009-10 budget by $25.5 million.

How can school districts consider furloughs and still meet state requirements of 180 days in a school year? The number was recently reduced by the state legislature to 175 days. The Irvine school district was among the first to cut instructional days to 175. Some parents reacted by saying districts are caving in to union demands by cutting education time for the sake of retaining teachers’ salaries and tenure.

The Mar. 14 OCR article summarized CUSD’s standoff with the union: “Capistrano Unified School District’s trustees and teachers union remain locked in an ideological battle over how to close a $34-million deficit. The union has offered to take a one-year cut in the form of seven furlough days through June 2011, while trustees insist on permanent, 10-percent pay cuts. Both sides are preparing for a possible strike.”

CUSD teachers had voted informally and said they’d be willing to strike if the trustees decide on the 10-percent pay cut. The district is awaiting the release of an independent fact-finder’s report in the ongoing negotiations.

In CUSD, 320 teachers are getting pink slips, although they can be called back to work. During the board meeting last week, a district financial advisor warned that reserves are approximately $230,000 above the state-mandated minimum.

As another topic on the board’s agenda last week, the building project continues at the new high school in San Juan Capistrano (San Juan Hills High School). SJHHS parents want their swimming pool.

The Buzz

Additional show times have been added following last week’s television premiere of “Not as Good as You Think: The Myth of the Middle Class School.” With 50 percent of the state budget going to education, this film is an eye-opener. It will air on the “OC Channel,” PBS Orange County (Channel 810 on Cox Cable). Show times are Mon., Mar. 15, at 5:00 p.m. and Wed., Mar. 17, at 4:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

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Mission Viejo’s volunteers at Modjeska Ranch Animal Rescue are planning a garage-sale fundraiser on Sat., April 3. Watch The Buzz for announcements about the start and end times and location to drop off donations.

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Blog readers emailed last week, asking about the purple banners alongside the electronic sign at La Paz and Marguerite. One reader thought the city had posted the banners to mark the Lenten Season. No, it didn’t. The city announced long ago (ex-city manager Dan Joseph) that it was “getting out of the religion business.” The remark back then caused a furor, and the Nativity Scene at the Four Corners was the subject. Purple flags were posted last week in connection with the June Relay for Life at Saddleback College.

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When it comes to emergency preparedness, no one does it better than the Church of Latter Day Saints. The church held a family conference on March 6 to promote emergency preparedness, and more than 500 people attended.

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Residents continue to compile lists of streets that range from fair to poor condition. Homeowners surveyed their streets in an area off Olympiad between La Paz and Jeronimo. Streets in immediate need of repair include the entire length of Lucero, Gallina, Festivo and Ruisenor. Also on the list are many portions of Clavel, Canella, Nevado, Clima, Encanto, Pasatiempo, Bellota, Reflejo, Agrado, Quetzal, Hayuco, Bocino, Faroles, Isabella, Graciela and Sadaba. The residents said they found almost no street without significant damage, including potholes, deep and wide cracks with vegetation growing in the middle of the street, crumbling asphalt, cracks going down the entire length and/or width of streets and areas where top layers of asphalt are worn away.

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City Hall has indicated another shortfall of $500,000 because of dwindling revenue. If anyone wants to offset the difference, how about axing the proposed basketball courts to the east of the tennis center off Marguerite Parkway on Casta Drive. Users of the tennis center have made clear with comments on other blogs that they don’t want the basketball courts, and Casta del Sol residents don’t want them. Who is driving this waste of money? When the proposal came before the council, the basketball courts were removed from the tennis center project. Without explanation or even a question about the need for basketball courts, why are they back in the plan?