Council Agenda for January 3

The council will hold its first meeting of 2011 on Jan. 3. The city’s new mayor, Dave Leckness, will give opening remarks during presentations.

The council will discuss a $79,000 contract with MCE Consultants for design of a dog park (Item 12). This figure, for design only, is approximately the same amount to design and build a dog park in Laguna Niguel.

Other Jan. 3 agenda items include a public hearing (Item 16), with a staff recommendation to require the installation of fire sprinklers in home remodels. On December 6, 2010, the Mission Viejo City Council considered a modification to the city's building codes that would require homeowners to add fire sprinklers throughout their home if they make changes to their house, such as a room addition. This blog had a article on December 11 discussed the overreaching aspects of such a requirement and also in an article this week.

Under Old Business (Item 17), the council will hear a presentation about the OCTA Alicia Parkway traffic light synchronization project. Throughout the city’s history, various staff members alternately have claimed the city’s traffic lights are already coordinated or that lights cannot be coordinated because pedestrians disrupt the flow whenever they cross a street.

Under New Business (Items 18 through 20), council members will nominate and appoint members to various city commissions, and the mayor will appoint representatives to such agencies as the Foothill/Eastern and San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agencies, Measure M and the OC Fire Authority.

Councilwoman Rhonda Reardon is proposing a change in council meeting procedures to allow members of the public to pull items from the consent calendar (Item 27). This motion is supported by this blog as a step toward improving public participation and fostering open government.

Councilman Frank Ury is proposing that the council stop audio taping closed-session meetings (Item 28). This blog opposes Ury’s motion. Taping of meetings is a good practice to deter illegal secrecy. Taping began in 2000 after former council majority members (Sherri Butterfield, Susan Withrow and Bill Craycraft) were found guilty of violating the Brown Act during a closed-session meeting.