Leckness Steps in It

The Jan. 20 Mission Viejo City Council meeting revealed several blunders of the council majority, including the Fire Map decision. In July 2012, the council majority of Rhonda Reardon, Frank Ury, Trish Kelley and Dave Leckness voted to rezone thousands of Mission Viejo homes into fire hazard zones. They defied logic by saying that rezoning homes into fire hazard zones would have no negative impact on Mission Viejo residents. Obviously, they were wrong. Councilwoman Cathy Schlicht cast the only vote against rezoning homes into the “Special” fire zones. She correctly stated that insurance rates could rise, and homeowners would have to disclose the liabilities when selling their homes.

Following the July 2012 majority decision to rezone, the legal counsel for the California Association of Realtors indicated that home sellers and their real estate agents are obligated to disclose that a home is in a high-risk zone (or “Special” zone – the terms are interchangeable). In addition to Councilwoman Schlicht’s warning that homeowners’ insurance rates could go up following rezoning, she said there was no compelling reason for the council to rezone homes. The city councils of Villa Park and Laguna Niguel had already voted not to rezone. For Councilwoman Schlicht’s 2012 comments and a list of Mission Viejo streets that are in the high-risk zones, go to http://www.missionviejoca.org/html/article125.html

During the Jan. 20 council meeting, Councilman Dave Leckness clarified how he, Reardon, Ury and Kelley had badly erred by rezoning. He began by stating he had attended a meeting in which an insurance agent warned people not to let their homeowners’ insurance lapse if they were in the fire zones. Leckness apparently could not connect the dots between the council majority’s bad decision and what the insurance agent was telling the audience. As Leckness started babbling, it was clear he was getting a message from Ury, Reardon and Kelley, in that order: “STOP TALKING!!!” Ury says, “We fixed that.” Kelley says, “We fixed that.” Yes, Mission Viejo homeowners in the fire zones, the council majority certainly fixed it. As a result of their buffoonery, don’t let your insurance lapse because at least one very big insurance company will drop you and not reinstate your insurance if your home is in the fire zone.

Watch it and weep: http://missionviejo.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=14&clip_id=1277 Under Item 22, Leckness’ comments start at 5:35 on the video.

Attempting to rescue hapless Dave, City Manager Dennis says into his microphone that the insurance company’s maps are different from the fire maps. The insurance companies’ maps are comprehensive, and they include BOTH the original fire zones and the additional homes that were rezoned by the irresponsible Mission Viejo council majority members.

During the Jan. 20 discussion of another topic, Item 19, Leckness attempts to give Kelley credit for the Capo school district’s decision to end the 87-1 Mello-Roos tax in 2016. Those who earned the victory are two Mission Viejo residents, Sharon Campbell and Wayne Tate. The two elected officials who deserve credit are Capo school district Trustees Ellen Addonizio and Jim Reardon. Leckness refers to Trish Kelley as a “bulldog” in ending the tax. His claim is a lot of bull and no dog. Campbell worked earnestly for nearly 10 years to end the tax, with the help of such Capo parents as Wayne Tate, plus Trustees Addonizio and Reardon. Residents can watch three council members – Leckness, Kelley and Reardon – shoot the bull, starting at 3:46 on the video, http://missionviejo.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=14&clip_id=1277

Mission Viejo’s new city reporter for Saddleback Valley News, Christopher Yee, wrote a balanced and accurate article about the Mello-Roos tax in the Jan. 24 edition of SVN. Leckness, Kelley and Reardon get no mention, despite their posturing at the Jan. 20 council meeting.

Agenda Item No. 21, a change in law firm representing the city, clearly demonstrates the antics of council majority members.

Prior to the meeting, Mission Viejo watchdog Larry Gilbert sent a public comment to the council and staff on Item No. 21, alerting them to a sanction against the law firm they were considering to represent the city. Current city attorney Bill Curley changed employers to Lozano Smith, and he was asking the council to continue his contract with his new employer. Having Gilbert’s warning in hand, Reardon pretended during the meeting to interrogate Curley about his new employer. It appeared to be a script in which Curley was could answer Gilbert’s objections, including sanctions by a federal judge against Lozano Smith for lying.

Curley acknowledging the truth of Gilbert’s comments, but he said Lozano Smith had dealt with the problem by firing “a couple” of attorneys who lied. However, that’s not the whole truth. The judge sanctioned THREE Lozano Smith attorneys and one of them was Smith, the partner in Curley’s new firm. Reardon additionally aided Curley’s defense by giving him cover as he claimed he “resigned” as city attorney in Upland. Records show he was fired for overbilling.

Watch the nonsense at 4:24 on the video, http://missionviejo.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=14&clip_id=1277