Staff Activities Have Priority

The city of Laguna Niguel recently lowered rental rates it charges the public for meeting rooms. An official from Laguna Niguel said, “The city’s goal is to provide service, not to generate revenue at the expense of its residents. Our taxpayers paid for the facilities, and we understand the concept of paying twice.”

The contrast in attitudes is stark between the cities of Laguna Niguel and Mission Viejo.

In Mission Viejo, a primary reason for high rent and scarcity of meeting room space is the constant use of facilities by the city staff. Staff-generated activities have first priority and artificially raise the price for everyone else. Taxpayers should look at the sheer number of city activities, meetings and events that monopolize facilities, often at “no cost” to attendees. If the city charged participants for the full cost of the activity, virtually no one would come to such classes as how to clean out a closet or use a cell phone.

Mission Viejo’s city hall building contains numerous conference rooms for the exclusive use of city staff. Amazingly, staff-generated meetings spill over into other facilities. Such activities also compete with citizens’ paid use of the space. Unless private citizens pay to rent a room for their meetings, they aren’t permitted even to sit in a meeting room at the community center. Meeting rooms are locked and guarded by city employees to keep citizens out.

As an example of city staff’s priorities, anyone who attempted to park near the community center on Oct. 18 found the closest parking lot blocked off for the city’s use. Guests at a wedding reception and attendees of sports meetings parked elsewhere because city-owned canopies and a truck occupied the parking lot. The city could have placed all its tents on the sports field, and the truck could have parked adjacent to the sports field.

The city staff demonstrates with its quarterly activity mailers why rental space is scarce and expensive. The extensive schedule of daily classes, meetings and events generated by city employees also demonstrates how the city staff grew to more than 250 employees. Relatively few of them are involved in essential public services. The council majority – usually voting 4-1 with Councilwoman Cathy Schlicht in the minority – enables the growth of government.