Mission Viejo Buzz - 01/19/13

The Buzz

The OC Grand Jury has extended the application deadline to Fri., Jan. 25. The Superior Court of Orange County is seeking applications from qualified individuals interested in serving on the 2013-14 OC Grand Jury. Applications are available online at www.ocgrandjury.org

              ***

City Manager Dennis Wilberg’s Jan. 18 weekly newsletter was only two pages. That’s down from six pages -- several fluff writers probably had to take a week off to recover from exhaustion. Wilberg says city hall’s Farmer’s Market is changing from Fridays to Saturdays, starting Feb. 23. Despite all the hoopla and advertising at taxpayer expense, the subsidized weekly market “has issues.” Having the weekly parking lot party on Fridays at least didn’t pose a parking problem with the library closed Friday mornings. The circus production (must see to believe) known as the Farmer’s Market will now conflict with library hours.

              ***

Big changes are in store for Mission Viejo during 2013. As an example, city watchdogs alerted residents before the November election that the council majority would vote for electronic billboards on the Kaleidoscope building. The billboards are coming. Check out No. 19 on the council agenda for Jan. 21.

              ***

Also note on the Jan. 21 agenda a pay raise for city hall. With the number of unemployed residents, tax increases, foreclosed homes, failing businesses and dwindling city reserves, it takes a lot of nerve to think government employees should get a raise.

              ***

From a report out of the Jan. 14 Planning and Transportation Commission meeting: Commissioner Steve Spillman didn’t want to give up the center seat. He was touting himself for chairman after completing the last year as chair. The adults on the commission didn’t agree with him, and Bill Ernisse is the new chair.

              ***

Greg Raths of Mission Viejo says he’s running for Congress. Here’s his website: http://www.gregraths2014.com/

              ***

Saddleback Valley News’ free delivery ceased on Jan. 18. Gone are the days of unread SVN issues stacking up in driveways. The new publishers want residents to pay for SVN as part of OC Register subscriptions. A steady stream of new reporters can’t cover the city, but they find their way to city hall and get caught in the spin cycle. While SVN lately has improved, it still has no opportunity for uncensored input from residents with letters to the editor on local issues. SVN gave City Manager Dennis Wilberg veto power on what goes into the paper, and the hamstrung paper declined. This blog covered the exchange between Wilberg and SVN administrators resulting in a SVN reporter being transferred out of Mission Viejo after her investigative reporting caught city administrator Keith Rattay in lies. City hall is one of SVN’s few major advertisers following the blackout of real news.

              ***

City hall’s shell game has a new chapter: keep the data out of public view. What happened to the budget workshop? In the backup material for the Jan. 21 agenda item under Wilberg’s comments, item after item talks about cutbacks “because of the recession.” The cutbacks are in the areas of infrastructure, maintenance and essential public services. When the council majority does not demand accountability from Wilberg, residents can expect decline. Meanwhile, Wilberg’s party continues, including more money for the bloated city staff. Another example of the shell game is the focus on a highly visible slope – at the expense of other slopes, of course. Public employees are responsible for accurately describing the city's financial position to the Council and the public. Somehow, that does not seem to be happening in Mission Viejo.