Category: Fullerton City Council

Back by popular demand…

March Madness of the Mindless is here.

Tuesday night’s Closed Session means Rob Zur Schmiede, everyone’s favorite redevelopment director, will be speaking with council regarding 324 W. Valencia Drive to negotiate the strong-arm takeover and redevelopment of the property.

Also, council will be discussing “Parameters of authority for negotiating salaries, benefits, and working conditions.”

In the open session we have the usual dog and pony shows of certificates and feel-good resolutions.  At the top of that list is a man I remember from my Junior year of high school at Fullerton High, Wayne Daniels.  He is one heck of a nice guy and a snazzy dresser for sure.  But why exactly is the council giving him a certificate for being “The Tulip Man”?

There are no appointments on the agenda which is a little sad since the City could use some good people to help steer the staff and council away from stupid decisions.

There are a total of 19 items on to be discussed and/or voted on so sit back as I try to scrape off the layers of doublespeak to uncover the depth of waste we are about to endure.

The minutes and financial reports are items #1 and #2, respectively.  We jump right in at #3 which is a massive reconstruction of Harbor Boulevard from Chapman to Berkley.  This stretch of road is plagued with potholes, cracked concrete, broken curbs, general disrepair, and lumpy asphalt created by trucks and buses.  As soon as the project is complete, I would imagine a utility company will come in and tear it up.  At least that’s Murphy’s Law.  This little paving effort is to run about $1,121,000.  That’s a lot of asphalt…  Staff reported that the low bidder isn’t the winner because they didn’t get their forms filled out completely or correctly and that they didn’t have sufficiently disadvantaged business owners that met the City’s requirements.  The contract will be going to PALPA, Inc. DBA Excel Paving Company.

Item #4 is a brand new sewer for Riverside Drive and Raymond Avenue area.  This section of fecal conduit will run us a mere $1,064,038.50.  Several streets in this area received fresh asphalt just in the last year or so.  You would think someone could plan it out a little bit so that we replace the broken and aging pipes and THEN replace the asphalt.  But that’s Fullerton for you: placing the cart in front of the horse…

It looks like the airport is signing a new lease agreement with Cardinal Air Services and a long term lease for Frank Sator under Item #5.  If you want to see some pretty slick shell games with public funds, check out the supporting documentation for this item.  We, the city, take a loss but in comes OC Fire Authority to lease a portion of the area we are taking a loss on and then they make up the difference.  The problem is that we are paying for OC Fire to lease the space through our taxes.  Does this mean we are subsidizing ourselves?

Item #6 is all about John Shipman who as a member of the Community Development Citizen’s Committee showed up to some meetings and not others.  After missing three in a row, he was booted for being absent too many times pursuant to municipal code 2.11.050.  He is now appealing and wants to participate.  Shipman, it appears, is a Keller appointment and some sort of teacher whose teaching assignment conflicted with the committee meetings.

Item #7 contains two resolutions for grant funding of Independence Park and the Fullerton Community Center.  Each grant is worth $5,000,000 but you will need to chip in an addition $4,000,000 for the Independence Park project to make it happen.  That’s like paving Harbor Boulevard from Commonwealth to Brea Boulevard!  But I suppose the kids need a place to loiter…  At the risk of expressing my own ignorance, once we pay for the project, how will we pay for maintenance?  Maybe I should show up at the Park & Rec meetings so I’ll understand the funding.

According to item #8 and #9, a few people need special disabled person’s parking spots.

Item #10 seeks to make it illegal to park in the alley that runs north/south and is south of Valencia and west of harbor Boulevard.  If you live in that area, be sure to show and express your feelings on the pros and cons.

It looks like the PD wants to buy some guns and ammo with the approval of item #11.  They will be using asset seizure funds so, in theory, it won’t cost you a dime.  What’s not included is the training to use these guns and the training for the armor to repair and service them.  Training is expensive and necessary.  There is no reason we cannot include the other costs incidental to the purchase.  The details are: 14 guns for $18,812.92; ammo for $25,719.38; 36 gun safes $5,617.64.  I assume the PD has other guns which will use the safes and ammo.

The FD wants some donations to be “accepted” by the council under item #12.  The total amount is a whopping $650.00.  Maybe the council should make a motion to allow the City Manager to “accept” on behalf of the city any donation under $1,000.00 so long as the manager reports them in the City’s financial reports.

Item #13 is titled “GOOGLE FIBER FOR COMMUNITIES PROGRAM”.  It sounds intriguing but what is it?  The summary states that Google is looking for communities in which to test ultra-high speed broadband networks to ultimately compete against the cable and telephone companies.  Good idea!  I know I have to pay extra for AT&T to NOT slow down my connection.  It’s the same wires as everyone else except that if you pay the minimum, your connection is slower.  Pay more and it get’s a little faster.  FFFF has a few IT/ITS people who can explain better…

Thales Raytheon wants to donate six laptops to the Park & Rec for use at the Gilbert Community Center.  Item #14 doesn’t state the total value.  I would guess the laptops, if new, would be worth $1,000 each or more.  I find it humorous that Parks & Rec have to justify why the laptops would be beneficial but the PD doesn’t have to say what the guns are for.  In both cases it is obvious so why the extra ink?

Now you get to punch that gas pedal and really feel the wind in your hair!  Item #15 seeks to change the speed limits on Sunny Ridge and Pioneer Avenue.  The PD asked Traffic Engineering to conduct a traffic study.  The results: RAISE, that is correct, the speed limit!  Here is the breakdown:

Pioneer Ave (Sunny Ridge to Gilbert) Increase from 25mph to 30mph
Pioneer Ave (Gilbert to Parks) Establish a speed limit of 40mph
Sunny Ridge Dr (Malvern to Pioneer) Increase from 25mph to 35mph
Sunny Ridge Dr (Pioneer to Roscrans) Increase from 25mph to 30mph

All other speed limits remain unchanged.

Item #16 eliminates a bike path that isn’t complete due to OCTA Metrolink expansion which would not give bike riders enough room.

Posting public notices comes in as item #17.  It looks like running the notices in the papers is a bit pricy.  This item  will give staff four places to post public notices.  They are:

City Hall
Maintenance Services Yard
Museum
Main Library

Item #18 is the continuance of the aforementioned shell game.  It involves leases on the airport property.

Lastly, item #19 is titled “LOCAL TAXPAYER, PUBLIC SAFETY AND TRANSPORTATION PROTECTION ACT OF 2010”.  Californians to Protect Local Taxpayers and Vital Services Coalition is requesting that Fullerton adopt a resolution in support of this Act.  It sounds nice but the reality is that our state assembly has to stop allowing our local coffers to be raided by Sacramento.  This is a feel-good resolution with no teeth.  It should be noted that MAJOR funding for this “coalition” comes from the League of California Cities.  In other words, you and I have already paid them, their lobbyists, and whoever else has their hands in our cookie jar.  The bottom of the website has this:

“Paid for by Californians to Protect Local Taxpayers and Vital Services, a coalition of taxpayers, public safety, local government, transportation, business and labor, with major funding from the League of California Cities (non-public funds and CitiPAC) and the California Alliance for Jobs — Rebuild California Committee”

Coming up:

March 23, 2010 – Special Meeting

2010/11 Budget Decision Packages

April 6, 2010 – Council Meeting

BID – Agreement with Urban Place
Fox Block Extension of ENA
Recovery Zone Designation
More strong-arm wrangling of property rights a.k.a. property negotiations

Temper Tantrum Tuesdays are back!

There is a study session at the police department’s mural room.  You can participate in three areas of discussion to fix the broken housing and redevelopment system.

“Staff will provide further update regarding housing policy issues, including 1) the status of progress by the City in meeting its Regional Housing Needs Assessment obligations; 2) an overview of the federal tax credit programs; and 3) proposed next steps for the use of current and future redevelopment housing set-aside funds.”

It is an opportunity to voice your concerns about management or mismanagement as it may be of tax dollars spent tearing down low-cost apartments, displacing tenants, and building more costly condos.

In the regular meeting the consent calendar has, among other things, several parking issues as well as public works projects.

Item 9 is an alley abandonment related to a redevelopment agency proposal.  The reason stated behind the abandonment is to save the city maintenance costs.  However, an abandonment now makes it that much easier for a private developer to build.

I didn’t know that the City of Fullerton has lobbyists but that is what the supporting documentation for item 10 states.  I urge you to read the details of what legislation your City supports.

Item 11 is for a community garden.  No surprise that Keller and Quirk Silva are backing this.  If it passes, we will all have a place to sow our seeds.

If the Transportation Center and high-speed rail are important to you, take notice of item 12.

“The purposes of this item are to: 1) provide the Agency with a description of the proposed public review process for the Fullerton Transportation Center Specific Plan/EIR and solicit suggestions or comments, if any, from Agency members; and 2) describe the public outreach program being contemplated by the California High Speed Rail Authority in connection with proposed Anaheim to San Francisco high-speed train service, including possible development of a Fullerton station stop.”

Seven lieutenants and captains at the police department have agreed to take a 5% pay cut.  Item 13 makes it official.

Lastly, item 14 is the financial report for the first half of FY2009-2010.  I haven’t read the entire report yet but I wonder how many tax-dollars have been funneled from the general fund to the Redevelopment Agency.

As always, chime in and let me know if I missed anything or if you have some details that shed light on any of the items listed.

At first glance the agenda looks a little short, like someone forgot to add a few items to it, however, don’t be fooled!

Let’s take a look at the list of issues on the table.

In closed session, council will be negotiating with the employee associations (or unions, if you prefer).  Item 2 of the closed session is labeled as “PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT” and is regarding the Director of Community Development as well as the Director of Administrative Services.

When they finally let us in for the meeting, the good-ol boy’s will be presented with their favorite and most difficult duty – Miss Fullerton Contestants.  Let’s see if the guys can keep their hands to themselves.

North Orange County Community College District and FAST (Ne Elite Level Swimmers and Coach) will also be presenting.

After everyone gives Council a piece of their mind in the Public Comments, we hop right into the Consent Calendar which includes last meeting’s minutes, acceptance of donations to the police department, and grant funding for tree planting at Laguna Lake.

Next , item 4 addresses the Richman Court Relocation Assistance Program.  If anyone has any experience with relocation plans from either prospective, please jump in.  I would imagine that this program will get equally screwed up as most government programs, but that is just another useless opinion.  This will use $118,000 from the federal HOME Investment Partnership Program funds

The appointment of representatives to advisory bodies comes in on item 5.  I’m not sure who can be appointed but this looks like an opportunity for some crony to get their hands into another honey pot

Coming in as item 6 on the agenda is a discussion of moving the Public Comments to the END of the meetings.  I guess they want to make their decisions prior to hearing from us.  This has BAD IDEA written all over it.  I think council should be well aware of the community’s sentiments regarding an agenda item BEFORE they discuss and vote on anything

If you felt jaded by Bankhead’s self appointment as Mayor (with help from his old friend Doc Jones and Shawn “I must recues myself” Nelson), you need not worry.  The topic will come up again as item 7 and we will get to hear again about how the mayor get’s the job.  It seems pointless to have the debate when the same people who were on the council when Bankhead was made mayor –again- are still on it.  Why would they feel differently now about how the mayor is chosen?

There is a “comprehensive” list of projects that the City would like to get funded through federal sources.  Item 8 is a list of capital projects that are submitted to Fullerton ’s federal representatives for funding consideration as part of the annual federal appropriation cycle.  Here is the kicker: staff recommends that Council ask Ed Royce for federal money specifically for the Boy’s and Girl’s Club/Senior Center.  Maybe the Club and the Senior Center should be relocated to make room for the Orange County Fliers and their new stadium.   The other item on the list (that’s right, there are just these two items) is the slope stabilization on Harbor Boulevard .  But why does the slope need stabilization you ask?  It would appear that someone at City Hall allowed the slope to be graded as it currently is when Harbor Boulevard was realigned and reconstructed twenty-plus years ago.  I’m not sure when it was done, but I am quite certain that a 1:1 slope with no sidewalks, trails, channels, or retaining walls was a bad idea in anyone’s book.  At one time Harbor Boulevard was Highway 101 and received funding from state and federal sources.  Maybe the city can blame the state or feds for the slopes.  Maybe the U.S. Army Corps (USACE), which operates the damn, can chip in.  I know USACE has done collaborative work with other local agencies, why not Fullerton .  Hey Royce!  Can you call someone at the L.A. District to get some help?  Or maybe FEMA…  Maybe not.

Sorry for the rant.

Item 9 is concerned with tow services provided to the City.  Local businesses and homeowner associations may be impacted by new municipal codes covering impounds made on private property.

Lastly, item 10 is a resolution of support for the City of Placentia .  This has to do with OCTA’s bright idea to get all of the grade separations going at the same time for fear they might loose federal funding.  As legitimate as that fear might be, tying up several miles of north-south routes is a terrible idea.  There are several possible solutions which I haven’t heard considered yet.  Let’s see if OCTA can figure this one out.

On February 16^th in the Police Department’s Mural Room at 5:00 PM their will be a study session on the Housing Policy Review followed by the regular meeting at 6:30 PM in the Council Chambers.

If I missed or glossed over something, please let us know.  If I’m wrong, let me know.  Otherwise, stay tuned for any breaking developments…