Brief Council Meeting Touches on Park Projects, Retiring OCFA Chief

The nights are longer and the Aliso Viejo city council meetings are getting shorter.

At least Wednesday’s was.

Here’s the rundown of what happened at the half-hour meeting.

— The city honored a retiring Orange County Fire Authority Division Chief, who is also a longtime Aliso Viejo resident.

Officials recognized OCFA Division 1 Chief Ed Fleming, 54, for his 27 years of services to the county.

Fleming, who plans to retire at the beginning of 2012, says he hopes to spend more time with his family and more time in Aliso Viejo, a city he’s lived in for 21 years.

“I kind of think you’re coming home tonight,” said Mayor Carmen Cave, who presented Fleming with a Commemorative Plaque. “We’re going to miss you, but I hope we see you around town a little bit more.”

From 2007 to 2010, Fleming served as OCFA Division 5 Chief for Aliso Viejo, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods and Lake Forest.

“It hasn’t quite sunk in,” Fleming said after the meeting. 

Fleming added, "There’s a (Bible) verse that says to those who are given much, much is to be expected."

In addition to spending more time with his family, Fleming said he's going to do some volunteer work.  

— The shade structures at Aliso Viejo Community Park were completed last week and the shade structures at Woodfield Park will be completed sometime this week, according to City Manager Mark Pulone.

The projects were on the to-do list of the city’s Recreation Ad Hoc Committee.

Pulone said the restroom and lighting installation projects at Foxborough Park are also moving along, and he hopes to see them set up sometime after the beginning of next year.

— The Orange County Supervisors could vote Tuesday to return a one-way bridge back into two-way, Councilmember Phillip Tsunoda told the council.

Supervisors are scheduled to decide on agreement that would reopen both lanes of a bridge that connects Awma Road and Alicia Parkway.

Under the terms of the agreement, the South Orange County Wastewater Authority would pay for the bridge improvements, including strengthening the vehicle barriers and adding bracing.

“It would be great to have that back the way it was,” Tsunoda said after the meeting.

If approved, the work would begin immediately, according to Tsunoda.

— The council honored two students for their work in the YMCA’s Youth Art Exhibition.

Cave recognized Shelby Winston, 13, and Kiana Kazemzadeheparsi, 10, of .

— The Boy Scout Troop 700 led the Pledge of Allegiance.

The next city council meeting takes place Dec. 7 at 12 Journey at the .