Here are some issues being worked on
DOG PARK UPGRADES
I’ve asked the City to put a shade structure for the dog park. Many people have complained. Because of the cost (estimated at between $39K and $60K which seems high to me, but…) it will have to be voted on by the Council to add to the 2016 budget. Wouldn’t it be nice if we had started the Dog Park Committee as I suggested a year ago so that we could use these people to give us advice on how big, where, etc. Because we have no committee that job will fall to the staff.
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I’ve also asked that a bulletin board be put there so people can communicate and the City can announce animal related issues. Other City parks have bulletin boards but they are hardly used. In contrast, most bulletin boards in dog parks are heavily used. Once again, this task will fall to staff instead of volunteers.
SPORTS PARK SHUTTLE
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The other day I went to the Sports Park and it was full. There were even cars illegally double parked. Apparently in addition to the normal traffic AYSO had tournaments scheduled and ETHS had the Prelude in the Park. I’ve asked the staff to arrange to have shuttle service in the future when we anticipate that the park will be filled. Space can be found in the nearby Saddleback Church parking lot and or Towne Centre.
ARTS LEAGUE
The City will once more promote local artists at two of our summer concerts as well as part of the 25th Anniversary Carnival in September. I’ve asked that the walls in the City Hall and the Sports Park also be used, but the City staff turned down the request.
CUTTING COSTS
Along with Councilman Nick I’ve asked the Parade Committee to ask the car clubs to donate convertible cars for the 4th of July Parade. This can save the city thousands of dollars in rental fees. If you have a nice convertible that you’d let us use, please e-mail me and let me know. FWIW I’ll be using my own convertible in the Parade. Look for the red Camaro with the cutest Granddaughter in the world riding shotgun.
GRAFFITI
Graffiti continues to increase on a year-over –year basis and also on a monthly basis. We had 83 incidents in April, almost half of which were on private property.
POLICE RESPONSE TIMES
Councilman Nick asked for data on Police response times for the past 3 years. Response times to Priority 1, 2 and 3 calls have increase when 2013 is compared to 2015. The City’s goal is to respond to Priority 1 crimes in less than 5 minutes. This is being achieved.
OVERNIGHT CAMPING IN FRONT OF WALMART
Due to a change in policy by WalMart, overnight parking in the WalMart parking lot will no longer be allowed.
CLEAN-UP SERRANO CREEK
After my article about the cleanup of Aliso Creek, some of the people who live around Serrano Creek wondered if we could do the same thing for them. I’ve asked the City to follow-up. With the summer coming and the dangers of the new mosquito, being sure there is no stagnant water near our homes is an important undertaking.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Jim Gardner is on the City Council for Lake Forest. You can check him out on LinkedIn and/or Facebook and you can share your thoughts about the City at Lake Forest Town Square on Facebook. His comments are not meant to reflect official City Policy.
Dr. Gardner has office hours every Tuesday from 4 pm to 6 pm at the City Hall. In addition, he holds a Town Hall meeting every quarter. The next meeting will be on August 13 at 2 pm at the Foothill Ranch Public Library.
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