We’ve been talking about the Good News for Lake Forest. Here’s a summary of some issues that are being handled right now -
ALISO CREEK
With the help of Mayor Pro Tem Basile, the County is re-considering the proposed work on Aliso Creek more in line with what the homeowners are asking. Click Here for the story that alerted her.
Find out what's happening in Lake Forestfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
SVUSD
At my suggestion the City added our concern with “traffic and circulation issues” near the schools to the selection process for the new Superintendent. I’m going to ask the Council to set up a meeting with the new Superintendent so we can discuss these traffic issues, especially around Serrano and Foothill Ranch.
Find out what's happening in Lake Forestfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
PARKING ON OSTERMAN
Parking on Osterman seems to get even worse. The Police have been patrolling and towed 7 vehicles in one week. I’ve asked the City Attorney to consider any legal issues in converting the lower park near Regency and Osterman into a parking area for the soccer teams who play at Regency Park, and also for the use of the residents along Osterman. As soon as I get the OK from the Attorney I’ll ask my colleagues to move the issue to the Parks Commission and ultimately to the public.
CHILD SAFETY ACADEMY
Due to the enormous success of this academy I’ve asked Community Services to consider an advanced course. I’ll raise this issue at the budget meetings and hope my colleagues agree.
OLD TRABUCO ROAD
At my suggestion the Council agreed to make changes to Old Trabuco Rd. to accommodate the church traffic. Changes to the street striping should be completed within 60 days. Changes to the timing of the signals have already been completed, allowing an increased gap to make left hand turns easier.
RIDGE ROUTE LANDSCAPING
At my prodding the long delayed re-landscaping at Ridge Route has begun.
CIVIC CENTER
Bids are due by March 30 and a pre-bid meeting was held on March 15. The bids should be reviewed by Council in April and construction starting in May. Bear in mind this project was stalled for years with all sorts of problems, but now we are moving forward seamlessly.
VILLAGE POND PARK
The fences are up, officially closing the park. Next step is an inventory of the wildlife, draining the Pond, and re-locating the wildlife. If you’re interested in hosting any of the turtles or the ducks and geese, let me know. Bear in mind, this project was stalled for years because of the votes by Councilmen Voigts, Hamilton, and Robinson, but now we are moving forward.
PROACTIVE POLICING
A few months ago we started the “Don’t Make it Easy Program” designed to reduce high rates of robbery in our City. The city also has website guidance for Internet Safety for Kids as well as a place to find out about the laws regarding drones, called Know Before You Fly. Most recently we started a Dogs on Leashes Campaign to educate people about the need to keep their dogs on a 6 foot leash. These efforts represent more proactive policing in the past year than we did in the previous 5 years. We expect to see good results.
Next time we’ll offer some conjecture about why this is happening.
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 in May.
