Report to the People - Jan 2018

This report covers the period from Dec 1 to 31. It represents the views of Councilman Gardner and does not reflect official City policy. These reports are produced monthly. Past copies are available on request.

INVOLVING PEOPLE

One of my main concerns is to involve more people in our local government.

Office hours are every Tuesday from 4 pm to 6 pm. Inquire at the Clerk’s office. Occasionally things change, so be sure to check first. BTW – Mayor Pro Tem Basile has office hours on Monday from 10 am to 12 pm.

Town Square – Lake Forest Town Square has over700 members and growing, providing valuable input on issues facing the council as well as general issues. Your votes and opinions are used to guide my decisions. Please join.

Listen and Learn – To date I’ve met with over a dozen groups around the City. If you have a group and want to share your concerns, let’s get together.

Town Hall Meetings – Last meeting was Dec 2. Next meeting will be Feb 15 at 7 pm at Lake 1 Clubhouse.

The Patch – In case you were unaware, I post a column in the Lake Forest Patch, usually 3 to 5 times a week (to date there are over 1,000 up there), and you should feel free to comment there.

Twitter – I now have a twitter account. Click Here. You can reach me @DrJimGardner.

RECALL - ANDREW HAMILTON

Recall supporters submitted 10,141 verified signatures, from which anti-recall supporters withdrew 886. The remaining 9,155 were more than sufficient to meet the 20% requirement set by the Registrar of Voters. The special election to remove Hamilton and replace him with a new Council member is scheduled for Jan 2.

Many people have voted by mail. If you forgot, you can still show up at the polling booth. I urge you to vote YES to recall Hamilton (Click Here and Here)

SPECIAL ELECTION

There are 6 candidates running to replace Hamilton. I’m voting for Tom Cagley because –

• He will not accept special interest money and he supports legislation to prohibit accepting special interest money from companies doing business with the City.
• He is the only candidate who attends City Council meetings on a regular basis and who takes positions on issues of importance to the City.
• He is more involved than any other candidate in Lake Forest events/activities, as a Founder of the LF USMC Support Committee, for the Woman’s Club, with the Veteran’s Park Planning Committee, and with the South County Economic Coalition among others.
• As a former Colonel in the Army, he is capable of making decisions, working together collaboratively, and exercising leadership.

MY PRIORITIES

Here are issues that are well in motion -

• The new “Shop and Dine Lake Forest” mobile app is out. This is the first of two mobile apps that will transform our way of doing business in the city. Download it now.
• The Civic/Senior Center project is on schedule. Ground breaking was May 12.
• Village Pond Park renovation is under way. However, due to unanticipated problems, it will probably be delayed until the end of 2018.
• Traffic was added to Planning Commission and meetings under way, but no real resultrs in 6+ months. New ordinance passed to keep over-sized vehicles off the street. Click here for more information. New parking officer still not hired.
• Comprehensive plans for upgrading 10 parks in the City achieved through 5 workshops. I attended all meetings. Documents now being planned for the RFP to go out in 2018.
• Pet Adoption Center opened on April 24. At my instigation data about Lake Forest animals now available online (Click Here). Fees for seniors and for neutered dogs reduced. New public education officer project was a complete disaster and discontinued after 3 months.
• Developed a comprehensive ordinance to provide balance and cohesiveness to single family residential areas. Ordinance developed with City Attorney, passed through Planning Commission, and by Council. Now in effect and efforts being made to enforce.
• With Councilman Robinson we are re-purposing the Village Pond Park and converting to a Veterans Park, and re-doing Heroes Park to make it more appropriate as a memorial to fallen heroes. Click Here

Here are the issues I am currently working on

• Pet Adoption Center to take on more responsibilities (e.g., counselling for owner surrender and owner requested euthanasia). Monthly data to be coordinated with County data. Discussions under way to handle strays in the future (probably next year)
• Retail. Develop a comprehensive plan for revitalization of retail space so we can compete with all the progress being made in our neighboring cities. Working with Councilman Robinson and the LF Chamber of Commerce on this issue.
• Mobile App 2.0. With City Manager have bids on our second app, the most innovative and far-ranging mobile app to improve communications between residents and the City.
• SVUSD. With Mayor Voigts we are trying to improve services by SVUSD and also improve traffic around some of the schools with the possibility of re-introducing buses in some areas (e.g., FHR, Serrano)
• General Plan. With the help of Councilman Robinson and Mayor Pro Team Basile, the Council unanimously agreed to restructure the General Plan to make it quicker, less expensive, and more focused. Click Here
• Crime – Two years ago major crimes were up nearly 30% but last year they were down 16%. So far this year we are up 7%. The biggest increases are in robbery (+92%), aggravated assault (+25%) ,burglary (+24%), and rape (+6%). In Jan thru Nov 2017 there were 18 rapes and 86 aggravated assaults in the City. To check it out for yourself, Click Here. In a related matter, the Council voted to join with a dozen other cities to explore need ways to provide police services. Councilman Nick and I proposed this study a few years ago, but we lost 3 to 2 and the study had to wait.

VOTING RECORDS

More than 90% of the votes by the Council are unanimous and relate to ordinary business of the City. In about 10% of the votes, the issues are more complex and there are not unanimous votes. Here’s the list for 2017.

• Make $611,000 payment to County to build new shelter (1/17/2017) – Basile/Gardner opposed. We wanted to create a local no-kill shelter.
• Randomly decide who shall serve a 2 year Planning Commission term (1/17/17) – Gardner opposed.
• Give CR&R a 1-year extension (2/21/17) – Basile opposed
• Consider allowing residents to vote on City Council compensation (3/7/17) – Hamilton opposed.
• Getting a professional facilitator to handle Strategic Planning sessions so we can generate more effective plans (3/21/17) – Hamilton opposed
• Limit campaign contributions (4/18/17) – Hamilton, Voigts, Robinson opposed.
• Switch to district elections (5/2/17) – Hamilton opposed and Voigts abstained.
• Award senior bus mobility contract to AgeWell Services (6/6/17) – Hamilton opposed.
• Approve capital improvement budget (6/20/17) – Robinson opposed
• Table small cell wireless contract (6/20/17) – Voigts abstained.
• Ordinance to regulate drones (7/11/17) – Basile abstained
• Allow Council members one minute to respond to public speakers immediately after the presentation (7/11/17) – Basile opposed.
• Change public meeting time to 6:30 pm (7/18/17) – Voigts opposed
• Delay proposed lane change at Bake/Trabuco until other options were explored (7/18/17) – Voigts, Robinson opposed.
• Transition to district elections (8/1/17) – Hamilton opposed
• Reject turning transitional homes into affordable homes (8/1/17) – Robinson abstained
• Consider paying off our unfunded pension liability (8/15/17) – Robinson abstained
• Pay $30K to lawyers who are threatening the City with a lawsuit about district elections, but leave ourselves open to more and more $30K charges so that we don’t have to move to district elections (8/15/17) – Voigts and Hamilton in favor, Gardner and Robinson opposed, Basile abstained.
• Hamilton re-proposed his idea about opposing district elections at the cost of more lawsuits. Voigts and Hamilton in favor, Basile, Gardner and Robinson opposed. (9/5/17)
• Release privileged material (9/5/17) – Hamilton in favor, everyone else opposed.
• Sign exclusive agreement for affordable housing contract (9/5/17) – Hamilton abstained.
• Set recall election for Jan 2 (10/3/17) – Basile opposed
• Sign agreement for wireless towers (10/3/17) – Robinson opposed
• Hamilton re-proposed his idea about opposing district elections at the cost of more lawsuits. (10/3/17). Hamilton in favor, Voigts abstained, Basile, Gardner and Robinson opposed.
• Move district elections timetable up by 2 weeks to lessen the window of opportunity for the City’s liability. (10/3/17) Gardner proposed, no second.
• Issue new RFP for utility savings. (10/17/17) Voigts abstained.
• Approve unseen map for district elections (11/5/17) Voigts-Hamilton-Robinson “yes”, Gardner, Basile “no”
• Approve process for all wireless deployment (11/5/17) Gardner, Voigts “yes”, Robinson “no”, Hamilton abstained. Basile absent.
• Schedule 2018 election by picking districts out of a hat (11/21/17). Gardner, Basile “no”, Robinson, Hamilton “yes”, Voigts abstain.
• Schedule 2018 election according to districts where existing council members are due to run for re-election (11/21/17), Gardner, Basile, Robinson “yes”, Hamilton “no”, Voigts abstain.
• Select district 116b for 2018 election (11/21/17). Gardner, Hamilton “no”, Basile, Voigts, Robinson “yes”.
• Use tree instead of flagpole in Veterans Park (11/21/17). Gardner, Voigts, Robinson “yes”, Hamilton, Basile “no”
• Remove “city” monument from Veterans Park (11/21/17). Gardner, Basile, Robinson, Voigts in favor, Hamilton opposed.
• Add additional outreach and delay starting Veterans Park (11/21/17). Hamilton in favor, no second.
• Proceed with flawed RFP for park renovation at cost of $500,000+ (12/5/17) Gardner opposed, everyone else in favor.
• Going against city by-laws, postpone election of Mayor until February (12/5/17). Gardner, Basile opposed. Hamilton, Voigts, Robinson in favor.
• Approve final ordinance for district elections (12/19/17). Gardner, Basile, Robinson “yes”, Voigts, Hamilton “no”.
• Delay contract for EIR for Nakase Nursery (12/19/17), Gardner, Basile, Robinson, Hamilton “yes”, Voigts abstain.
• Approve General Plan Update (12/19/17), Gardner opposed to begiining now with so many other issues in front of us; everyone else in favor.

NETWORKING

I attended the following meetings/events (along with fellow Council members)

• Dec 2 – Town Hall (Gardner)
• Dec 4 – Business Subcommittee (Gardner, Robinson)
• Dec 5 - Office Hours (Gardner)
• Dec 5 - City Council Meeting (All)
• Dec 6 – Business Appreciation Lunch (Gardner, Basile, Robinson, Voigts)
• Dec 7 – Ribbon Cutting Grocery Outlet (Gardner, Robinson, Voigts)
• Dec 7 – STARS Recognition (All)
• Dec 9 – Stan Yombo Meet and Greet (Gardner)
• Dec 10 – Reptile Rescue of OC (Gardner)
• Dec 11 – City Clerk Recognition (Gardner, Voigts)
• Dec 12 - Office Hours (Gardner)
• Dec 13 – Soroptimists International (Gardner)
• Dec 16 – Chamber of Commerce 5K Run (Gardner, Voigts) (That's me in the picture ringing the bell as people ran by)
• Dec 19 – Office Hours (Gardner)
• Dec 19 - City Council Meeting (All)

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Jan 2 - Office Hours (4 pm – City Hall)
• Jan 9 - City Council Meeting (6:30 pm – City Hall)
• Jan 9 - Office Hours (4 pm – City Hall)
• Jan 11 – Planning/Traffic Commission (7 pm – City Hall)
• Jan 16 – Office Hours (4 to 6 pm – City Hall)
• Jan 16 - City Council Meeting (6:30 pm – City Hall)
• Jan 17 – New business reception (6 pm – City Hall)
• Jan 18 – Parks Commission (7 pm – City Hall)
• Jan 23 – Office Hours (4 to 6 pm – City Hall)
• Jan 27 – SnowFest (11 am – Sports Park)
• Jan 28 – Planning/Traffic Commission (7 pm – City Hall)

Most of the events are FREE but some may charge admission. Be sure to check. I plan to be at most of these events so please come by and say hello.

CONTACT

You can discuss issues at the Facebook page Lake Forest Town Square.