State of the City

Wednesday night the Chamber of Commerce and the City held the "State of the City" annual event at Mercedes Benz in Foothill Ranch. Here is the report as send to the attendees. The headings are taken from our strategic goals planning workshop.

1.1 WELL PLANNED - "Purposeful direction in land use and transportation planning create a community future generations will value."

For the first time in more than two decades, Lake Forest is revising and updating our General Plan. Started in 2018 we expect to finish by Fall 2019.

For the first time ever we voted to establish a Traffic and Planning Commission that will begin by Summer 2018.

We established new ordinances to deal with parking overflow and for preserving the character of single family residence neighborhoods.

We hired a company to provide guidance in using our affordable housing funds to meet our current needs. Report was just finished and a community workshop is next.

We analyzed our traffic accident data and our parking enforcement data so we can do a better job in both of these critical areas.

1.2 ATTRACTIVE – "Investment and maintenance in public facilities, infrastructure, and natural resources enhances visual character of the City and supports quality neighborhoods."

Our new Civic Center is on budget and on schedule to be finished by Summer 2019

Veterans Park is getting a complete makeover and should be opened by Fall 2018.

Ten neighborhood parks have been approved for updating and construction should start before the end of the year. Construction already started on the new Portola Park.

City adopted Pavement Management System set at 80% (“very good”).

1.3 SAFE – "Excellent public safety efforts maintain a family-friendly environment and a high quality of life."

At last analysis, Lake Forest had the third lowest crime rate in Orange County, a big improvement from previous years. On a national level, we are among the 100 cities with the lowest crime rates.

In 2018 we updated our “active shooter” response scenarios and met with School and Police authorities.

The Sheriff’s Team of Active Retired Seniors provided almost 8,000 hours of service (e.g., public counter, vacation checks, Fire Watch patrols, special events) to the community in 2017.

In 2017 the Eighth Annual Child Safety Academy taught the principles of self-defense, abduction awareness, sexual assault prevention, internet safety, and self-empowerment to almost 100 children. Internet safety for children was taught in February 2018 and advanced academy is scheduled for April

The city’s “Don’t Make it Easy” program, started in 2017, continues to keep preventable crimes down.

The 2017 Community Emergency Preparedness Academy provided education and awareness to 24 residents. In 2018 we are improving the course even more.

The Homeless Liaison Officer (HLO) has been effective in providing a presence within the homeless community. In 2017 he was named Deputy Sheriff of the Year by OCSD. In 2018 we doubled up HLO services to deal with the riverbed clearance.

We are part of a 13-city study of Police services to provide high quality services at affordable rates. Report is expected by Fall 2018

2.1 ENGAGED – "Outreach, creative events, and programs inspire connection and engagement between the community and City government."

In 2017 25 residents graduated from our Leadership Academy. Since initiation, more than a hundred residents completed the course.

City Council meetings have been enhanced, providing a greeter, a pre-council slide show highlighting city facts and local businesses, a short video introduction, takeaways, and a production assistant to facilitate communication.

We now broadcast Council meetings live on Facebook allowing residents not merely to watch, but to participate with comments and questions while the meeting takes place.

Three Council members (Gardner, Basile, Cagley) now have office hours.

We are establishing Mayor’s Councils to bring together groups (e.g., HOAs, Businesses, Nonprofits) for better communication and mutual problem solving.

We now have City Information Kiosks that can be used at city events and strategically placed throughout the city to increase contact with residents.

Every week we produce a “Mayor’s Minute” video, reaching thousands of residents.

We started a “pop-up city hall” to engage people at community events.

We are exploring a no-kill local animal shelter option for the City.

In March 2018 we started a “First Responders’ Grab and Go” to support local Police and Fire.

2.2 INFORMED – "Transparency about decision-making and government performance cultivate public trust."

We now have a single website source where all new ordinances are posted and we now post information about crime and animal control, with monthly updates.

The city calendar has been enhanced to provide a year-long vista.

The City Manager now produces a quarterly public report on all major projects.

Council-appointed committee members now produce a quarterly report.

2.3 TECHNOLOGICALLY CURRENT – "Innovative technologies enhance organizational efficiency and help our community."

Our Shop and Dine Mobile app, started in 2017, continues to be updated. Our new mobile app, for almost all communication between residents and the city, is in beta and expected to be fully functional by the end of the year.

We are the only city to live broadcast and interact with residents in council meetings.

We are the only city with weekly video “Mayor’s Minute”

3.1 SUSTAINABLE– "Responsible financial policies and prudent decisions provide short-term fiscal stability and long-term financial health."

Business activity and job growth are both on the rise. In 2017, Lake Forest welcomed over 190 new businesses, a 19% increase over the previous year.

Lake Forest has a 97% occupancy rate in its industrial business parks and a 96% occupancy rate in commercial parks.

Lake Forest has an unemployment rate of 2.4%, compared to the County average of 3.1%, and the State average of 4.5%.

The City not only paid off our unfunded pension liability in 2017, in 2018 we voted to pay off our remaining bond issue, saving the City $1,000,000+ in interest payments. We are one of the few cities in the nation with no debt.

In 2018 we expanded our “Shop and Dine” week into a month long celebration.

We are conducting a fee recovery study which will be completed prior to opening the Civic Center.

We are expanding our ties with the Chamber of Commerce, offering regional workshops with neighboring cities, “block parties” at local shopping centers, and topic-focused special events

Beginning April 2018 we are starting a series of Business Executive Roundtables.

3.2 WELL-RUN – "Good governance and professional management supports the City's ability to serve the needs of the community."

Starting in 2018 the City Manager produces a quarterly report updating residents on major projects and the City Attorney now produces a weekly report on all active/ pending legal issues.

Starting in 2017 the Council now establishes ad hoc sub-committees to work on pressing issues.

3.3 COMMITTED PEOPLE – "Talented staff and contractors are vital assets to our organization and essential to effective and efficient City operations."

For the first time in more than a decade, City Hall is now open 5 days a week every week, instead of being closed every other Friday.

In 2018 we hired a firm to provide contract management oversight to the civic center project.

Starting in 2018 the Council established a “Mayor’s Award” for outstanding staff performance.

4.1 HIGH STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOR – “Council and Commission members should model high standards of behavior in their official duties.”

Starting in 2018 the Council established an Ethics Committee.

The Council will submit to voters a term limit of no more than 8 years for Council members.

Starting in 2018 the way the Council appoints Commissioners has been changed to avoid the possibilities of any one group dominating the selection process.

4.2 BUSINESS FRIENDLY – “As our businesses flourish the city flourishes.”

The City continues to offer free business resources and marketing opportunities. We hold 2 to 3 seminars and events every month, along with 4 to 5 ribbon cuttings.

The annual “Shop & Dine Lake Forest Week” had more than 400 businesses participate. This is a free marketing program available to every Lake Forest business that encourages the community to support their local businesses and keep tax dollars in Lake Forest.

The annual “Taste of Lake Forest” had delicious cuisine from 17 Lake Forest restaurants. The event was attended by more than 3,500 people.

We are one of the few Orange County Cities that does not have a business license or associated fees, furthering the City’s strong commitment to being business friendly.

4.3 RESPONSIBLE GROWTH – “Our City should continue to grow, bearing in mind growth can be a 2-edge sword, and careful consideration must be given.”

Past plans approved 8 new neighborhoods and nearly 5,000 new homes. Baker Ranch, with nearly 50% of the approved homes, is nearing completion with only seven of 20 tracts partially unfinished.

Regarding a new proposal for 800 homes on Nakase Nursery, the Council asked for an independent study of the viability of the site. A formal proposal to move forward is expected in 2019 and subject to Planning Commission and Council review and approval.

Future business growth in Lake Forest also includes three new hotel developments that will result in an estimated $750,000 to $1 million in revenues for Lake Forest.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Jim Gardner is on the City Council for Lake Forest where he serves as Mayor. 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 Twitter handle is @DrJimGardner. 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 May 17 at 7 pm at the Lake 1 Clubhouse (Ridge Route).