Council Briefs, You Want 'Em, We Got 'Em

Tuesday’s San Juan Capistrano City Council meeting was brief, a mere 1 ½ hours. So we’ll be brief, too. Here’s a round-up of what happened:

San Juan is a Little Fruity

The council voted unanimously to spend $13, 344 to plant more citrus trees in the , also known as the Lemon Grove site. Except they won’t be lemons.

“We’re planting Valencia oranges, which I understand are extremely hardy,” said Councilman Sam Allevato.

Between the future orange trees and the existing lemon trees at the , Councilman Reeve said the city should look to engage a nonprofit to harvest the trees. Currently, no one is officially responsible for harvesting them.

“They could be a lot healthier than they are now,” Reeve said. 

Mayor Larry Kramer said the city could put the proposal on a future meeting agenda.

Auto Dealers Signage OK

The council passed a temporary ordinance, to take effect in 30 days, to allow the auto dealerships the right to erect promotional signage.

The law will expire by July 21, but by then, the auto dealers will have proposed a new sign law specific to their type of business, vowed Ken Friess, who’s been working with the dealers as part of the ’s Economic Development Committee.

The city’s current sign laws are 30 years old and don’t address the specific needs of auto dealers, Friess said.

Miles Brandon, owner of , said the area’s dealerships already have a tough time with intense competition from the north and east. Lack of visibility from the I-5 freeway only compounds the problem.

Kramer said he looks forward to reviewing the final proposal.

Historic Preservation Manager Position Gone

As part of the consent calendar without discussion, the council approved eliminating the now-vacant position of the .

New Housing Authority Gets a New Logo

Acting as the Housing Authority, the council members chose a seal for the organization, which was recently formed as a way to – specifically that targeted to low- and moderate-income housing – in the city and not have it sent to be absorbed by a cash-strapped state.

The logo chosen (see photos) depicts a house and a swallow.

“It’s simple, it’s clean and it has the swallow, which represents our town,” said Councilwoman Laura Freese.

Council Requested to Tackle Immigration

Resident Kim McCarthy said the most upsetting take-away she got from a is that the Orange County Sheriff’s Department uses discretion tand doesn't cite every offender.

She asked that the council take up the topic at a future meeting so that the council members could provide direction to the sheriff’s department, with which the city contracts to provide .

Kramer responded that he will take her suggestion “under advisement.”

Later, resident Steve Behmerwohld said that he believes deputies should be allowed to exercise their discretion. “I think some common sense and compassion needs to be shown.”