Town Center will be key issue in council campaign
Town Center—past, present and future—will be a key issue in the upcoming campaign for a majority of Yorba Linda City Council seats. Signups start July 14 for individuals seeking the jobs now held by Allen Castellano, Hank Wedaa and Jim Winder.
Past Town Center events will be an issue because of public calls for an investigation into actions of city staff, council members and developers during the 2005-06 planning stages for Old Town redevelopment.
What began as a 5-0 council vote to prepare a “request for a proposal” to send to private investigative firms to ask for bids on the inquiry has morphed into another 5-0 vote for a “management review” to be conducted by interim City Manager William Kelly.
Although Kelly could return next month with an option to narrow the focus of a proposal to solicit bids, council discussion indicates an outside inquiry is now unlikely, since some top-level managers and council decision-makers are no longer with the city.
Council needs to put this issue to rest with a resolution expressing regret for past conduct or adopting a formal statement similar to one recently issued Pearl Wieselman, who “was subjected to particularly virulent anti-Semitic remarks” at the Senior Club, the city said.
The statement noted the city “wishes to apologize to her and all residents of the city for not paying proper attention to her when these very important issues were brought to the council’s attention.”
And possible council violations of the state’s open-meeting law should be submitted to the county District Attorney for a proper investigation and, if verified, for prosecution.
Present Town Center events also will be an issue, since council hasn’t appointed a Town Center Specific Plan Advisory Committee, as recommended by the former Town Center Blue Ribbon Committee that studied Old Town redevelopment for 18 months.
Approving a $981,900 contract for the preparation of a specific plan and environmental impact report for Town Center without competitive bids or continued oversight by a citizens’ committee could lead to the same mistakes that killed the previous proposal.
Future Town Center events should be the chief concern of residents, and all council candidates should make clear the type of Town Center development they’ll support, especially regarding city and Redevelopment Agency financial involvement.
A FINAL NOTE
Cecil Rospaw, longtime editor and publisher of the weekly Placentia Courier, died June 3, 11 days short of his 84th birthday. In 1923, Cec’s father, Frank, bought a six-year-old Yorba Linda Star and published it until 1928, when he sold to concentrate on the Courier.
Cec, a Stanford grad and World War II vet, also published books by local authors and printed the El Dorado and Valencia high schools’ newspapers for many years. Both Cec and Frank served terms as president of the California Newspaper Publishers Association.
Past Town Center events will be an issue because of public calls for an investigation into actions of city staff, council members and developers during the 2005-06 planning stages for Old Town redevelopment.
What began as a 5-0 council vote to prepare a “request for a proposal” to send to private investigative firms to ask for bids on the inquiry has morphed into another 5-0 vote for a “management review” to be conducted by interim City Manager William Kelly.
Although Kelly could return next month with an option to narrow the focus of a proposal to solicit bids, council discussion indicates an outside inquiry is now unlikely, since some top-level managers and council decision-makers are no longer with the city.
Council needs to put this issue to rest with a resolution expressing regret for past conduct or adopting a formal statement similar to one recently issued Pearl Wieselman, who “was subjected to particularly virulent anti-Semitic remarks” at the Senior Club, the city said.
The statement noted the city “wishes to apologize to her and all residents of the city for not paying proper attention to her when these very important issues were brought to the council’s attention.”
And possible council violations of the state’s open-meeting law should be submitted to the county District Attorney for a proper investigation and, if verified, for prosecution.
Present Town Center events also will be an issue, since council hasn’t appointed a Town Center Specific Plan Advisory Committee, as recommended by the former Town Center Blue Ribbon Committee that studied Old Town redevelopment for 18 months.
Approving a $981,900 contract for the preparation of a specific plan and environmental impact report for Town Center without competitive bids or continued oversight by a citizens’ committee could lead to the same mistakes that killed the previous proposal.
Future Town Center events should be the chief concern of residents, and all council candidates should make clear the type of Town Center development they’ll support, especially regarding city and Redevelopment Agency financial involvement.
A FINAL NOTE
Cecil Rospaw, longtime editor and publisher of the weekly Placentia Courier, died June 3, 11 days short of his 84th birthday. In 1923, Cec’s father, Frank, bought a six-year-old Yorba Linda Star and published it until 1928, when he sold to concentrate on the Courier.
Cec, a Stanford grad and World War II vet, also published books by local authors and printed the El Dorado and Valencia high schools’ newspapers for many years. Both Cec and Frank served terms as president of the California Newspaper Publishers Association.
posted by Jim Drummond at 12:00 PM
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