Should Yorba Linda hire a lobbyist?

Should Yorba Linda hire a lobbyist to represent the city at the state and federal level?

Interim City Manager Bill Kelly thinks so, but City Council members appear divided on the question, based on discussion at a recent meeting. One cost estimate from a lobbyist firm was $4,000 per month plus any expenses related to special city requests.

A decision could come at a future meeting, since the council voted 5-0 to continue the matter after a suggestion to gather more information and explore a possible sharing of expenses with nearby cities, such as Brea or Placentia.

For a near 30-year period ending in 2005 Yorba Linda employed the lobbyist firm Joe A. Gonsalves and Son. Gonsalves represented a state Assembly district northwest of Yorba Linda in Los Angeles County for 12 years (1962-74) before beginning lobbying activity.

Near the end of the contract, the city was paying Gonsalves $30,000 per year, an expense a prior council eliminated. During the recent discussion, John Anderson and Jim Winder voiced opposition, while Jan Horton and Mark Schwing wanted more details.

A brief report to the council by city management assistants Brett Channing and Lauren Cochran listed five past services the Gonsalves firm provided.

One contribution was help in securing a share of property taxes. (Longtime residents might recall Yorba Linda didn’t levy a property tax prior to 1978’s Proposition 13, and then-City Manager Art Simonian worked with state legislators to gain future revenues.)

Other services cited include help in exempting the city from educational revenue augmentation fund fees, merging Yorba Linda School District with Placentia Unified School District, developing the Nixon library and defeating a Gypson Canyon prison.

In recommending the city hire a state and federal lobbyist, the report noted four “pros” and just one “con,” namely “the cost of services.”

The pros: a “reporting mechanism” on legislative issues, “representation through the lobbyist’s relationships with elected officials to influence legislation,” legislative and political expertise and having “an agency to fight for [the city’s] issues and problems.”

A FINAL NOTE

Also set for future council action is a “citizens fair political participation ordinance,” the outgrowth of petition-blocking practices and an alleged lack of neutrality by council and city staff members at the height of the 2005-06 Town Center redevelopment controversy.

Developer-hired blockers were especially aggressive during the signature-gathering effort to overturn higher-density Town Center zoning laws, according to accounts at the time by Anderson, Horton and Nancy Rikel, all elected to the council after the events occurred.

Campaign fundraising for state races never ends

Fundraising is a never-ending story for Yorba Linda’s three legislators in Sacramento—Assembly members Mike Duvall and Curt Hagman and Senator Bob Huff already have formed new committees to collect cash for their coming campaigns in 2010 and 2012.

The three Republican representatives set up the fresh accounts soon after their decisive victories over outmatched Democratic opponents in November. They spent nearly $1.7 million last year during their primary and general election campaigns.

Duvall represents half of Yorba Linda in the westside 72nd Assembly District, while Hagman represents the other half in the eastside 60th Assembly District. Huff’s 29th Senate District includes the entire city.

The Hagman for Assembly 2010 and Taxpayers for Bob Huff 2012 committees had no funds during the most recent reporting period, but the Mike Duvall for Assembly 2010 account had a $12,000 cash balance at the end of 2008.

Duvall is a past City Council member and two-time mayor who twice served as Chamber of Commerce president in Yorba Linda; Hagman is a former councilman who also served as Chino Hills mayor; and Huff is a past councilman and two-time Diamond Bar mayor.

Duvall’s 2008 campaign expenses were less than Hagman’s and Huff’s because he didn’t have an opponent in the GOP primary. Duvall spent $280,000, Hagman nearly $600,000 and Huff close to $800,000.

Of course, the constant fundraising to win seats in the state legislature is far different from the days when Duvall, Hagman and Huff campaigned for their council seats by spending from $20,000 to $30,000 once every four years.

Although each has reported many $100 to $250 contributions from individuals and small businesses, most of the money raised has come from large companies and political action committees run by a variety of special interests.

Among big Duvall donors: Agua Caliente and Pechanga Indian bands, Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe railways, Chevron, Raytheon, Phillip Morris, Anheuser-Busch, General Motors, Building Industry Association and Coca-Cola employees.

Sizeable Hagman donors: Building Industry Association, San Juan Ventures, Shea Homes, Watson Land, Majestic Realty, Heritage Homes, KB Homes, Young Homes,
Taormina Industries, Sunshine Check Cashing and Alliance for Ethical Government.

And major Huff donors: Health Net, United Health Care Services, Blue Shield, Sempra Energy, Countrywide Home Loans, Apartment Association of Orange County, Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, Price Waterhouse and Western United Dairymen.

The current state term-limit law allows Duvall another two-year Assembly term, Hagman two more Assembly terms and Huff another four-year Senate term.

Council reviewing golf course finances

Three noteworthy items this week:

First, the City Council has wisely asked for a report on the city-owned Black Gold Golf Club that would include a review of profits anticipated when the course opened in 2001, an examination of the current financial picture and a look at future income projections.

Council members who voted to approve some $22 million for course construction in the 1990s were told the city could expect an annual $1 million in profits within five years, a figure far from accurate, especially when bond payments are added to course expenses.

Golf revenue was supposed to partially replace declining developer fees in the municipal budget as the city reached build-out and new construction waned, according to discussion at the time.

Instead, city officials face the possibility of using general fund monies to support the facility’s cash flow. Last week council delayed action on a resolution authorizing an advance of $1.33 million from the city’s general fund for turf renovations and operations.

And a proposal to convert 170 acres to Hybrid Bermuda could cost from $3.4 to $5.1 million plus an estimated $2.5 million income loss to close the course for renovation.

According to a city staff report, replacing the existing rye grass is “inevitable” if the city wants Black Gold to remain competitive with high-end courses and reduce maintenance and water costs, although delaying the conversion “as long as possible” is recommended.

Second, applications are due tomorrow for a position on the city’s five-member Traffic Commission to fill a vacancy left by the resignation of nine-year member Larry Larsen.

Larsen cited “public disclosure by a councilperson of a secret closed session meeting about my service, the permitting of unsubstantiated character assaults during a recent council meeting…and the potential of future litigation,” as reasons for leaving his post.

Council will paper-screen applicants and schedule in-person interviews before naming someone to serve through Dec. 31. Commissioners are limited to three four-year terms.

And third, an old-fashioned social note: an eclectic mix of city officials, friends and Model A Ford enthusiasts gathered at the Mariposa Avenue home of past water board candidate Dave Rosenberger to surprise Mayor Mark Schwing for his recent birthday.

Among 50-some guests were council members John Anderson and Nancy Rikel, interim City Manager Bill Kelly, Traffic Commissioner Mary Carbone and members of the O.C. Model A Club, which Schwing serves as president and pancake breakfast chief.

Partiers donned Schwing-imaged T-shirts prepared by daughter Suzanne to greet the mayor at the affair organized by wife Eileen. “Yes, I was surprised,” Schwing, 69, noted.

Community's first high school taking shape

A letter to parents of students assigned to Yorba Linda High School by a very rare 3 to 2 board of trustees vote is expected to arrive in the Mustangs’ mailboxes the next few days.

Principal Dave Flynn’s letter names 19 founding staff members and sets dates for the first on-campus meetings of an estimated 800 incoming 9th and 10th grade students.

Most of what Flynn calls “an outstanding leadership team” come from Esperanza High School, where Flynn was principal nine years before his YLHS appointment.

Staff from Esperanza includes principal’s secretary Claudia Welch, Activities Director Jason Kaylor, Athletic Director Jeff Platt and counselors Nancy Coulter and Lorri Walls.

Others are department chairs Bincins Garcia and Brent Henry, fine and performing arts; Nick Gerasimou, health and career education; Stacy Shube, language arts; Roseann Kosulandich, librarian; Marc Hill, science; and Mike Moore, social science.

From El Dorado High School are Jennifer Graves, assistant principal for student services; Dan Dupont, foreign language chair; and Matt Stine, special education chair.

From El Camino Real continuation school is John Baughman, physical education chair, and from Kraemer Middle School is Angela Atmadja, math chair.

Previously named were Hill as women’s basketball coach, and El Dorado coaches Jeff Bailey for football and Matt Stine for baseball. More appointments are expected in the next two months, with all staff coming from the district’s other middle and high schools.

The open house is March 23 for current 9th graders and March 24 for current 8th graders, from 6 to 8 p.m. Students and parents will gather at the Fairmont Boulevard campus for curriculum and class-building sessions and the first chance to order Mustang-logo gear.

Previously announced morning “coffee and question” sessions are March 10 at Coffee Bean, March 12 and 19 at Java Joe’s and March 16 at Avalon Bagels, 7:30 to 9:30 a.m.

In a separate interview, Flynn said, “We’ll be ready for opening day” Sept. 8, with 20 of 44 new classrooms, athletic fields and the gymnasium with band, choir and dance rooms.

The next school year will see the modernization of 12 classrooms and theater inherited from the college district, football stadium, swimming pool and joint-use park, he noted.

Parents unhappy with schools assigned for their children at any grade level can submit a “choice” application by an April 10 deadline.

A FINAL NOTE

The private Golden State Water Company’s 400-acre service area is adjacent to Country Club Village, not Village Center as mentioned last week. Homes and businesses in what old-timers call Locke Ranch pay higher rates than Yorba Linda Water District customers.