Yorba Linda politicians report fundraising

Fundraising activities have been nearly non-existent for five City Council incumbents but quite lucrative for Yorba Linda’s three state legislators so far this year, according to state-mandated campaign finance documents filed by a July 31 deadline.

The lack of contributions and $57,610 in campaign debt reported by council members is standard for a non-election year, as is the $301,382 raised for 2010 and 2012 re-election campaigns for the city’s three Sacramento incumbents.

At the council level, Jan Horton, whose term expires next year, reported contributions of $100 cash and $200 in Web help. She has $2,534 cash and an outstanding self-made loan of $5,950. John Anderson, whose term ends in 2010, has $6,633 cash and a $7,000 loan.

Totals reported by the three incumbents elected last year include Nancy Rikel, $3,352 cash and $19,500 loans; Mark Schwing, $539 contributions, $1,618 cash and $14,000 loans; and Jim Winder, $2,114 cash and $11,160 loans.

Generally, council candidates loan rather than donate money to their campaigns, hoping to pay themselves back from future contributions by supporters. But losers find the post-election fundraising task difficult, as filings from three 2008 also-rans indicate.

Ed Rakochy, who lost by one vote, still owes himself $11,150 after a June post-election fundraiser; Doug Dickerson reports a $13,100 loan balance after re-paying $1,500 from contributions; and Mark Abramowitz repaid himself $12,350, leaving a $29,550 balance.

The Yorba Linda Residents for Responsible Representation political action committee had another yard sale, raising $1,247, and has a $1,328 cash balance after paying $325 for golf course and affordable housing flyers distributed at area supermarkets.

The building industry-funded Committee for Improved Public Policy, headed by developer consultant Lyle Overby of Costa Mesa, reports a $5,216 cash balance.

Overby’s PAC supported winners Allen Castellano, Mike Duvall, Ken Ryan and Keri Wilson in past council elections, Mike Beverage for water board and Duvall for state Assembly. YLRRR endorsed council winners Anderson, Horton, Rikel and Schwing.

At the state level, filling campaign coffers appears to be a never-ending task for Bob Huff, Mike Duvall and Curt Hagman. Most of their donations come from businesses, industry and political action committees.

Huff, who won his first four-year Senate term last year, has raised $88,705 so far this year and reports $56,145 cash on hand for his 2012 re-election campaign.

Duvall, who won a second two-year Assembly term representing the city’s western half last year, raised $77,995 and lists $66,732 cash for a 2010 campaign. Hagman, who won a first Assembly term representing the city’s eastern half last year, raised $134,682 and reports $26,223 cash remaining for his 2010 re-election effort.

Ethics policy, sewer rates on council agenda

Three noteworthy items this week:

First, the City Council is scheduled to take up ethics and open government regulations at a special meeting next week, after the topic has lingered on council’s agenda since last year’s municipal election changed the group’s voting complexion.

An ordinance prohibiting council candidates from soliciting campaign contributions from city contractors and placing other limits on contributions from individuals and businesses whose interests are affected by council decision-making will be part of the discussion.

Other topics include establishing a code of conduct for elected and appointed officials, instituting a “whistle-blower” procedure, prohibiting closed-door council committee meetings, mandating ethics training and tape-recording closed-door council sessions.

A new law is needed to replace a 1972 ordinance that didn’t prevent abuses related to closed-door meetings with council members, city management staff and developers in 2004-05 Town Center planning and 1990s bonuses secretly awarded top city officials.

Sadly, the ethics expressed by individual council members during a campaign can’t be counted on post-election, so written rules with enforceable consequences are necessary.

Residents can expect a strong ordinance, since ethics reform was a key platform point for ‘08 winners Nancy Rikel and Mark Schwing and is ardently supported by John Anderson.

Second, westside residents whose sewers are owned and maintained by the Yorba Linda Water District will continue to supplement maintenance costs for the city-owned sewers generally east of San Antonio Drive, based on a recent 3-2 council vote.

Anderson, Rikel and Schwing nixed a proposed increase in eastside sewer rates from $1.62 to $7.19 monthly, with Jan Horton and Jim Winder in favor of the new charge.

According to a city report, the current $1.62 rate will raise $124,700 for 2009-10 eastside sewer costs, with the city contributing $465,042 from the general fund to pay the balance of the estimated $589,742 budget.

The city sewers serve 6,175 land parcels, with the remaining 15,357 Yorba Linda parcels served by the water district. Most of the district’s $5.50 monthly sewer fees are collected on the monthly water bill, while the city fees are assessed on the annual property tax bills.

Third, the same 3-2 council lineup denied a city staff recommendation for a $190.50 fee to be charged to about 250 industrial and commercial facilities for inspections related to storm water pollution prevention, including a $95.25 non-compliant re-inspection fee.

An unfunded mandate adopted by the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board will require about 300 inspections in the next five years, costing the city $21,000, which will now come from the city’s general fund.

Should city honor Wedaa for contributions?

Councilwoman Jan Horton has suggested naming the Community Center after eight-term City Council veteran Hank Wedaa as one option for honoring Wedaa’s 30 years of elected city service, a record which won’t be equaled under current term-limit laws.

Other ideas for recognizing Wedaa’s civic contributions include naming the Black Gold Golf Course clubhouse, driving range or entrance road for the five-time mayor or adding his name to the Council Chambers or City Hall entrance plaza.

Wedaa was part of a low-density, slow-growth slate that took control of the council in the city’s second election in 1970. He was re-elected five times, took a two-year break before winning a seventh term in 1996 and was elected to fill an 18-month vacancy in 2007.

While Wedaa’s achievements are too numerous to list in this column, he did develop a slew of political enemies during his council service and seven years as a director of the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

He opposed the Imperial Highway widening project and Measure B, requiring a public vote on major zoning changes, but he supported the city-owned Black Gold Golf Club.

Only one other council member has had a city facility named after him. Roland Bigonger Park located between Imperial Highway and Fairmont Boulevard in south Yorba Linda is named for the nine-year councilman, who served as the city’s first mayor 1967-68.

Bigonger was a key player in preserving the Nixon birthplace in the 1960s and 1970s and in acquiring the Presidential library and museum when he returned to the council in 1986.

One-term Councilman George Machado, chief architect of the 1972 low-density General Plan, is noted on a plaque on the horse trail at Imperial Highway and Casa Loma Avenue.

Hurless Barton Park south of the Community Center is named after the first city treasurer and 1959 winner of an annual mayor’s election conducted by the Chamber of Commerce prior to incorporation. A school-aged Barton arrived in Yorba Linda in 1912 and in 1924 he purchased Liberty Garage, which later became a Chevrolet dealership.

Parks were named for writer Jessamym West, Girl Scout and YMCA leader Lucia Kust and civic leader Jean Woodward, the latter in a “name the park” contest. The Phillip S. Paxton Equestrian Center on Buena Vista Avenue honors the 1972-92 Planning Director.

The Susanna Bixby Bryant Ranch Museum and Garden, Thomas Lasorda Jr. Field House and coach William Cobb ball field at Veteran’s Park also are named to honor individuals.

A FINAL NOTE

Residents who have other suggestions for honoring Wedaa or wish to comment on the ideas mentioned in this column are invited to e-mail jimdrummond@hotmail.com, and I’ll tally the results for a future column.

State seeks revisions in city's low-cost housing plan

A “draft housing element” outlining how Yorba Linda plans to meet state-mandated affordable housing requirements has been returned to city officials for revisions.

The plan submitted to the state Department of Housing and Community Development identifies 13 specific sites—11 on the westside and two at Savi Ranch—for potential rezoning to multi-family residential at 10-, 20- and 30-units per acre.

The sites total nearly 50 acres and could be developed with 1,087 low- and moderate-income units under new zoning, according to the document approved by a unanimous City Council vote for forwarding to the state.

The specific sites, acreage and housing numbers were listed in my April 2 and May 7 columns, which I’d be happy to e-mail to readers upon request.

Interestingly, while council members indicated in April that all of the sites might not be developed to full capacity, the state’s call for revisions says the city’s strategy “assumes development will occur on these parcels at the proposed maximum densities.”

The state “recognizes Yorba Linda’s efforts…to streamline review processes for the development of multi-family projects with an affordability component,” but “revisions will be necessary to comply with state housing element law,” an official wrote the city.

Yorba Linda’s plan “must analyze residential development capacity and potential government restraints,” the official indicated, pointing to Measure B, the citizens’ initiative approved by a 299-vote margin in June 2006.

Measure B, supported by four sitting council members, requires a favorable public vote to allow residential projects greater than 10 units per acre and heights exceeding 35 feet.

“Restrictive standards…limit and constrain the development of infill, higher density housing and mixed-use development,” and cities similar to Yorba Linda “implement zoning and development standards that facilitate and encourage well-designed higher density uses to enhance and revitalize their communities,” the state report noted.

“Measure B represents a unique constraint to multi-family and high density housing,” and “the city is required to address and mitigate or remove constraints” so, according to the state, the city plan “must also include programs to address the constraint of Measure B.”

The state also wants the city to describe how the city will assist in providing housing for extremely-low-income households, suggesting the city’s plan could “revise programs to prioritize funding for the development of housing affordable to [the] households, such as single-room occupancy units, which address the needs of this income group.”

Among other requests for revisions is one regarding residential care facilities. The state sees a city definition of “family” as a constraint on housing for disabled persons, noting the operator, the operator’s family or staff shouldn’t be added in a “six or fewer” count.