Yorba Linda's best and not-so-best, 2014

Here's my annual review of the best and sometimes less-than-best from the city's past year:

Best City Council decision: Acting quickly to tighten regulations for the city's 10 massage establishments – and 16 more that could be permitted – based on a new state “local control” law.

Most historic political event: The first recall ballot in 47 years of cityhood saw Tom Lindsey and Craig Young retain council seats in what can be labeled “a battle of negative mailers.”

Best grass-roots organization: Protect Our Homes and Hills keeps a watchful eye on developers using too lenient county standards to build 452 homes on fire-prone acres to the north.

Best news for college-bound students: A record number of Advanced Placement and Inter-national Baccalaureate exams were given (3,527 and 305) in Placentia-Yorba Linda schools.

Least understood concept by winning council candidates: Questionable tactics used to gain votes outweighs post-election rhetoric about being “humbled” by the choice made by voters.

Best example of “it's not broken, but we'll fix it anyway":  The council further politicizes the selection of commissioners and committee members by aligning terms with council election cycles.

Most anticipated council decision: Will council members “clean house” of political opponents when all 20 commission and 21 committee member slots are filled early next year?

Best decision by voters: Passing Measure JJ negates the need for columns criticizing “conservative” council members for approving two pension plans for themselves yearly since 1996.

Most lamentable trend: The June and November elections featured the lowest turnouts in city history for regularly scheduled elections – 26 percent in June and 49 percent in November.

Most surprising trend: Water supplied by the Yorba Linda Water District to 24,535 residential and business accounts rose from 18,684 acre-feet in 2011-12 to 22,343 acre-feet in 2013-14.

Most disturbing trend: The emergence of “independent expenditure” committees ensures only well-connected residents have the financial viability to compete in expensive council elections.

Longest contamination removal: A state report lists the clean-up timetable for the former gas station on Imperial Highway, west of the library (“completion” in 2015 and “closure” by 2019).

Most auspicious council action: For the first time in years, the members were unanimous in selecting a mayor and mayor pro tem, Gene Hernandez and Tom Lindsey, respectively.

Clearest shift to back burner: The city's Teen Action Committee listed a skate park as “a top priority,” but surveys and focus group interviews found “a very low percentage of residents favor building a skate park.”

Most intriguing historical note: Condo units approved for the Nixon library site? That's one of the topics of my Yorba Linda Historical Society talk at 7 p.m. Jan. 12 at the Community Center.