Yorba Linda voters once favored election districts for choosing members of the city governing body

Since several north Orange County cities already have adopted – or are in the process of developing – districts for the election of City Council members, the issue is almost certain to be raised in Yorba Linda.

However, unlike many of the other communities, this city has a history regarding the creation of a district balloting procedure, and residents, in an election 38 years ago, favored choosing council members from districts by a 52.4 percent majority vote.

The issue was on the ballot in the June 1978 primary election as a local measure, and of the 7,999 Yorba Linda voters who expressed an opinion on the matter, 4,192 favored developing districts for council elections, while 3,807 were opposed.

But the vote – along with another measure seeking residents' opinions on scheduling a bond election to purchase property for a Nixon Park – was only advisory, and the affirmative tally meant nothing, as council members voted to “receive and file” the results without comment two weeks after balloting.

The prospect of a bond ballot also came to naught, but that was because voters advised against it, 4,927 to 3,216 (144 more people voted on this item than on the district matter).

The proposed park property is now occupied by Mimi's restaurant, an adjacent grass area and the southern section of the Station shopping center along Imperial Highway, just north of Yorba Linda Boulevard.

Although the idea of councilmanic districts lay fallow for more than a decade, it didn't die out entirely, and the issue received serious consideration again in 1991, when raised by John Gullixson during the first of his three turbulent terms on the council, 1990-2002.

Gullixson's proposal to draft a ballot measure that would create council districts earned three votes of support (Gullixson, Mark Schwing and Gene Wisner) and one opposed (Irwin Fried), with one absence (Hank Wedaa).

The proposal was supposed to appear on the June 1992 primary ballot and, if passed, be in place for the November election, but the issue again died, and no measure ever came up for a vote.

Gullixson's idea was different from most proposed today in that it would have created three geographic districts – west, central and east – for three members, with two to be elected on a city-wide basis.

While several of the cities and school districts currently creating electoral districts have faced the threat of legal action to ensure more diverse demographic representation on their elected governing bodies, some, such as Newport Beach and Seal Beach, created districts to assure representation from distinct geographic areas.

According to the 2010 census, Yorba Linda's non-Hispanic white population is 65.7 percent, while Asian-American, Hispanic and African-American percentages are 15.6, 14.4 and 1.3, respectively, more similar to Seal Beach than to Anaheim, Buena Park and Fullerton, cities using demographic data to create districts.

Yorba Linda voters might play role in selecting presidential candidates; GOP committee posts among key races impacting this city's elections

Maybe – just maybe – Yorba Lindans will actually help select the Democratic and Republican nominees for president in the June 7 primary election. If so, it'll be the first primary in city history that residents will have played a role in choosing both of the major party standard-bearers.

Usually, candidates have garnered enough delegates to win nomination before the state's June primary. Even when balloting was moved to March in 1996, 2000 and 2004 and the presidential primary to February 2008, one or both party nominees were already assured.

And if the nominations haven't been decided before Yorba Linda votes in June, the city's often weak primary election turnout might see a substantial boost.

In the June 2012 primary, just 33.4 percent of the city's registered voters cast ballots, a significant drop from 2004's 43.9 percent and 2000's 62 per cent. In 2008, the February

presidential vote drew 56.4 percent, while 23.3 percent voted in the regular June primary.

At last count, the city's 40,839 registered voters included 22,349 Republicans (54.7 percent); 8,692 Democrats (21.3 percent); and 8,150 no party preference (20 percent).

Each time I update these numbers, I receive an email or two chastising me for omitting the minor parties. They are American Independent, 1,066; Libertarian, 292; Green, 106; Peace and Freedom, 56; and miscellaneous, 128 (all totaling 4 percent).

One interesting aspect of the primary will be Donald Trump's vote total from city Republicans, compared to his previous ballot appearance in 2000 for the Reform Party nomination. Under rules then in effect, he could draw votes from registrants of other parties.

Trump's Yorba Linda vote totaled 45, coming mostly from Republicans (28 votes). He also won six Democratic, two Reform, one American Independent and eight non-affiliated votes.

His campaign for the nomination lasted four months, but he won the two Reform primaries he entered, California with 15,311 votes and Michigan with 2,164 votes, even though he dropped out before voting. (Pat Buchanan was the Reform nominee.)

Another key race is for six slots representing Yorba Linda, Placentia, Brea and La Habra on the county Republican Central Committee.

It's important because the group makes party endorsements for non-partisan offices that influence this city's voting, as in the case in the 2014 recall and regular council elections.

City residents hold five of the posts: Brett Barbre, Karla Downing, Dennis White and council members Gene Hernandez and Peggy Huang. La Habra Councilman Tim Shaw is the sixth member.

Filing deadline is March 11. So far, in addition to incumbents, Councilman Craig Young and resident James Gerbus have filed candidacy declarations.

Only candidate for the Democratic committee so far is Placentia resident Molly Muro. If six or fewer enter the races, all of the qualified filers are appointed without appearing on the ballot. 

City Council discusses new library, site

A half-hour discussion of the long-proposed new library coming at the end of a recent late-night City Council session resulted in a unanimous vote for developing a plan to maximize “multi-uses” for a new facility.

But the council stopped short of making a final decision on the location for a new building, leaving intact prior action labeling the now-vacant 4.7-acre “strawberry field” on Lakeview Avenue a bit north of the Stater Bros. shopping center as “the preferred site.”

Previously eliminated as a library site were the open pad east of the Community Center, the central portion of the proposed Town Center and the “tank farm” in the Vista Del Verde area, east of Lakeview Elementary School.

Various renderings of a 45,000-square-foot, one-story facility have been prepared, showing the building on different sections on the preferred parcel, some with all surface parking and one with both surface and subterranean parking.

One drawing shows the library building close to Lakeview Avenue, with the rear 1.25-acre portion left for other, unspecified development. The land, purchased by the now-defunct Redevelopment Agency, is currently city-owned and can only be used for “governmental purposes.”

Financing a new facility, estimated in 2014 to cost $29 million, is a major problem. The state-mandated 2012 dissolution of the Redevelopment Agency eliminated a key resource by ruling out the use of agency-issued bonds.

According to the most recent city budget documents, prepared for the current and next fiscal years, the library has a reserve fund balance of $7.9 million, but, “together with the operating fund, the library has approximately $16 million in reserves set aside for a new facility.”

Library operations are funded by a property tax stream separate from the city, a remnant of the old Yorba Linda Library District that merged with the city in 1985 after 71 years as an independent public agency with its own taxing authority.

The property tax income is expected to total nearly $4.6 million this fiscal year and about $4.7 million the next fiscal year. An annual $550,000 had been added to the reserve fund the past several years.

The most recent expansion to 28,500 square feet costing $3.7 million was completed in 1992. A previous expansion, costing $585,000, occurred in 1971. The current site opened in 1960 at 6,000 square feet with the proceeds of an $80,000 bond approved on a 280-39 vote.

The library district's original five-member elected board of trustees transitioned to a council- appointed commission when the city took over operations, an action unanimously approved by both the last elected library board and the then-sitting council members.

During council discussion, Tom Lindsey suggested a two-story library and cultural arts center for the site, Peggy Huang noted the library's need for more space and Gene Hernandez said the library is a sign of the quality of the community.

Documents provide interesting Y.L. snapshots

My weekly checks of agendas, meeting minutes, reports and other documents from the boards, commissions and committees making up Yorba Linda's governmental structure often turn up facts and statistics that provide interesting snapshots of the community.

Here are some of the latest:

--Individuals, businesses, PTA groups and service organizations have donated $357,052 to Placentia-Yorba Linda school campuses since the beginning of the school year, most in the $100 to $1,000 range, with some larger $5,000 to $15,000 sums from PTA fundraisers.

The district stretches budget dollars with a $99 Amazon Prime membership to take advantage of low-cost vendors and free shipping. Lower prices for fresh fruits and vegetables for student meals come from “piggy-back” purchases with a Hawthorne district Sunrise Produce contract.

--Arrests for driving under the influence on city byways totaled 52 for the last six months of 2015. Most arrests were in the 20 to 29 and 55 to 65-plus age groups, followed by ages 40 to 54, then 30 to 39.

During the same period, 1,032 traffic citations were issued, 568 for hazardous violations (moving and radar offenses) and 464 non-hazardous (equipment, registration, seat belt). Fifty-nine collisions were reported, 17 with injuries.

--Plans for an outdoor sports facility at Canyon Hills Friends Church featuring a 3,000 square-foot sports court and other structures were approved by the Planning Commission. The panel also approved a 14-child day care facility at 4972 Ohio St.

Although twice delayed, plans for a staffed recycling center in the rear parking area of the Stater Bros. market on Yorba Linda Boulevard are expected to be presented in the future.

--Travel and conference expenses for Yorba Linda Water District directors totaled $3,806 for October-December 2015, $190 for meals and travel to Fountain Valley meetings and $3,616 for fees, meals, lodging and travel to three-day conferences in Las Vegas, Palm Springs and Indian Wells. July-September 2015 expenses were $2,946.

During the same period, directors were paid $13,800 for attending 92 meetings at $150 per meeting, a bit less than the $16,050 earned for 107 meetings for the previous three months.

--Mosquito and dead bird samples are checked for West Nile virus by the county Vector Control District. Last year, 15 of the 425 birds tested came from Yorba Linda, and of 97 virus cases in humans, three were city residents. Countywide, 577 mosquitoes and 84 birds tested positive.

Residents who find a bird that died in the last 24 hours and, without touching it, place it in a plastic bag can call 714-971-2421 extension 117 during business hours to coordinate a pick-up for possible examination.

Among 35 members of the district's board of trustees is Councilwoman Peggy Huang, who is in the second year of a two-year term, appointed by her council colleagues. Trustees are paid $100 per meeting, usually monthly.