Veterans memorial addition; damages claim; conflict of interest code; new city, police radios

Here's a mix of new topics and updates of past columns:

--A battlefield memorial statue will be added to the Veterans Memorial Monument area at

Veterans Park on Valley View Avenue north of Yorba Linda Boulevard in time for this year's Veterans Day ceremony Nov. 11, according to plans by the Veterans Memorial Association.

The 38-inch high statue of boots, rifle and helmet will be placed atop a 24-inch high piece of unfinished black granite or a concrete base with granite overlay similar to the memorial. The five-sided base will match the existing flag poles.

Additional work includes an extension of the patio next to the Gold Star walkway, additional lighting fixtures and another concrete bench. Estimated cost of the work scheduled to begin in October is $22,000, funded by the memorial group.

Planning for the original memorial started in 2008, with the Gold Star walkway added in 2009. Memorial bricks honoring individual veterans and active military were part of the initial design, with new bricks available for purchase at $200 and $375 from the association (714-777-7894).

--A claim for damages related to Town Center roadwork filed by business owners Walt and Jeanne Tamulinas of ERA North Orange County Real Estate has been settled with a $42,000 payment to the long-established firm on Yorba Linda Boulevard just west of Lakeview Avenue.

The Tamulinas claim alleged $261,882 in lost business income due to road construction for the Town Center project during a six-month period in 2014-15. Sales at the firm plummeted 35 percent during an upswing in the county real estate market, according to Walt Tamulinas.

He cited “limited or no access” to his real estate and escrow offices and noted that clients, agents and vendors couldn't get in or out of the parking lot during the construction project. “New sales soared” after construction vehicles and traffic congestion were reduced, he said.

--A review of the city's conflict-of-interest code is underway, with results scheduled to be presented to City Council members before an Oct. 3 deadline for submission to the state Fair Political Practices Commission.

The code lists the city's elected and appointed officials, employees and consultants required to submit the Statement of Economic Interests each year and “assigns disclosure categories specifying the types of interests to be reported,” noted a report by City Clerk Marcia Brown.

--Upgrades and replacements for 44 city and 52 police services 800 megahertz radios will cost $393,791 for equipment, installation and programming to meet required standards for the county's coordinated communications system for police, fire and public works agencies.

The cost includes a 40 percent discount from list prices if purchased before Nov. 26 from the sole-source vendor Motorola Solutions. A competitive bidding process was waived, since the proprietary equipment and technology is available from only one company.