Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District makes extensive revisions to existing policies on nondiscrimination, sexual harassment

Extensive revisions to two important school policies – one dealing with nondiscrimination and harassment and the other addressing sexual harassment of students – were approved on 5-0 votes by Placentia-Yorba Linda school district trustees at their March meeting.

Updates to the “nondiscrimination and harassment” policy are part of a fifth revision of a policy that was first adopted in 1975. Nine paragraphs of new language were added to a 2012 revise.

Executive Services Director Richard McAlindin told trustees the policy outlines a “commitment to providing a safe school environment that allows all students equal access and opportunities in...academic, extracurricular and other educational support programs, services and activities.”

And the revision updates lawfully protected classes, with new wording that adds “sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or gender expression or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics” to policy provisions.

Previously existing language and other new wording also lists actual or perceived race, color, ancestry, national origin, nationality, ethnicity, ethnic group identification, age, religion, marital or parental status, mental or physical disability and sex as among the protected categories.

Revisions also extend protection against unlawful discrimination, including harassment, intimidation and bullying, which occurs “off campus or outside of school-related or school-sponsored activities which may have an impact or create a hostile environment at school.”

Disciplinary action ranges to suspension or expulsion for students when offending behavior is “severe or pervasive” and “up to and including dismissal” for employees who violate the policy.

Revisions to the “sexual harassment of students” policy are the first since the document was adopted in 1993, and include new wording more than doubling the count in the original policy.

One new provision extends the policy's reach: “any student who feels that he/she has been sexually harassed off-campus and is concerned about or reports an impact on campus or school-related activity, even if the off-campus misconduct did not occur in the context of a school-related activity, should immediately report the incident....”

In these cases, district officials will determine “whether there is a hostile environment at school or in an off-campus school program or activity.” Disciplinary action for grade 4-12 students will range to suspension or expulsion, with employee penalties extending to dismissal.

Also new to policy language is the district's pledge to promptly investigate every complaint of sexual harassment, “even if the complainant requests that nothing be done or is anonymous.”

Both policies require the district to maintain a record of all reported cases “to enable the district to monitor, address and prevent” repetition of prohibited behaviors.

Yorba Linda residents appointed to city, school and other panels; school district to pay more for employee pensions during the next two years

Topics meriting ink this week: appointments of Yorba Linda residents to city, school and other panels with decision-making authority and the increasing costs of school employee pensions.

--City Council appointments to commissions include renewed four-year terms for Robert Lyons and Robert Pease II on the Planning Commission, chosen from three applicants. The pair serve with J. Minton Brown, Karalee Darnell and Dan Mole, whose terms expire in 2018.

Three new members join the Parks and Recreation Commission: Realtor Tim Garvey, social media supervisor Janice Lim and Building Industry Association officer Carlos Rodriguez were chosen from six applicants to replace Tara Campbell, Stewart Rixson and Thomas Watts and join holdovers Doug Dickerson and Sandy McKinney.

The Traffic Commission has a new appointment, Caltrans official Shivinderjit Singh for a vacant slot, and a renewed appointment, Edward Camarena, from five applicants to join holdovers Nathaniel Behusa, Jerry Brakebill and Lynn Melton.

Reappointed Library Commissioners are Marilyn Adams, Cheri Hanson and Randi Noell, named from seven applicants to serve with holdovers Ryan Bent and Natalie Odebunmi.

--Yorba Linda High senior Adam Carrillo is the student representative on the Placentia-Yorba Linda school district board this semester, replacing Valencia High senior and last semester's rep Elizabeth Yin. The students report on activities and comment during board discussions.

--Councilwoman Tara Campbell was named the city's first-ever liaison to the school district, and Mayor Peggy Huang begins a second stint as secretary for the county Republican Cen-tral Committee, a party panel that makes endorsements in local, state and national elections.

--Eight Yorba Linda volunteers serving in the countywide Trauma Intervention Program were honored at a February council meeting: Melinda Chester, Debbie Collins, Paula DiLuigi, Kim Holt, Kathy Malone, Kelly Peterson, Denise Plascencia and Lisa Schaib.

TIP appointees respond to incidents at the request of police, fire and hospital personnel to support individuals who are emotionally traumatized.

--Payments the Placentia-Yorba Linda school district contributes to pensions for 2,600 full-time employees will increase the next two years, as noted in a portion of a financial report viewed by trustees at their March meeting.

The district now pays 12.58 percent of 1,288 certificated staff salaries to the State Teachers Retirement System, increasing to 14.43 percent next year and 16.28 percent the year after.

The cost is 13.888 percent of 1,319 classified staff salaries to the Public Employees Retirement System, rising to 15.8 percent next year and 18.7 percent the year after.

Business sales, property values up in Yorba Linda

Overall, businesses in Yorba Linda continue to see an increase in sales and property values remain on an upward track, based on the latest estimates of tax revenue expected to fill city coffers by June 30, the end of the current fiscal year.

The new, promising numbers were forwarded to City Council members late last month in a report updated to the mid-point of the 2016-17 fiscal year by Finance Director Scott Catlett.

Here are some highlights from his six-page report:

--The current projection of the city's 1 percent portion of the 7.75 percent sales tax is pegged at $7.7 million, up nearly 12 percent from $6.9 million estimated when the council adopted a two-year (2015-16 and 2016-17) budget, which represents a sizable sales gain for business. Sales tax is the city's second-highest revenue source.

--Increased citywide property values have boosted the dollars expected from property tax collections to $17.6 million, up more than 7 percent from the $16.4 million projected when the budget was adopted. Property tax is the city's highest revenue source.

--Projected increases in other revenue sources, such as engineering, planning and administrative fees and charges; park and recreation income; and property transfer

taxes, among other items, result in a total income projection of nearly $34.6 million.

That “operating revenue” figure is 7.3 percent more than estimated when the budget was adopted. Franchise fees, occupancy taxes and building permit fees are as first expected.

--Of course, the spending side of the budget also shows growth, with $352,059 added by council and City Manager Mark Pulone previously, and $939,251 more approved Feb. 21.

These expenses include salary hikes for sheriff's department personnel and city employees, security camera upgrades, higher costs for animal control and tree maintenance service and de-silting basins due to the recent storms.

--Also, the city's Landscape Maintenance Assessment District will spend an added $469,865, with $154,136 coming from the city General Fund, since some of the district's special benefit zones will spend more than collected in property owner fees.

And the council has authorized $1.6 million more from the capital improvement budget for expenses related to the ongoing Town Center project. These added costs are for a retaining wall, landscaping and design for the parking structure; public streets; acquiring property and easements; and construction management, bonds and permit and plan check fees.

--Lastly, income through June 30 is expected to outpace expenditures by $136,000, putting the operating reserve at 66 percent of general fund expenditures, well above council's long- standing policy of holding 50 percent of a year's expenditures in reserve.

Catlett noted: “Staff plans to discuss options for the use of reserves over 60 percent when the (next) two-year budget is presented later this fiscal year.”

Yorba Linda establishes procedure for reports of fraudulent financial activities in city government

A formal mechanism to receive and review reports of “illegal, improper, wasteful or fraudulent” fiscal activities in Yorba Linda's governmental operations has been approved on a 5-0 vote by the City Council.

The new and easy-to-use procedure will allow residents and city employees to anonymously report concerns on a “fraud hotline,” a dedicated phone number that will be set up to receive messages about suspicious activity, Finance Director Scott Catlett reported to council members.

“Additionally, an online form on the city's website that sends an email to a fraud hotline email inbox would provide a second option for reports to be submitted,” Catlett, who also serves as the city's treasurer, stated.

Fraud reporting calls and emails will go to Catlett initially, with each reported item shared with City Manager Mark Pulone, Assistant City Manager David Christian and the department head responsible for the area of concern, as applicable, Catlett stated.

“Staff would then work to verify that the reported concern is valid and then undertake corrective action,” Catlett noted, adding that a summary of all reports received would be provided to the city's Finance Committee on a quarterly basis.

Two council members, currently Peggy Huang and Beth Haney, make up the committee.

A staff analysis of each concern and information outlining how a reported matter was addressed, if corrective action was needed, also would be reported to the committee, with results forwarded to the council for the “consent calendar,” which lists routine items for a single vote.

The city will inform the public of these new reporting mechanisms in the city newsletter and on the city's website. Previously, the only method to report fraud anonymously was by mail.

Also, council approved designating the Finance Committee as the city's Audit Subcommittee, with new responsibilities, including interacting with the city's contract auditing firm, reviewing financial statements in detail and undertaking other council-directed oversight activities.

The committee, which currently meets monthly to mainly review the city's check register, listing each city payment, will now meet quarterly to review all city financial transactions.

And in addition to the annual audit conducted by a firm under contract with the city, the city will pay for two special audits each year in areas to be selected by the Finance Committee.

Finally, in a move expected to “enhance transparency relative to the city's financial data,” the OpenGov portal previously open only for internal city use will be available on the city website.

Catlett stated the system will provide “a valuable tool to review the city's budget and spending,” so residents won't need to file public records requests for the information.

Costs are $9,000 yearly for OpenGov, not more than $10,000 annually for the special audits and staff time for the fraud reporting procedures.

Yorba Linda City Council election sets two new spending records; newly elected water district directors eschew medical insurance benefits

Updates to past columns:

--Two new records have been set for a Yorba Linda City Council election – spending by a candidate-controlled campaign committee and combined spending by a candidate and an “independent expenditure” committee, based on newly filed, state-required reports for 2016.

Craig Young reported spending $77,290 in his losing race for a second term in the Nov. 4 election. He placed fourth out of seven candidates for three positions.

Gene Hernandez reported spending $42,382 from his committee and benefiting from $75,000 in spending by the Moving Orange County Forward political action committee to win a second term.

Young's record expenses earned him 11,662 votes, or $6.63 for each vote. His expenditure for his winning 2012 campaign was $32,085, or $2.17 per vote for a second-place finish out of seven candidates. A vendor forgave $5,235 in billings before Young closed his committee Feb. 14.

Spending for Hernandez won him 13,331 votes, or $8.81 for each vote in his second-place finish. He spent $48,995 in his 2012 win, or $3.53 per vote for a third-place finish.

Expenses reported by the other two winners were $33,188 for Tara Campbell, or $2.18 for each of her 15,253 votes; and $44,927 for Beth Haney, or $3.75 for each of her 11,981 votes.

Campbell reported 84 and Hernandez 111 local and out-of-town contributions, while Haney was largely self-financed with $36,170 in loans from her business, Luxe Aesthetic & Wellness Center. Haney reported 35 local and out-of-town contributions, and Campbell noted a $5,000 self-made loan.

Spending reported by the other candidates: $22,088 for Cristy Parker, or $2.23 for each of her 9,913 votes; $2,279 for Ryan Smith, or 26 cents for each of his 8,782 votes; and less than the $1,000 reporting threshold for Paul Dippolito, or under 15 cents for each of his 6,472 votes.

--Residents who pay for water and sewer service from the Yorba Linda Water District are no longer footing bills for medical insurance for the agency's five elected directors, saving some $45,000 this year alone.

None of the new directors are taking medical insurance payments, and just one, Andrew Hall, is taking dental and vision benefits, totaling $42.25 per month. All four – Hall, Brooke Jones, Wayne Miller and Al Nederhood – receive life and accident insurance, at $4.42 monthly for the group.

Holdover director Phil Hawkins had dropped his medical insurance benefit but continues to receive dental and vision insurance for himself and family. With life and accident insurance, his monthly benefit total is $102.34.

The updated figures were provided by Gina Knight, the district's Human Resources and Risk Manager. The life and accident insurance coverage is $10,000, which drops to 65 percent at age 60 and 50 percent at age 70, trimming payments for three directors.

Annual benefit cost for the four directors who left office in December totaled $47,470.