Many Yorba Linda residents remember significant role played by Gene Wisner in politics, business

Many Yorba Linda residents are remembering the significant role played by Gene Wisner in community affairs during the city's rapid growth years of the 1980s and 1990s. Wisner died April 6 at his home in East Leroy, Michigan, at age 84.

Wisner was one of the most popular City Council members ever: he topped the vote count in his four elections to the governing body and was selected by council colleagues to serve one-year terms as mayor three times, for 1985, 1990 and 1998.

Also, Wisner was one of the most respected businessmen in the city, as owner of the Stride Rite Bootery at the east end of the shopping center that is now anchored by Orchard Supply Hardware and Sprouts Farmers Market.

He was successful in both government and business roles as the city grew in population from 11,856 in 1980 to 58,751 in 2000, seeing more houses built and shoes sold for the thousands of families who were moving to Yorba Linda for the good schools and semi-rural environment.

Wisner wasn't a winner in his first race for the council, placing third out of eight candidates for two seats with 1,364 votes in 1982. However, as the runner-up, he was appointed to the body in 1983 when Ron McRoberts resigned due to his move out of the city.

His fellow council members at the time were Mike Beverage, Irwin Fried, Todd Murphy and Hank Wedaa. Wisner topped a nine-contender field seeking three seats in 1984 with 9,889 votes, more than tripling the previous highest total for a winning candidate.

Again, in 1988, Wisner won the most votes, upping his total to 12,380 in a contest that drew five candidates for three seats. That total wasn't eclipsed until Allen Castellano won 16,879 votes in a five-candidate 2004 race, which remains a city record.

Wisner opted out of the 1992 election as a believer in a two-term limit for council members. But he changed his mind in 1994 due to his belief council was spending down the reserves built up in prior years. He led the four contenders for two seats with 9,971 votes.

Wisner's final race came in 1998, when he took first with 8,843 votes, as six candidates fought for two seats. In 1999, he had heart by-pass surgery in February and resigned in September before his move to Michigan.

What's a bit surprising is Wisner's winning streak came during a fractious time in city politics, with controversy surrounding housing density and the developer dollars contributed to some candidates, which resulted in heated campaigns and frequent member turnover.

One of Wisner's final votes was to fire Art Simonian, Yorba Linda's second city manager who served 27 years. Wisner joined John Gullixson and Barbara Kiley in the contentious 3-2 vote.

Voters in 1996 passed a three-term limit for council service – strongly opposed by Wisner – 15,087 to 6,906.

Wisner is survived by his wife of 63 years Annette, daughter Stephanie, son William, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Three Yorba Linda residents seek Assembly seat

Three Yorba Linda residents – a Democrat and two Republicans – are among the five contenders on the June 5 primary ballot seeking to advance to the November general election to represent Yorba Linda, Placentia, La Habra and Brea in the state Assembly.

Businessmen James Gerbus and Scott Lebda, both Republicans, and Democrat Melissa Fazli, a documentarian and activist, are among the challengers to incumbent Republican Phillip Chen of Diamond Bar for a two-year term serving the 55^th Assembly District.

Also running is Democrat Gregg Fritchle of Walnut, a social worker who lost three previous elections for the same seat. The district also includes Chino Hills in San Bernardino County and Diamond Bar, Rowland Heights, Walnut and parts of Industry and West Covina in Los Angeles County.

Gerbus won a four-year term on the Orange County Republican Central Committee as one of six representatives from Orange County's portion of the 55^th Assembly District in 2016. Lebda is president of L & L Foods in Anaheim and an MBA grad from USC.

Fazli, a former real estate agent with Tarbell and Berkshire Hathaway and Cal State Fullerton communications grad, makes documentary films. Fritchle, a children's social worker in Los Angeles County, has psychology degrees from USC (BA) and Cal State Los Angeles (MA).

Chen, a Servite High and Cal State Fullerton communications grad, was a trustee at the Walnut Valley Unified School District before his 2016 election to the Assembly. In 2014, he lost a heated primary battle for the seat to Ling Ling Chang, who beat Fritchle in November.

The district has 245,000 registered voters, 37 percent Republican, 33 percent Democratic and 26 percent no party preference. The Orange County total is 115,000 registered voters, 44 percent Republican, 30 percent Democratic and 22 percent no party preference.

The special recall election targeting Josh Newman in the 29^th State Senate District has drawn six candidates to fill the remaining two years of Newman's term if he's voted out. They include Ling Ling Chang, who lost to Newman by 2,498 votes out of 317,962 cast in 2016.

Other Republicans on the ballot are Marine Corps veteran George Shen of Industry and Fullerton City Councilman Bruce Whitaker. Democrats in the race are Josh Ferguson of Fullerton, Joseph Cho of Buena Park and Kevin Carr of Stanton.

The district includes Yorba Linda, Placentia, La Palma, La Habra, Fullerton, Brea, Cypress, Stanton and portions of Buena Park and Anaheim, as well as Chino Hills in San Bernardino County and Diamond Bar, Walnut and portions of West Covina and Industry in Los Angeles County.

Registered voters total 451,000, 36 percent Democratic, 34 percent Republican and 25 percent no party preference. The Orange County total is 309,000 registered voters, 37 percent Democratic, 36 percent Republican and 24 percent no party preference.

Hillary Clinton won in both districts in 2016.

Yorba Linda City Council examines results of city's 'deep dive' audits on credit cards, surplus property

Results from the first of Yorba Linda's new “deep dive” special audit programs adopted by the City Council late last year were presented to council members at the governing body's April 3 meeting.

The first two audits focused on policies and procedures related to the use of the city's credit cards, including charges incurred by the 37 city employees authorized to use the cards, and procedures regarding the disposal of surplus property.

The special audits are now a part of the city's regular, annual financial review conducted by a contracted outside, independent auditing firm. The first special audits were handled by Moss, Levy & Hartzheim of Beverly Hills and cost an extra $3,650.

All future auditing will be conducted by a new contracted company, Macias, Gini & O'Connell, with offices in Newport Beach, chosen from nine firms who submitted proposals for the three-year contract, with two one-year options, for a total up to $353,260, plus special audit costs.

Previously scheduled as the next two “deep dive” audits – formally known as “agreed-upon procedures engagements” – are citywide contract administration practices and use of over-time by city departments.

Under consideration for special audits in future years are fixed asset inventory procedures and fuel usage from the storage tank at the Eureka Avenue city yard, with topics picked by Finance Committee members, currently council members Peggy Huang Beth Haney.

Only minor problems were reported by the auditing firm in the credit card review, including what the auditors considered three “missing receipts,” under conditions the city refuted for two of the cases. An employee eventually found the third receipt.

Also, the auditor reported four missing purchasing card contracts, the one-page agreement signed by employees outlining strict rules for using the cards. One was for an individual no longer employed by the city and three were issued cards prior to creation of the agreement.

The surplus property disposal audit resulted in two recommendations, one of which was accepted by the city, while the other was deemed not needed due to current city policies.

Accepted was the recommendation that the city “establish formal procedures for asset disposals at the Black Gold Golf Course.” The city “learned that the contractor at Black Gold was independently disposing of surplus property.”

Since the city now has a written policy for surplus property disposal applying to all funds, including Black Gold, “on a go-forward basis,” Black Gold disposals will follow the policy.

However, a recommendation that council “approve the disposal of all assets” wasn't seen as necessary by the city: “We are aware of no comparably sized cities that require City Council approval of asset disposals.”

Rather, the city relies on a formal written policy that establishes a framework by which staff is authorized by council to oversee such disposals.

Placentia-Yorba Linda school district trustees act on expelled students, drone use, salaries, benefits

Expelled students, drone use and employee salaries and benefits are among the topics tackled recently by the five elected trustees of the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District.

State law requires school districts to provide educational alternatives to expelled students and mandates districts work with the county schools offices to develop plans to work with students under expulsion orders.

“A student whose behavior has resulted in an expulsion is provided a rehabilitation plan which ensures placement in an educational program and establishes the criteria for return” to district campuses, according to the Placentia-Yorba Linda portion of the countywide plan.

Among options for locally expelled students: suspending expulsion order and placing student at the same campus or a different district campus, referral to an alternative district classroom, transfer to another district and referral to programs offered at the county schools office.

So far this school year, trustees have taken action in closed session on 16 expulsions out of some 25,450 students at 34 school sites. Interestingly, countywide numbers for the past five years show one grade K-3 student and 61 grade 4-6 students have been expelled.

A policy on unmanned aircraft systems, commonly called drones, has passed first reading, with adoption anticipated April 17. The policy will apply to district campuses in Yorba Linda, Placentia, Anaheim and Fullerton.

The Yorba Linda City Council adopted strict drone regulations in November.

The school policy states drones must obey Federal Aviation Administration regulations, with operators obtaining a permit at least 72 hours in advance to fly drones over school property.

The policy lists 23 guidelines, including keeping drones “at least 25 feet away from individuals and property” and flying just in the “daylight or civil twilight” – defined as “natural light” – hours.

The district's 764 full-time equivalent classified employees are receiving the same 1 percent salary hike for the current school year as 1,128 certificated employees received earlier (see my Feb. 8 column for a report on teacher pay that now ranges from $50,145 to $103,802).

Also receiving the 1 percent boost are 186 management employees.

The new classified salaries range from $10.64 to $43.42 per hour. Classified management salaries range from $38,998 for a confidential clerk to $173,218 for an executive director. A longevity bonus adds $1,263 at 10 years up to $5,369 at 25 years.

Certificated management salaries range from $86,787 for a first-year psychologist to $173,218 for a seven-year executive director, including merit pay. Longevity bonuses range from $1,641 at 17 years to $7,921 at 25 years.

And a new agreement with Self-Insured Schools of California, a joint powers authority from the Kern County schools office, is expected to save $1.58 million in medical benefit costs for same or better coverage.