Comments on: Mission Viejo boasts of a budget surplus while cutting infrastructure maintenance http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2009/11/mission-viejo-boasts-of-a-budget-surplus-while-cutting-infrastructure-maintenance/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mission-viejo-boasts-of-a-budget-surplus-while-cutting-infrastructure-maintenance Orange County's top political blog Sun, 12 Feb 2012 20:09:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Joe Holtzman http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2009/11/mission-viejo-boasts-of-a-budget-surplus-while-cutting-infrastructure-maintenance/comment-page-1/#comment-111414 Joe Holtzman Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:41:20 +0000 http://orangejuiceblog.com/?p=32337#comment-111414 While Mr. Wilberg; the Mission Viejo City Manager dodges the issues on infrastructure maintenance his administration has frittered away monies on a nonsensical Rose Bowl Parade float, useless easels that were quickly trashed because they were an ill conceived project, put useless kiosks in our medians, moving rocks in Lower Curtis Park, and garish obelisks on a nature trail. In addition the city reworked Crown Valley Parkway putting in an irrigation system and plantings that defy our needs for water conservation/reduction. All this while the slopes on Alicia, Jeranimo, Margaruite Parkway, Trabuco, and Mustang Run continue to deteriorate. It would appear to the average citizen that glitzy and in some cases useless projects take precedence over maintaining what is important to our home values--the approaches to our homes. In addition Mr. Wilberg and his administration has effectively abandoned some citizens in our community who have been subjected to a ongoing violation of building codes for over 7 years. While these citizens have pleaded before city council ( some having emotional meltdowns ) the city attorney has pontificated and rationalized the cities indifference to the situation. Add all of this together including the non rebidding of key city contracts and you have to wonder just who Mr. Wilberg is working for--the special interests or the citizens who pay his over $200,000 plus a year salary. While Mr. Wilberg; the Mission Viejo City Manager dodges the issues on infrastructure maintenance his administration has frittered away monies on a nonsensical Rose Bowl Parade float, useless easels that were quickly trashed because they were an ill conceived project, put useless kiosks in our medians, moving rocks in Lower Curtis Park, and garish obelisks on a nature trail.

In addition the city reworked Crown Valley Parkway putting in an irrigation system and plantings that defy our needs for water conservation/reduction. All this while the slopes on Alicia, Jeranimo, Margaruite Parkway, Trabuco, and Mustang Run continue to deteriorate. It would appear to the average citizen that glitzy and in some cases useless projects take precedence over maintaining what is important to our home values–the approaches to our homes.

In addition Mr. Wilberg and his administration has effectively abandoned some citizens in our community who have been subjected to a ongoing violation of building codes for over 7 years. While these citizens have pleaded before city council ( some having emotional meltdowns ) the city attorney has pontificated and rationalized the cities indifference to the situation. Add all of this together including the non rebidding of key city contracts and you have to wonder just who Mr. Wilberg is working for–the special interests or the citizens who pay his over $200,000 plus a year salary.

]]> By: Larry Gilbert http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2009/11/mission-viejo-boasts-of-a-budget-surplus-while-cutting-infrastructure-maintenance/comment-page-1/#comment-111386 Larry Gilbert Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:21:20 +0000 http://orangejuiceblog.com/?p=32337#comment-111386 My email reply to city manager Wilberg: "Dennis my opening was in response to your assumption that the Dispatch editor and I confer on how and what stories we plan to publish. Enough said on that issue. As to pay me now rather than pay me later. Again you divert attention from the main issue of the story. Namely consideration of using $500,000 of Mission Viejo taxpayer money to refurbish former Mayor Robert Breton's HOA slope as their association lacks the funds to match our adjacent curb appeal. If they lack funds they can and should initiate a "special assessment" on their members just as we were forced to consider when the proposal was floated to fund burying the 66KV power lines. A little sidebar. I do support "targeted spending" of taxpayer money on valid and justified public uses. The roughly $400,000 spent for the 2009 Rose Parade float project was not one expenditure that I could ever justify. Your budget reduction on Softscape maintenance needs to be explained. You and the city council set the 50% floor on reserves, not me. I did suggest paying off one of our Bonds where our current investments were upside down as compared to the Bond debt service. From watching recent council meetings I see that the city is discussing refinancing one of those high interest bonds. And I shall not engage you in setting what I believe is the correct reserves dollar figure. That's a council recommendation and I am not a member of that distinguished body. A little humor. Former Mayor Sharon Cody recently sent out an email blast accusing Larry Gilbert and his angry friends of several bogus charges including the following: Reduce funding for "maintenance for parks." Would you agree that her statement and my prior reply are in conflict? Looking forward to the "special election" campaign. It should be quite interesting. Regards, Larry My email reply to city manager Wilberg: “Dennis my opening was in response to your assumption that the Dispatch editor and I confer on how and what stories we plan to publish. Enough said on that issue.

As to pay me now rather than pay me later. Again you divert attention from the main issue of the story. Namely consideration of using $500,000 of Mission Viejo taxpayer money to refurbish former Mayor Robert Breton’s HOA slope as their association lacks the funds to match our adjacent curb appeal. If they lack funds they can and should initiate a “special assessment” on their members just as we were forced to consider when the proposal was floated to fund burying the 66KV power lines.

A little sidebar. I do support “targeted spending” of taxpayer money on valid and justified public uses. The roughly $400,000 spent for the 2009 Rose Parade float project was not one expenditure that I could ever justify.

Your budget reduction on Softscape maintenance needs to be explained.
You and the city council set the 50% floor on reserves, not me. I did suggest paying off one of our Bonds where our current investments were upside down as compared to the Bond debt service. From watching recent council meetings I see that the city is discussing refinancing one of those high interest bonds. And I shall not engage you in setting what I believe is the correct reserves dollar figure. That’s a council recommendation and I am not a member of that distinguished body.

A little humor. Former Mayor Sharon Cody recently sent out an email blast accusing Larry Gilbert and his angry friends of several bogus charges including the following: Reduce funding for “maintenance for parks.” Would you agree that her statement and my prior reply are in conflict?

Looking forward to the “special election” campaign. It should be quite interesting.
Regards,
Larry

]]> By: Larry Gilbert http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2009/11/mission-viejo-boasts-of-a-budget-surplus-while-cutting-infrastructure-maintenance/comment-page-1/#comment-111379 Larry Gilbert Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:47:09 +0000 http://orangejuiceblog.com/?p=32337#comment-111379 Latest response form city manager Wilberg: "Well that was certainly an odd response and missing any point. I know that you write for the Orange Juice Blog so that bit of info was not news. However, rather than continue the dialogue at this point, I will just conclude that your position is that you would prefer to spend more on infrastructure maintenance/rehab/upkeep etc. and have less than the 50 percent reserve level (I think that is what the Pay me now or pay me later auto mechanic reference implies)....A certainly valid and understandable position...just different from some I have read on Brad's Blog. Anyway, have a nice evening." Latest response form city manager Wilberg:
“Well that was certainly an odd response and missing any point. I know that you write for the Orange Juice Blog so that bit of info was not news. However, rather than continue the dialogue at this point, I will just conclude that your position is that you would prefer to spend more on infrastructure maintenance/rehab/upkeep etc. and have less than the 50 percent reserve level (I think that is what the Pay me now or pay me later auto mechanic reference implies)….A certainly valid and understandable position…just different from some I have read on Brad’s Blog.

Anyway, have a nice evening.”

]]> By: Larry Gilbert http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2009/11/mission-viejo-boasts-of-a-budget-surplus-while-cutting-infrastructure-maintenance/comment-page-1/#comment-111351 Larry Gilbert Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:45:48 +0000 http://orangejuiceblog.com/?p=32337#comment-111351 Email response from Mission Viejo city manager Dennis Wilberg: "So let's see... you are now advocating lowering the reserves and spending more on slope maintenance while your companion Blog continues to criticize City spending...I suggest the two of you get together on your stories ..." And my response to him: "Dennis. I write for the Orange Juice, a highly acknowledged county blog. While we include links to other blogs on our home page we do not have any companion blogs except for Santa Ana. I would also point out that every blog is independent and do not conjur up current and future articles. Let me share the auto mechanic's ad which simply stated "pay me now, or pay me later (when the deferred repair costs increase). I notice that you have no comment in your response about even considering the expenditure of $500,000 for upgrading the Mallorca slopes yet cut over twice that request from our citywide maintenance for similar infrastructure. Great example of your decision making. Regards, Larry" Email response from Mission Viejo city manager Dennis Wilberg:

“So let’s see… you are now advocating lowering the reserves and spending more on slope maintenance while your companion Blog continues to criticize City spending…I suggest the two of you get together on your stories …”

And my response to him:

“Dennis. I write for the Orange Juice, a highly acknowledged county blog. While we include links to other blogs on our home page we do not have any companion blogs except for Santa Ana. I would also point out that every blog is independent and do not conjur up current and future articles.

Let me share the auto mechanic’s ad which simply stated “pay me now, or pay me later (when the deferred repair costs increase).

I notice that you have no comment in your response about even considering the expenditure of $500,000 for upgrading the Mallorca slopes yet cut over twice that request from our citywide maintenance for similar infrastructure.

Great example of your decision making.

Regards,

Larry”

]]> By: No break for taxpayers http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2009/11/mission-viejo-boasts-of-a-budget-surplus-while-cutting-infrastructure-maintenance/comment-page-1/#comment-111344 No break for taxpayers Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:44:19 +0000 http://orangejuiceblog.com/?p=32337#comment-111344 I hope Mission Viejo city officials are having great fun, cranking up their spin machine. Taxpayers already get it when city slopes are deteriorating and street repairs are put off. It's not just an isolated neighborhood that is declining, the problems are citywide. I hope Mission Viejo city officials are having great fun, cranking up their spin machine.

Taxpayers already get it when city slopes are deteriorating and street repairs are put off. It’s not just an isolated neighborhood that is declining, the problems are citywide.

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