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Mission Viejo Tennis Courts.
For the past few years there has been an effort by “special interests” to add a single tennis court to the existing seven found at the Marguerite Parkway complex at the main entrance to Casta del Sol. This complex is closed for several hours every weekday, and as covered previously, is not the only city owned courts in Mission Viejo that they are welcome to use.
This CIP has expanded from adding a court to new lighting, remodel of the existing clubhouse and additional parking with a starting cost of $3.7 million dollars.
According to city recreation center usage reports we have approximately 250 local residents using these courts.
While the city council has taken a lot of heat relating to this large expenditure during a devastating recession and when revenue is declining let me offer a solution.
Back in Oct 2004 a few thousand north Mission Viejo homeowners were forced to vote on a “special assessment.” This assessment related to our appeal to the honorable Kim Malcolm, Administrative Law Judge, CA PUC, to force SC Edison to bury new 66kV electrical lines and new towers by our homes due to our concern for exposure to electro-magnetic fields (EMF) if these lines were installed above ground.
Having lost that appeal on a 3-2 vote the city council offered us another way to achieve our objective.
Those living in the surrounding area, based on distance from the potential site, were sent an OFFICIAL ASSESSMENT BALLOT from the city. That ballot contained our Assessment Number, Assessor’s Parcel Number, Parcel Address and Benefit zone.
The ballot was rather simple. We were asked to impose an assessment on our homes of a few thousand dollars to “bury the lines.”
Yes, I am IN FAVOR of Assessment District No. 2004-1
No, I am OPPOSED to Assessment District No. 2004-1
My copy of that document was dated Oct 15, 2004. The vast majority voted no.
If team tennis and other users are so driven to spend over $3.5 million for their project, and whereas they are lesser in number than our NOPE members, my recommendation is for the city council to offer a similar opportunity to these members. Put your money where your mouth is or drop the project.
With 100,000 residents in Mission Viejo, many of whom do not play tennis, this is truly a “special interest” request that should be recognized as such and dealt with in the same compassion from city hall as we received.
While the city supported our initial appeal to Edison at the end of the day the ball was in our court and we punted. The same option should be extended to team tennis.
email from a local conservative Democrat who is more fiscally responsible than our current council majority
Larry:
A wonderful solution to the extravagant costs for the additional tennis court. Does Cathy and Rhonda agree with you and will they place this on the agenda to save some City expense.
The Tennis Club members express a sense of entitlement. They are entitled to using Mission Viejo taxpayer dollars to turn the Marguerite Tennis Center into a tennis resort. It is amazing that with four consecutive years of city deficit spending, proponents of a dog park in Mission Viejo think they are entitled to Mission Viejo taxpayer dollars used to built a million-dollar dog park for them.
It is that same sense of entitlement that produces trillions of dollars in federal debt and billions in state debt, and now millions in city debt already. Any future discretionary projects should be by assessment.
Tennis Club and dog park supporters say these facilities increase the value of their homes. Hooey. I live two blocks from the Felipe Tennis Center, which is lightly used. And you imagine you are selling your house and the Realtor suggests: “You house could be listed at $600,000 based in Mission Viejo values. But since we have a dog park now, let’s boost that up to $625,000.”
another email from a former OC mayor
Great proposal Larry…..unfortunately it has logic to it…..
According to this logic, residents would vote on every expenditure outside of police or fire. We would then have a pure democracy and not a republic. Given the continual reporting on the same subject, it sounds more like whining than public scrutiny. Keep the light shining on the local spending, just know when to move on.