This is a busy week. On Monday night the Parade Committee is having their first meeting of the year. Click here for more information on what the Parade Committee does. The meeting starts at 6 pm and there’s usually some good food to eat while the Committee works. New members are always welcome. It’s great fun and results in a great July 4th Parade.
On Tuesday night the City Council meets at 7 pm.
Wednesday is the deadline for submitting applications for the vacant Planning Commission position. If you haven’t already submitted yours, you’ll need to get it in to the City Clerk by 6 pm. See my previous article for more information.
Find out what's happening in Lake Forestwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Turning to the Council agenda, here are the items that stand out –
Find out what's happening in Lake Forestwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
I-5 WIDENING (Item #2)
This change is going to impact everyone, so here’s your chance to see what’s being planned by OCTA to widen the 5 Freeway between Route 73 and El Toro Rd. Construction is expected to begin in 2018 and right now they are in the environmental stage.
RECURRING AGENDA ITEMS (#14)
We discussed this issue at length a few weeks ago when it was scheduled for the Jan 21 Council meeting. Click here for more information. Because the Council was unable to reach a decision on this item at the last meeting, it has been carried over. In 2013, under the unsteady hand of Mayor Voigts, the Council stumbled its way through the agenda and carried over a dozen items, most of which still haven’t been resolved to this date (see my comments on "The Voigts Void" later in this article). Mayor Robinson started off his first meeting in good fashion, but here we are already starting to postpone/continue items and not a single item from the Voigt’s Void has been dealt with yet. I’m starting to get the bad feeling that Robinson’s reign may resemble Voigts’, which doesn’t bode well for accomplishing much in 2014.
BTW – since I’ve been critical of so many City generated reports, it seems only right to praise the report for this agenda item. It is short, sweet, and concise, and the accompanying chart is very helpful. Kudos to Debra Rose.
THE “VOIGTS VOID”
Here is the list of important items that came up in 2013, did not get resolved, and are still waiting to see the light of day in 2014.
Creating a SENIOR CENTER not merely a shared room where seniors play bingo.
Building a DOG PARK for the 9000+ dog owners.
PROTECTING LAKE FOREST from the dangerous prisoners who escape from Musick Jail.
Activating the LAKE FOREST COMMUNITY FOUNDATION so we can help our citizens in so many different ways.
Increasing the SPENDING IN LAKE FOREST on our own people and businesses, which was less than 2% last time I looked.
Establishing the TRAFFIC COMMITTEE as they promised.
Cleaning up the problems at VILLAGE POND PARK as they promised.
Offering our citizens REAL TERM LIMITS not the bogus 24 out of 26 years they came up with.
Coming up with an alternative to BBK & OOPS
Moving even further with WEBSITE TRANSPARENCY
Endorsing the concept of the SUNSHINE ORDINANCE
Deciding on the PCN REVISIONS
Finding a place for the COMMUNITY GARDEN
We’ll continue to track the Voigts Void in the hope that someone on the Council has enough self-esteem to be embarrassed by the fact that so many important items remain unsolved and unaddressed.
Tomorrow we'll discuss Item 13 which is about traffic management.
