Topping this week’s actions in local government, members of the Santa Ana City Council discuss the appointment of new City Manager David Cavazos, and Huntington Beach talks bicycles.
A special Santa Ana City Council meeting is set for Tuesday evening, when the recent appointment of Cavazos is up for discussion in closed session. Public comment will be taken beforehand.
Cavazos, whose contract takes effect Oct. 21, has raised eyebrows over his compensation package of more than $500,000 per year. He will also be receiving more than $130,000 in yearly pension payments from his recent retirement as Phoenix’s city manger.
Among his more controversial moves as Phoenix city manager, Cavazos proposed a food tax, which was passed on a 24-hour public notice, arguing that it was needed to avoid painful budget cuts, including layoffs of police officers.
Then within months of the food tax’s approval, Phoenix leaders granted employees nearly $29 million in promotions and raises. Cavazos also received a $78,000 pay raise while the food tax was still in place.
Others have praised his work in Phoenix, such as creating an efficiency task force they said has saved nearly $100 million annually through such initiatives as eliminating paper paychecks and rerouting waste water to cool the city’s power plant.
Also in Santa Ana on Tuesday, school board members are set to discuss appointing a new superintendent. Previous Superintendent Thelma Meléndez de Santa Ana’s retired after two years on the job.
And in Huntington Beach on Monday, the City Council will hold a study session on the draft bicycle master plan, which takes a comprehensive look at upgrading the city’s cycling infrastructure.
Members of the public are invited to comment on the plan before the council directs the city’s consultant to finalize it.
That council also plans to appoint new members to the city’s Children’s Needs Task Force, which exists to help ensure that “the needs of children will be included as a priority in all planning and policy decisions” by top city officials.
Here’s a rundown of agenda items this week across Orange County:
Monday, Aug. 19
Mission Viejo City Council — 6 p.m.
- Approving an ordinance allowing the city to charge for the cost of sending police multiple times to break up a loud or disruptive party.
- Instructing the city manager to consult with the City Council on the selection for a new chief of Police Services.
- Submitting a grant application to CalRecycle for $85,000 to create a mobile phone application directing residents to recycling locations.
Huntington Beach City Council Study Session — 4 p.m.
- Draft bicycle master plan.
Huntington Beach City Council — 6 p.m.
- Approving appointments and reappointments to the Children’s Needs Task Force.
- Awarding a $9.8-million construction contract to Vido Artukovich and Son Inc. and Vidmar Inc. for the Warner Avenue Gravity Sewer (WAGS) and Lift Station C replacement project.
Los Alamitos City Council — 6 p.m.
- Approving request for proposals (RFP) for video archive and meeting agenda management.
Rancho Santiago Community College District board of trustees — 4:30 p.m.
- Setting a Sept. 9 date for a public hearing on the 2013-2014 proposed budget.
- Appointing additional members to the Measure Q Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee responsible for up to $198 million in repairs and construction at Santa Ana College.
- Report from Chancellor Raúl Rodríguez and college presidents on accreditation.
- Approving a one-year extension to state and federal lobbying contract with Townsend Public Affairs for $72,000 plus expenses.
- Approving an agreement with the Sheraton Cerritos for the Los Angeles-Orange County Regional Consortia monthly meetings from September to December.
- Amending contract with 2000 Chapman Inc. for leasing additional classroom space.
Tuesday, Aug. 20
Orange County Board of Supervisors (revisions) — 9:30 a.m.
- Certifying that La Pata Avenue-Camino Del Rio extension project satisfies state environmental law and set contract bid opening for Oct. 23.
- Amending transitional home contract with New Alternatives to no longer require a master’s degree for its program supervisor.
- Approving contract with CalOptima to arrange and pay for behavioral health care services for Medi-Cal and Medicare beneficiaries.
- Authorizing the sale of $120 million in bonds for Garden Grove Unified School District stemming from June 2010 voter approval of up to $250 million in bonds.
- Selecting Reilly & Associates; Bickmore Risk Services; Scott & Whitehead; and Woodruff Spradlin & Smart to provide employment investigation services on an as-needed basis.
- Transferring ownership of a warehouse at the former El Toro military base from the homeless service provider Community Action Partnership of Orange County back to county government.
Closed Session
- Discussion of federal lawsuit by Deputy County Counsel Robert Ervais alleging that the county discriminates against military reserve members by passing them up for rightful promotions.
- Discussion of the lawsuit California Department of Finance, et al. v. Jan Grimes.
Anaheim City Council Study Session — 3 p.m.
- Quality rental housing program.
Anaheim City Council — 5 p.m.
- A letter of understanding with the city’s firefighters union to allow fire engineers to downgrade to firefighters and work overtime at the fire engineer pay level.
- A letter of understanding with the city’s general employees to change standards for determining seniority employment.
- An ordinance to simplify the permit process for certain businesses, modifying development standards on single family home sites and requiring conditional use permits for office-based auto sales agencies.
Santa Ana City Council Special Meeting — 5:30 p.m.
- Appointment and performance evaluation of city manager.
- Labor negotiations with the city’s general employees group.
Fullerton City Council — 6:30 p.m.
- Dissolving the city manager’s ad-hoc committee and creating the Economic Development Commission.
- Approving a contract for Grace Ministries International to lease the Hunt Branch Library at a rate of $1,500 per month for 18 months.
Laguna Beach City Council — 6 p.m.
- Rejecting a claim filed by Paula Lingelbach for $28,000.
Laguna Niguel City Council — 6 p.m.
- Receiving a report on 2013 midyear crime statistics.
Santa Ana Unified School District Board of Education Special Meeting — 4:30 p.m.
- Overview of the California Office of Reform Education (CORE).
Closed Session
- Discussion of employment of Chief of School Police Services David Valentin.
- Discussion of appointing a superintendent to succeed Thelma Meléndez de Santa Ana, who retired after two years on the job.
Irvine Unified School District Board of Education – 6:30 p.m.
- Closed session discussion of property negotiations with The Irvine Company over property at Portola Springs, Planning Area 6 – Tract 16780, Lot 32.
- Closed session performance evaluation of Superintendent Terry Walker.
- Approving extension and unspecified revisions to Superintendent Terry Walker’s employment contract.
- Changing board policy so that advisory votes by high school student representatives aren’t recorded in board meeting minutes and revising the number of student representatives.
- Suspending part of the board’s school size policy to allow increased capacity at Stonegate and Woodbury elementary schools until new schools can be constructed.
Lake Forest City Council — 7 p.m.
- Approving a zone change of commercial to residential to parts of the former Foothill Ranch Auto Center to allow for Brookfield Towne Center residential development.
- Approving zoning changes, general plan amendments and development permits to parts of the former Foothill Ranch Auto Center to Trumark Cos. to allow for the development of 72 single-family residences known as The Paseos at Foothill Ranch.
- Considering an appeal of the Planning Commission’s denial of liquor license to Muirlands Market, Deli, Wine & Spirits.
Fountain Valley City Council — 6 p.m.
- Consider changing the municipal code to have 5 p.m. closed sessions and study sessions be part of the regular council meeting.
- Consider a resolution implementing the provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, including determining employees who may be eligible for coverage because they work an average of 30 or more hours per week.
- Approve an action to modify bidding procedure to limit proposals from pilot vendors for a $6.2-million project to replace water meters and the meter reading system citywide.
- Consider proposed changes to the city’s standard public works agreement.
Placentia City Council — 5:30 p.m.
- Making appointments to fill vacancies on the Cultural Arts Commission, Financial Audit Oversight Committee, Heritage Festival Committee, Planning Commission, Recreation and Parks Commission, Traffic Safety Commission and Veterans Advisory Committee.
San Clemente City Council — 6 p.m.
- Approving a minimum $2,500-per-month lease with Surf N’ Turf Paradiso to develop a miniature golf course on one acre of city land at Vista Hermosa Sports Park.
Brea City Council Study Session — 5:45 p.m.
- 5:45 p.m. study session on Imperial Highway Greenbelt Improvement concept plans.
Brea City Council – 7 p.m.
- Approving an $18,000 contract with with Deloitte Consulting to create a preliminary plan to consolidate and share police dispatch operations with cities of Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra and Placentia.
La Habra City Council — 6:30 p.m.
- Approving a $24,500 cost-share contract with the city of Brea, which includes a 15% contingency for professional consulting services for a preliminary implementation plan to consolidate police dispatch operations.
La Palma City Council — 7 p.m.
- Study session on midyear review of 2013 City Council goals.
- Authorizing the recruitment and hiring of two senior recreation leaders and four recreation leaders.
Closed Session
- Performance evaluation of City Manager Ellen Volmert.
Wednesday, Aug. 21
Coast Community College District board of trustees — 6 p.m.
- Adopting a policy to prohibit salary and retirement spiking.
- Reviewing the board’s code of ethics for district trustees.
- Approving an education contract with the San Diego County district attorney for the specialized investigator basic course.
- Approving employment agreements for Golden West College deans of student life and enrollment management and interim dean of instruction.
- Authorizing the Orange County treasurer to close the Measure C bond program.
Closed Session
- Discussion of anticipated lawsuits involving construction delays at Golden West College and a dispute with the Puente Hills Habitat Preservation Authority.
Thursday, Aug. 22
Anaheim Union High School District board of trustees — 6 p.m.
- Directing staff on whether to change to a residency-based election system and expand the board from five to seven members.
- Approving various student organizations, including Raising Student Voice and Participation (Kennedy High School) and Vietnamese-American High School Alliance (Oxford Academy).
- Accepting a $10,000 grant from the Seeds of Change organization to support the Cypress High School Friendship Garden.
Closed Session
- Discussion of disciplining or firing an undisclosed district employee.
- Discussion of expected litigation about a “special education matter.”
Adam Elmahrek, Brendan Wiles and Thy Vo contributed to this report.
You can reach Nick Gerda at ngerda@gmail.com, and follow him on Twitter: @nicholasgerda.