Topping this week’s actions in local government, members of the Anaheim City Council will discuss their controversial proposed lease terms for Angel Stadium, and Garden Grove Council is set to give police officers a pay raise to offset new pension payment requirements.
Amid an uproar from activists and reassurances from city leaders about a proposed new stadium lease with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the City Council is slated to again discuss the issue at its meeting Tuesday.
In a 4-1 vote earlier this month, the council approved a framework for negotiations that grants team owner Arte Moreno the land around the stadium for 66 years at $1 per year.
Many of the questions surrounding the deal center on a lack of publicly-available studies that show how much tax revenue the city would reap under the proposed deal.
A lease proposal on the table now would allow Moreno to use revenue from development of the property to finance up to $150 million in improvements for the stadium. More than 5,100 residential units, 3 million square feet for office space and 3 million square feet for commercial space could be built on the land.
Moreno also would be allowed to drop “Anaheim” from the team’s current name, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Also coming up on Tuesday, Garden Grove council members are set to give police officers a pay increase to compensate for higher pension contribution requirements under a new state law.
The state law, known as PEPRA, will require the officers to increase their pension payments from 9 percent of salary to 12 percent. The city is set to boost their salary by 3 percent in order for the officers to not bear that extra cost.
On top of that 3-percent increase, council members are set to approve another 4-percent salary raise for police officers, phased in over the next two years, and permit higher payouts for unused sick leave.
Overall, the changes are expected to cost taxpayers an extra $1.1 million per year.
And Santa Ana Unified School District board members are slated to appoint a new superintendent to succeed Thelma Meléndez de Santa Ana, who retired this summer after two years on the job.
Meléndez de Santa Ana has gone on to serve as the top education advisor to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.
In the meantime, Charles McCully, retired Fresno Unified School District superintendent, has served as interim superintendent at Santa Ana Unified.
The new superintendent’s name and the terms of his or her employment contract are not available in the district’s online meeting agenda.
Here’s a rundown of what’s up for debate this week across Orange County:
Monday, Sept. 23
Orange County Transportation Authority Board of Directors – 9 a.m.
- Status of the I-405 improvement project.
- Selecting consultants for the 91 freeway improvement project.
Cypress City Council – 7 p.m.
- Approving a 28,500 square-foot warehouse and distribution center at 10701 Holder St. beside homes.
- Deciding whether to overrule Public Works Director Douglas Dancs’ denial of a request for a new signage program at Cypress West Shopping Center.
Seal Beach City Council – 7 p.m.
- Adopting an urgency ordinance extending a ban on any new smoke shop, electronic cigarette retailer or drug paraphernalia retailer.
- Increasing City Manager Jill Ingram’s salary from $190,000 to $210,200 as well as adding $2,000 per year in city contributions to her deferred compensation plan.
Tuesday, Sept. 24
Anaheim City Council – 5 p.m.
- Discussing Angel Stadium lease terms.
- Canceling the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce contract to administer the city’s enterprise zone, which the state has eliminated by end of this year.
- Police department report on the impacts of state prison realignment.
- Mapping city council districts.
- An ordinance banning camping and storage of personal goods in public spaces.
Irvine City Council – 5 p.m.
- Replacing Councilman Jeffrey Lalloway on the Orange County Fire Authority Board of Directors because of his vote against a rebate plan for Irvine.
- An emergency ordinance banning batting cages in residential areas.
Orange City Council – 4:30 p.m.
- Increasing the top salary step for police captain from $167,160 to $177,470.
- Approving a letter of understanding with the City of Orange Police Association that will ultimately cost taxpayers an extra $530,000 per year.
- Considering unspecified changes to the City Council meeting schedule and format at the request of Mayor Pro Tem Mark Murphy.
- Removing a city ordinance requirement that sex offenders put signs on their front doors on Halloween stating “No candy or treats at this residence.”
San Clemente City Council – 4 p.m.
- Public hearing to the draft Centennial General Plan, draft environmental impact report, draft bicycle and pedestrian master plan and draft climate action plan.
Costa Mesa City Council Special Meeting – 9:30 a.m.
Closed Session
- Labor negotiations with the Costa Mesa City Employees Association.
Santa Ana Unified School District Board of Education – 6 p.m.
- Appointing of a new superintendent and approving his or her employment contract.
- Adopting a resolution for Path to Biliteracy and Seal of Biliteracy.
- Authorizing obtaining request for qualifications for land appraisal services for future district projects.
- Acknowledging the receipt of initial bargaining proposals for the district, Santa Ana Educators’ Association and California School Employees Association, Chapter 41.
- Adopting a textbook for high school Advanced Placement Human Geography.
Closed Session
- Discussing appointment of assistant director for food services, a high school assistant principal and an early childhood education coordinator.
- Discussing property negotiations regarding “Carlson Avenue, City of Irvine,” with unspecified negotiating party.
Garden Grove City Council – 6:30 p.m.
- Approving a 7-percent pay increase for Garden Grove police officers.
- Approving the recognized obligation payment schedule for redevelopment projects for the first half of 2014.
- Approving a $127,000-per-year graffiti abatement contract with Graffiti Protective Coatings, Inc.
Wednesday, Sept. 25
Rancho Santa Margarita City Council – 6 p.m.
- Approving a 3 percent increase to the city manager’s annual salary to a total amount of $192,610.
Adam Elmahrek and Brendan Wiles contributed to this report.
You can reach Nick Gerda at ngerda@gmail.com, and follow him on Twitter: @nicholasgerda.