• City Council Meeting August 2016

The meeting started with an update from city attorney Thomas Jex regarding the Walmart case. Though the case had been thrown out of court, there was a 60 day period in which the plaintiff could appeal. On the final day of that, such an appeal was lodged. The city council voted unanimously to defend it.

There were a few presentations

Tina Roney (in red) was awarded a five year pin. Next to her is Mayor Bridgette Moore, Finance Director James Riley, and (pointing) is City Clerk Debbie Lee.

Pam Garlich, of Garlich Family Daycare, was recognized for an NAFCC award she received.
Click this link to read the blog covering it.

There was a school bond presentation by Dr. Doug Kimberly of LEUSD. He talked glowingly of a general obligation bond measure of $105,000,000 that will cost people $19 per $100,000 of assessed home value. With a claimed average of under $50 a year.

We're going to have to delve deeper into this one at a later date. I know that I'll be voting no on it.

Public Comments (non agenda items)
• Dustin Nigg, city council candidate (from district 2), introduced himself. 
(See video below)


• Miss Miller spoke about dirt sidewalks, lamented that we only have three months to know who is running for city council, banning plastic bags and prop 64 (recreational use of marijuana).
• Kenny Mayes spoke of his unfilled public records requests for Measure Z parcel tax annual revenue levy report. 
• Steven Goff (sp?) new resident (2014) mentioned wanting more police, speed limit signs in his neighborhood (Andalusia II), and the lack of street sweeping in Wildomar, where in his old city, La Quinta, "they do it weekly."

Council Communications
During this portion of the meeting, councilmember Bob Cashman discussed his future after his term on the council is over. See video for his full remarks.


2.1 Zoning Ordinance Amendment — Micro-Breweries
This was tabled, over the objections of Mayor Pro-Tem Tim Walker, due to a last minute document dump. This time an email was received after the meeting started at 6:41pm, from Martha Bridges, John Burkett, and Gerard Ste. Marie. The written letter is 5 pages with 399 pages of attachments.  

Ste. Marie spoke during public comments, summarizing what was in the letter. It was filled with the same poor reasoning that the trio has become infamous for. 

I've uploaded the video of his comments so you can get a load of what continually attempts to impede the progress of Wildomar. Judge for yourselves if this group is speaking for you or not.

link to blog where planning commission discussed micro-breweries

City Attorney, Thomas Jex 

We received this letter, you've received a copy of it, I haven't had a chance to fully read through all of the details of the letter. I would like a chance to do that and advise you on some of these issues, especially the CEQA issues. 

My recommendation would be to give my office a chance to review the letter, review the details, come back to you at the next meeting and provide some advice to you on the city's possible liability, possible exposure, before moving forward. 

Just understand this, the city attorney doesn't work pro bono for Wildomar. I don't know how or what they charge to read a five page letter, with 399 pages of attachments, but I'm guessing it's not going to be less than an hour's worth of time, and we all know that law firms charge out the wazoo for their time. 

So if you ever encounter one of these "activists" and they claim they cost the city nothing, you know that is a poorly disguised lie.

Councilmember Marsha Swanson

Won't [EVMWD] have to give a will serve letter to whoever wants to have a brewery, that there is enough water and enough sewer [capacity], isn't it going to be up to them? It doesn't mean everyone of these properties can be a micro-brewery. They're going to have to have sewer, and they're going to have to have water, and they're going to have to have a will serve letter.

Click link to read what an EVMWD Will Serve Letter is.

Mayor Pro-Tem Tim Walker

I'd like to know how many other cities have been going through this right now. How many other cities have been threatened with lawsuits, and all this kind of nonsense, [over] breweries. Because I see breweries going up all around us. I don't see any opposition to those. I haven't seen it anywhere.  

I understand —we get this thing (the letter), it's always at the last second. It's always this way, the same group. It doesn't change. Nothing's changed here. If you want to let Tom [Jex], and the firm, "look at it" (the letter), that's alright, we'll do that. I'm just letting you know, this will never end. It's just nonsense and it keeps going on forever... it's just frustrating... it's the same old battle. 

With council comments finished, they voted 5-0 to table the discussion to a date uncertain.

2.2 Zoning Ordinance Amendment — LED Signs
This was on the agenda of the July planning commission meeting. 

Click this link for July PC blog

At that meeting, the planning commission, then with only three members, voted 2-1 to NOT recommend the city council approve the amendment.

I'm not sure what they were thinking, but was glad to see the city council overrule them with a 5-0 vote. 

What it means is that the new Wildomar Square, which is set to open in the second quarter of 2017, will be able to have a portion of their freeway sign be an LED panel.

There are many restrictions that go along with it, and the developer, David Hornstein, seemed more than willing to accommodate the desires of the community, to keep it as a benefit to Wildomar in addition to the eventual tenants there.

☺

It was established that the LED panel would also include community messages. Be they notifications for park events like the city's birthday bash, or even things like the El Niño sandbag event.

Now if you look at that sample sign you'll notice several well known franchises on it. I asked Mr. Hornstein if those were done deals, if a Dunkin' Donuts was coming to Wildomar, and he wasn't ready to confirm any of the businesses at this time.

He likes to keep that info close to the vest and is hoping to make some announcements in the next 30 to 45 days. 

If I were a betting man, I'd be taking my nest egg down to Harrah's, considering it's not common practice to use specific franchises as examples when they aren't already inked, and letting it ride. We'll find out sometime in Fall.

Towards the end of the meeting, Mayor Bridgette Moore thanked Bob Cashman for his many years of service to the community. Check the short video to see how it went and the joke about Stewart Moore "still cursing Bob" for convincing Bridgette to run for council in the first place.

One of the last things mentioned in the meeting was an election update. In addition to the announcement that Bob Cashman isn't seeking a third term, no one has even made inquiries into challenging Bridgette Moore in district 4.

Hmmm... who'd a saw that one coming? ☺

In district 2, two more people pulled papers the morning of the council meeting, but they did not want their names released at that time.

Run that by me again. 

Two people, that think they want to represent the people of Wildomar, don't want to have their names publicized? 

Is this a joke? 

In my book, the fact that they've waited this long to pick up papers would make me look at them askance. 

I've only known of Dustin Nigg for the past six weeks or so, but he showed his eagerness by arranging to have the first available meeting to pick up his papers, and turned them in within a matter of days. Then at the next council meeting (this one) he formally introduced himself during the public comment part of the meeting.

Maybe it's nothing but I like seeing alacrity in a candidate, and I find it off putting when people are showing a perfunctory effort when the job they're applying for is one of a serious nature.

•          •          •

I do not know what I may appear to the world; but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.

—Sir Isaac Newton, 1643-1727

Wildomar Rap generally throws smooth pebbles into the ocean, seeing how many times they'll skip across the surface.