• City Council Meeting: January 2020

An interesting meeting. One that I've described as being like Christmas from my standpoint. Many items I've been eager to see taken up, came together. I'll highlight those in the body of the blog.

TOP NEWS FROM THE MEETING

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• $750 awarded to two local non profits
• Temporary Sign Ordinance adopted
• Weed Abatement Program adopted
• $10,000 given to Santa Rosa Plateau for fire restoration
• "Keep It Clean Wildomar" program to address litter in town
• Continued Sidewalk on Mission Trail beginning in February lasting through April

The second order of business was a short presentation where $750 was awarded to SWAG ($500) and Friends of the Library ($250). The money was "won" in a drawing at a December luncheon put on by MHeT (Manufactured Housing Education Trust). 

L-R: Mayor Dustin Nigg, Marsha Swanson, Bridgette Moore, Ben Benoit, Joseph Morabito, Aaron Petroff (SWAG), Connie Nadar (Friends of the Library) and Ashlee DiPhillipo (SWAG).

The meeting started with the annual presentation of acknowledging the previous year's mayor, Marsha Swanson. Followed by a brief presentation by EVMWD where they discussed PFAS (Polyfluoroalkyl Substances). Chemicals that are measured by PPT (Parts Per Trillion).

I asked how long they stay in the environment, and was told that they are considered to be "forever chemicals".

To illustrate PPT, it was suggested that a 1 PPT would be equal to a single drop in a container the size of the Rose Bowl.

2.3 Zoning Ordinance Amendment (Signs) 

(58:00 mark of the video at the bottom of the blog)

Here's the background on this. Without being too self serving, sign blight in Wildomar has long been a bugaboo of mine. 

I pushed for this, and with the help of fellow councilmember Ben Benoit asking for a subcommittee in the middle of 2019, we were able to work with staff to come up with an ordinance that will give the city the proper tools to keep sign blight to a minimum.

If you're asking what do I mean by "sign blight" harken back to what the intersection at Inland Valley and Clinton Keith looked like a few short months ago.

These illegal banners at Inland Valley and Clinton Keith were removed in late 2019.

Our sister city to the north has a few areas that need attention, and this is what it looks like when one sign is allowed to stand. It invites many copycats (see before and after examples below).

As seen near the far entrance to Costco in LE January 2020.

According to Google maps, this is only 11 months earlier.

As seen near the far entrance to Costco in LE Cambern Ave, January 2020.

Signs are like rabbits. This was taken in February 2019.

Wildomar Rap policy update

I've learned a lot the first year on city council when it comes to posting blogs. We have a good group of council members and though we don't always agree, we respect our differences and move on once the item is over.

With that in mind, if I have a disagreement with a council member(s) during a city council meeting, I'll either not mention it in the blog, or I'll not name the council member. 

With the above established, though this was approved 5-0, one member of the council was initially on the fence, and suggested that such an ordinance wasn't very "business friendly". 

If you tend to share that POV, please go back and look at the photos above and tell me if allowing unregulated signs (especially in the public right of way) is something you want or not in Wildomar.

One reason why Wildomar doesn't look like the examples above is because I've personally removed far more signs than I can count (and believe me, I've done a lot of driving throughout SWRiVCo since being elected in 2018, and those are NOT the exception in many areas). 

Without naming specific retail locations, I bet you can think of a location or two where there is sign/banner blight... with so many signs or banners (many of which have long since faded and are torn) that you have no idea what's being advertised. 

The new ordinance will allow temporary banners for special promotions, up to four times a year. If you're interested in the nuts and bolts of the ordinance, please follow this link and jump down to page 529.

This won't take effect for several weeks, and our economic development department will reach out to the businesses that are currently in breach and explain the new rules.

Another key provision in this ordinance deals with developer signs. When the subcommittee first met, I didn't even know that these signs were illegal.

On the Clinton Keith southbound off ramp there were 6 such billboards, all advertising developments in other cities, that just took it upon themselves to put them up. As you drive on the freeway, or other major roadways that lead out of town, you'll see this pattern repeated over and over again... but not for much longer.

This is part of my "Christmas" description where a lot of good things for Wildomar came together at one time (yeah, my letter to Santa this year wasn't one he usually gets). 

3.1 Establish Speed Zones on Mission Trail, Palomar Street, Bundy Canyon Road, and Corydon Street

The point of this was to make it so that we can write speeding tickets. You may be thinking, "If it's a street in the city, and someone is going fast, just right a ticket... what's the big deal? Sheesh!!!" 

If you don't want to lose time and money by getting pulled over, then CHOOSE to travel at the speed limit and don't drive like a dolt.

Great, but we're talking about state rules, and logic doesn't always intersect with Sacramento's version of reality.

3.3 FY 2019-20 Mid-Year Budget Report

This was a big item because it came with nine "Decision Packages." Blue means it was adopted, Orange means it was tabled for now. None were rejected outright.

1) $10,000  Minor SFR Parking Code Update 

2) $75,000 Weed Abatement Program

3) $5,000  Santa Rosa Plateau - Fire restoration Fund 

4) $180,000  Fire Station 61 - New Driveway 

5) $20,000 Fire Station 61 - Septic System Repair/Replacement

6) $80,000 Fire Station 61 - Replace Gate and Fencing 

7) $43,000 City Clerk Department Enhancements 

8) $30,000 Speed Survey Package

9) $34,000 SWAG Enhancement

Here is my thinking on the various decision packages

1) Just like any other place of business, there are often things that are necessary but basically run in the background. This is one of those.

2) Weed abatement has been another of my pet issues. Last year was particularly bad. We had rains that caused a super bloom of poppies in Elsinore, and a super bloom of weeds everywhere else. 

We haven't had the proper mechanism in place to do what other cities routinely do... ticket properties that refuse to knock down their weeds, and if necessary, do the abatement and then bill them. This was Christmas present number two for me. 

3) This item went off the rails a couple of times, but ended up being approved... for double the original asking price.

As much as I really appreciate the Santa Rosa Plateau, I was not in favor of this. 

Once a year we are awarded federal money to distribute to local non profit agencies and last year we had a total of $17,000 (CDGB). But this wasn't CDBG money, it was general fund money.

2019's CDBG money was divided in half to two different groups. HOPE and Assistance League. HOPE aims to feed local people in need, and Assistance League clothes underprivileged school kids with their program "Operation School Bell".

For as terrific as nature education is, and it is —especially up in the Santa Rosa Plateau, I wasn't comfortable with giving them a portion of our tax dollars, even at the modest amount of $5000. 

Santa Rosa Plateau spokeswoman Ginger Grieves gave an impassioned plea for the funds. 

I asked if they've approached other public entities, like the school districts. It was almost like I was on Venus speaking in a distinct Martian dialect. No one seemed to get why I'd ask such a thing, and I was told that such a request would be "inappropriate".

Wildomar Rap opinion time

Obviously I'm still new to elected office, and I still haven't bought in that the school district is somehow better or different than city hall. It's still taxpayer money from the same taxpayers. 

How puzzling, in my opinion, that the city can be asked to dole out money to an entity that isn't even in the city (gateway to the plateau or not), but it would be viewed as "inappropriate" to ask a school district, that is funded by the same residents, and whose kids are the ones that get the lion's share of the benefits in the first place.

I hope I never get so used to the way government is run as to not at least question the above form of logic.

Ginger mentioned that she was approaching the other cities in the area, and also asking them for the same amount.

I asked for a clarification, if the larger cities, with far larger budgets, were being asked for the same figure of $5000. That was confirmed. 

I then asked what they were prepared to give to Wildomar in return. 

Seriously, you want $5000 from our general fund, I think we should have gotten something in return. 

I suggested free hiking for a month. I even suggested making it in August (arguably the hottest, least attractive time of year to hike), but I was told that they didn't control that part of the plateau. 

It was at this time that Mayor Nigg said, "I have my own thoughts with this. I've been contemplating this... and Joseph, I'm probably going to blow your mind right now [...] I'd like to actually increase the amount, from $5000 to $15,000." 

For about five seconds, I thought the Mayor might say, "Sorry, but no." Boy, did I get a wrong number on that one. ☺

You have to watch the video... at that moment I made the international motion of one's mind being blown.
Mayor Pro-Tem Moore suggested $10,000 instead of the Mayor's $15,000. I countered with $2,500 because we're a small city in both population and budget, but knew that I would be the odd man out, and acknowledged that on mic.

The Mayor came back with a quote from Sons of Anarchy, "I accept that."

Wildomar Rap opinion time

This is how government is supposed to go. Not everyone will agree and once an item is voted on, it's time to move on without rancor... especially if one finds themself on short end of the vote (me in this case).

Now if we could only get the higher levels of government to follow suit. (I'm shouting at you Sacramento and DC) 

For the record, I bumped into Ginger Grieves the next day and congratulated her on getting the money, and encouraged her to use the opportunity to guilt the other cities into emulating their little brother city's generosity. ☺

Here is the 15 minute video segment of the Santa Rosa agenda item.
4, 5 and 6) The driveway and the gate were tabled, but I have a feeling they'll be coming back in six months. I simply am not for those items the way they're packaged. 

The driveway is about water runoff after washing the vehicles and they were asked "a couple of times by city code enforcement to not wash the engines."

Thinking outside the box with Wildomar Rap 

What are they using to wash their vehicles with that would be harmful to the environment? I'm talking about in real terms.

It's our fire department and our public works/code enforcement so how about we tell the PW/CE peeps not to worry about them washing the vehicles and seek out other violators. It's not as if any of that runoff actually gets anywhere near the channel, nor is it toxic. 

Seems like a better option than tearing up a driveway that works, that gets NO traffic on it —yes, there is a 50,000 pound vehicle, but it travels at about 2 mph while on the driveway— and spending an estimated $180K to appease the authors of unrealistic legislation up in Sacramento.

When it came to the gate, with their increased staff size it's difficult for them to get all their staff's vehicles behind the gate. Okay, I get that.

So I suggested, that since we're Wildomar (rural and all that... especially where the fire station is) that they don't need an electronic gate. It was said the the mechanism is what is the bulk of the cost, and we know that such a thing will be costly over time with maintenance. 

I further suggested that they could easily operate the gate manually, which was greeted with snickers from one council member, "We're not asking the firefighters to do that."

I don't get it

We're talking about the most fit members of our community, and it seems reasonable to me to ask them to open and close a gate by hand in order to save the taxpayers many tens of thousands of dollars. I'm just weird that way. I'm fiscally conservative, in both rhetoric and practice.

Making sure the septic system is in proper working order is a no-brainer.

7, 8 and 9) Without the proper tools, the job can't be done. These items are needs and didn't require any debate.

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From the city manager's report we learned that the Mission Trail sidewalk construction in Sedco, phase 2, will begin in February and last through April depending on rain. 

Keep It Clean Wildomar was introduced, which the city will elaborate on soon. 

Last bit of info was a story related by the mayor that on the first day of our new medic squad's service, they delivered a baby on the freeway at night.

The action in the video below doesn't begin until about nine and a half minutes in.

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In normal situations we can rely on common sense to guide us, but what do we rely on in situations which involve forces we know nothing about?
– EG Marshall (CBSRMT)

Wildomar Rap has heard about these "normal situations" and is looking forward to encountering one at some point.

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