Wednesday, June 27, 2012

City Council Meeting July 3rd

The July 3rd City Council meeting agenda is available.  Click HERE to view!

Yes, that means a meeting on Monday as well as Tuesday!

July 3, 6:30PM, City Council Chambers, 303 W. Commonwealth Avenue


1. MAYOR PRO TEM / VICE CHAIR SELECTION
 The City Council / Successor Agency /  Public Financing Authority / Housing
 Authority selects a member to fill the Mayor Pro Tem / Vice Chair vacancy.
 Recommendation by the Office of the City Clerk:
 Pleasure of the City Council for appointment of Mayor Pro Tem / Vice Chair.

2.  WATER UTILITY COLLECTION OF IN-LIEU FRANCHISE FEE AND PROPERTY TAX CHARGE
 Consider reduction in current Water Utility  rates in regards to collection of the ten percent of gross water sales, which the City transferred to the general fund in-lieu of franchise fees and property taxes prior to May 1, 2012.  
 Recommendation by the Engineering Department:
 Pleasure of the Council; direct staff accordingly.

City Council Special Meeting Scheduled for July 2nd



1. DECLARATION OF JUNE 5, 2012 MUNICIPAL ELECTION RESULTS
The City of Fullerton held a Municipal Election on June 5, 2012 to consider the recall of three Members of the City Council and vote for replacement candidates should any of the recalls succeed. The Orange County Registrar of Voters has certified the results of the June 5, 2012 election.

Recommendation by the City Clerk’s Office: Adopt Resolution No. 2012-57.

RESOLUTION NO. 2012-57 – A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FULLERTON, CALIFORNIA, RECITING THE FACT OF THE SPECIAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION HELD ON JUNE 5, 2012, DECLARING THE RESULT AND SUCH MATTER AS REQUIRED BY LAW

ADJOURNMENT – The next special City Council / Successor Agency / Public Financing Authority / Housing Authority meeting is July 3, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber, 303 West Commonwealth Avenue, Fullerton, California. The next regular City Council / Successor Agency closed session meeting is July 17, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber, 303 West Commonwealth Avenue, Fullerton, California. The next regular City Council / Successor Agency / Public Financing Authority meeting is July 17, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber, 303 West Commonwealth Avenue, Fullerton, California.

Taking Office


"So when do you take office?"  That seems to be the big question on many people's minds.

It's needlessly convoluted so stay with me.

Thursday morning, June 28, at or about 9:00AM, a City Council meeting was to be held in the Council Chambers to accept the results of the recall election.  However, the City Manager reports that recalled council member Dick Jones backed out.  Mayor Quirk-Silva and Member Bruce Whitaker were willing to be there.

As of this morning, Mayor Quirk-Silva was planning on calling for a special meeting on Monday morning, July 2nd, at 9:00AM.  I have been told by City Manager Felz and City Attorney Jones that recalled council member Pat McKinley has promised to participate.  According to City Manager Felz, Mr. McKinley has planned to be out of town this week for perhaps several months.

Regardless of whether the July 2nd meeting occurs, I have been told that Mayor Quirk-Silva will have a meeting Tuesday night.  This would be a normal meeting but it had been canceled due to the July 4th celebration on the following day.  So, if Monday's meeting is canceled, perhaps Tuesday's meeting will result in the new council being able to act.

If Monday's and Tuesday's meetings fail to have a quorum and seat the new council, I have asked City Attorney Jones to take the matter before a judge on July 5th.  If that does not happen, I am preparing to take the matter before a judge on July 6th myself.

July 17 is tentatively scheduled to be the first regular City Council meeting though will be largely ceremonial including public ceremonial swearing in of the new members.  There may be an item or two that will be addressed but I don't know what those will be.

As we approach this tumultuous transition in Fullerton's governance, I reflect upon President George Washington's Farewell Address and the elegance with which he stepped down.  With quiet dignity and gentle words of wisdom, he stepped aside to allow someone else, John Adams, to preside over the United States.  It is too bad that some of the recalled council members appear to have neither dignity nor wisdom to do what is right.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Administration devoured more than half of redevelopment dollars in two cities


A big beef of redevelopment-haters was that those dollars went to pay city staffer salaries, rather than to truly battle blight.
And that beef may be valid in at least two Orange County cities — Placentia and Fullerton — where more than half of redevelopment dollars went to administration costs, according to a new report from the Orange County grand jury.
  • In Placentia, 67.8 percent of redevelopment dollars went to administration,
  • while in Fullerton, 55.5 percent of redevelopment dollars went to administration.

Greg Sebourn

The Beauty of a Storm

The Beauty of a Storm
Orange County, Ca.

My Grandma - A Eulogy

LET'S TALK ABOUT 1914 FOR A MOMENT.



FOR STARTERS, GRANDMA WAS BORN TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1914 IN HER FAMILY'S ATWOOD RANCH HOUSE.



IT IS WORTH NOTING THOSE ALSO BORN IN 1914:

JACK LALANNE

JOE DIMAGGIO

DANNY THOMAS



AND WHO DIED IN 1914:

JOHN MUIR, THE FAMOUS NATURALIST FOR WHICH NUMEROUS ROADS, PARKS, HOTELS, AND NATURE RESERVES ARE NAMED.



IT IS ALSO WORTH NOTING THAT IN 1914 WOODROW WILSON SIGNS MOTHER'S DAY PROCLAMATION AND BABE RUTH MAKES HIS MAJOR LEAGUE DEBUT WITH THE RED SOX. MOTHER'S DAY AND BASEBALL- TWO OF MY FAVORITES!! (PERHAPS HER NICKNAME "BABE" CAME FROM BABE RUTH???)



GRANDMA WAS BORN INTO A PERIOD OF TIME FILLED WITH TURMOIL. IN JUNE OF 1914 ARCHDUKE FRANZS FERDINAND WAS ASSASSINATED. WITHIN ONE MONTH WORLD WAR I RAGED ACROSS EUROPE. TWO DAYS AFTER HER BIRTH HOWEVER, GERMAN AND BRITISH TROOPS INTERRUPTED WWI TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS. (PERHAPS THEY PAUSE KNOWING THAT A GREAT WOMAN WAS BORNE) WORLD WAR I CONTINUED UNTIL THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES IN 1919.



ALTHOUGH SHE WAS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD, SHE SAW THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS CREATED AND THE 19TH AMENDMENT WAS APPROVED BY THE U.S. CONGRESS GUARANTEEING THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN TO VOTE.



SHE LIVED THROUGH MANY NOTABLE EVENTS. LIKE THE 1933 LONG BEACH EARTHQUAKE OR WHEN ATWOOD FLOODED ALONG WITH MOST OF ORANGE COUNTY IN 1938 AND THE FLOOD-WATERS CLAIMED MORE THAN 50 PEOPLE, 43 OF WHICH WERE FROM ATWOOD! ALL OF THIS DURING A TIME THAT WE READ ABOUT IN SCHOOL AND KNOWN AS "THE GREAT DEPRESSION". SOMEWHERE IN ALL OF THAT SHE FOUND THE LOVE OF HER LIFE, GRANDPA LEO, GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL, GOT MARRIED, AND HAD KIDS!



THEN THERE WAS WORLD WAR II. FROM PEARL HARBOR TO HIROSHIMA, GRANDMA WAS RAISING MY UNCLE BOB AND MOM ARLINE. WITH AIR-RAID SIRENS AND BLACKOUTS SHE WAS A WIFE AND MOTHER. WHAT A TIME TO RAISE CHILDREN! I BET GRANDMA'S PARENTS WERE ABEL TO TELL HER A THING OR TWO ABOUT RAISING KIDS IN WARTIME.



GRANDMA WAS THERE WHEN THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA HELD THEIR 3RD ANNUAL NATIONAL JAMBOREE IN 1953. SHE SAW AIRBASES OPEN IN '42 AND CLOSE IN '99. SHE WATCHED WALTER KNOTT START UP HIS BERRY FARM AND WALT DISNEY TURN ORANGE GROVES AND STRAWBERRY PATCHES INTO DISNEYLAND!



SHE SAW THE HORSE AND CARRIAGE FADE AWAY INTO HISTORY AND SPACE TRAVEL EXPLODE BEFORE HER WITH THE FIRST LUNAR LANDING. JUST IMAGINE HOW MUCH TECHNOLOGY HAS CHANGED OVER THE LAST 100 YEARS. FROM TUBE RECTIFIERS TO SUPERCONDUCTORS; FROM TRANS-ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH CABLES TO SATELLITE TV.



SHE SAW MORE IN HER 93 YEARS THAN MOST OF US WILL EVER READ ABOUT, LET ALONE LIVE THROUGH!



OF THOSE 93 YEARS IT IS MY HONOR TO HAVE BEEN HER GRANDSON FOR 35 OF THEM. SHE WAS MY MOTHER WHEN MOM HAD TO WORK. SHE WIPED MY NOSE AND PUT FOOD IN MY MOUTH. SHE LET ME PLAY WITH GRANDPA EVEN THOUGH SHE NEEDED HIM TO TAKE HER TO THE STORE. SHE WAS MY GRANDMA AND I WILL MISS HER IMMENSELY.



JUST LOOK AROUND THIS ROOM; SHE DID THIS. SHE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING SO MANY GOOD PEOPLE INTO THIS WORLD AND TOGETHER TODAY. THIS IS HER LEGACY.



A Dedication To My Loving Wife, Stacey. Thank you for all you do for me!

Brad Paisley - I Thought I Loved You Then


I remember trying not to stare the night that I first met you
You had me mesmerized
3 weeks later in the front porch light taking 45 min to kiss you goodnight
I hadn’t told you yet but I thought I loved you then

Chorus
Now you’re my whole life now you’re my whole world
I just can’t believe the way I feel about you girl
Like a river meets the sea
Stronger than it’s ever been
We’ve come so far since that day
And I thought I loved you then.

I remember taking you back to right where I first met you
You were so surprised
There were people around
But I didn’t care I got down on one knee right there
And once again I thought I loved you then

Chorus
Now you’re my whole life now you’re my whole world
I just can’t believe the way I feel about you girl
Like a river meets the sea
Stronger than it’s ever been
We’ve come so far since that day
And I thought I loved you then.

I can just see you with a baby on the way
I can just see you when your hair is turning gray
What I can’t see is how I’m ever gonna love you more
But I’ve said that before.

Now you’re my whole life now you’re my whole world
I just can’t believe the way I feel about you girl
Well look back some day at this moment that we’re in
And I'll look at you and say I thought I loved you then
And I thought I loved you then...