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Feb 1: YOUR reporting on tonight’s 2 Los Al Council Meetings
Filed Under 2010 Issues, City Council Meetings, Commission Meetings, Planning & Zoning, The Base
(2/1/2010, Los Alamitos): Once again it’s your turn to be the reporter on our City Council meetings. Tonight is interesting because it featurestwo separate meetings:
- At 5:30 the Council meets jointly with the Planning Commission to discuss ways the two bodies can “work together” on a variety of important issues, including the Medical Center specific plan, the Compass study of the Los Al & Katella corridors, & the Rossmoor Highland wall. Click here for Friday’s post with details. This could be a very interesting meeting. It will also be new Commissioner Wendy Grose’s first meeting. With the two other incumbants reappointed two weeks ago, Ms. Grose is effectively replacing former Commission Chair Art DeBold, who was dismissed by the Council in a 4 – 1 vote several months ago over his approach to expressing his concerns about the LAMC Specific Plan process.
- The 7 p.m. regular meeting appears to have a comparatively light agenda. Items include staff reports on the old L.A. Fitness location, where Council Member Edgar expressed his concerns about the lack of progress on the Melting Pot, which has been unable to obtain financing. It would appear this situation is just another illustration of the need to move more rapidly with a rezone of the Katella corridor to retail, rather than the current piecemeal approach. Click here for the 7 p.m. agenda, with links to all reports.
Another interesting item on the 7 p.m. agenda is a request by staff for authorization to complete a “Congressional Earmark Request” for permanent repairs which will be needed in about six years on the runway on the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base.
The City received notification last week that the California National Guard has budgeted $1.5 million to provide for interim repairs on runway 4R-22L located at the Joint Forces Training Base (JFTB). It is anticipated that the repairs, once completed, will allow the JFTB to utilize the runway normally for approximately seven years.
Accordingly, it will be necessary for the JFTB to request additional funding to effect a reconstruction and permanent repair of the runway. Previously, the City Council has stated that it supports fully the military mission on the JFTB and that it would assist the JFTB in any manner it could to obtain necessary funding for the reconstruction of runway 4R-22L.
Toward that end, it is recommended that the City Council authorize staff to complete the Congressional Earmark Request Form and formally request on behalf of the JFTB the funding necessary for the reconstruction and refurbishment of the runway.
It’s interesting that this was placed on the consent calendar–hopefully someone will pull it for some discussion. After issues like the recycling and sheriff’s helicopter fiascoes, it seems like it may be about time for community consideration of the relative pros and cons of the base. I’m not sure of an urgent need to begin the dreaded earmark process on a runway that’s about to undergo a seven year fix.
Your help needed
The 7 p.m. meeting will be on Los Al TV3, but apparently not the 5:30 joint meeting. If any readers have a chance to attend either meetings, your reporting on the actions taken and your impressions would be deeply appreciated. Just use the comment section below to tell us what you observed.
The same goes for the 7 p.m. meeting, whether you were there in person, saw it on TV, or even recorded it and watched it later.
After all, it is our community, and we all benefit from multiple perspectives.
Comments
5 Responses to “Feb 1: YOUR reporting on tonight’s 2 Los Al Council Meetings”
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The meeting was attended by all city council and planning commissioners members except Dean Zarkos.
At the beginning there was much dancing around the elephant in the room because one council member kept talking about the need for all to be on “the same page”.
Finally Mejia said she did not want to give the impression to the PC members that she was going along with that idea. She expressed interest in what the PC has to think/say about all issues brought before them.
Her comment opened it up for other PC members to agree and say they were not there to just “go along”
The discussion then came back to the council who all said they did not want a “rubber stamp” commission.
Glad they got that out of the way…..Now on to a better Los Alamitos.
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
X3
CC/PC–
Thanks for the update on the 5:30 meeting. Anybody catch the 7:00 meeting? Any news on that one? I haven’t found a Register article on it yet.
Remember, important Planning Commission meeting this coming Monday, 7 p.m. including a public hearing on the proposals to straighten out the Coyote Creek/County Line borders.
Also big meeting coming next Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 3 p.m. where the Medical Center is supposed to unveil their 20 year expansion plans. Details to follow–if you’ve got info (like location or links) please let us know.
LAMC meeting is at the hospital at 3751 Katella ave. Los Alamitos. Second floor conference room off the main lobby. Call 562 799.3200 for more information