Jun
12
Los Al Council urged to seek “full partner” status in Base planning
Filed Under 2009 Issues, City Council Meetings, The Base
City Manager Stewart doing his homework at the Base
(6/12/09, Los Alamitos) There’s several interesting intems on this Monday’s regular Los Alamitos City Council meeting (6/15/09). We’ll get to the full agenda and some other items of note tomorrow.
Today, however, let’s note an interesting letter that our new City Manager Jeff Stewart is suggesting Mayor Edgar send on behalf of the Council to outgoing Base Commander General James P. Combs.
What I find especially noteworthy about the suggested letter is that in itCity Manager Stewart recognizes a pattern that’s troubled me for many years:
To date, we seem to be relegated to “reacting” to programs incrementally during their planning stages and inception rather than participate as a stakeholding entity with a significant interest in the future of the JFTB – and, more specifically, the enhanced non-military use of the JFTB.
Advertisement:
From that observation, I’d have to say Mr. Stewart’s off to an excellent start at identifying a major challenge in our community and an ongoing problem with our City Council for decades–a tendancy to move in reaction to something else rather than to proactively move forward on behalf of the city.
In the proposed letter, the city requests to be a full partner in the planning processs from the beginning:
We are writing to seek your assistance in becoming a full partner in a master planning process that seeks to ensure the strategic viability of the JFTB while ensuring that the Base is not developed in a manner that may prove detrimental to the cities surrounding the Base. To date, we seem to be relegated to “reacting” to programs incrementally during their planning stages and inception rather than participate as a stakeholding entity with a significant interest in the future of the JFTB – and, more specifically, the enhanced non-military use of the JFTB.
Well said! Hopefully this will be the start of a multi-pronged new proactive approach to our city’s future. Based on what we’ve seen from Gen Combs and the proactivity we’re witnessing from Mr. Stewart, I believe they can set in motion a synergistic new partnership that can benefit both the Base and our community.
My only criticism of the letter so far is the lack of a real “close,” or plan of action. I’d add a request for the General to meet in the next week or two with either the City Manager or an ad hoc Committee including the City manager, one or two Council Members (I’d suggest Mayor Edgar and Council Member Mejia), and a few key residents (I’d probably include Dean Grose and Jody Schloss) to develop planning options to bring back to the Council and the incoming Base leadership. As a minimum, Council could ask staff to meet with the General to develop options for the Council to consider at their next regular meeting.
The time for action is now. Hopefully the Council will not just approve the letter but also give our City Manager a green light to move forward quickly to design specific plans during the three short weeks before Gen. Combs retires.
Advertisement:
At the same time, this reiterates my concern that the Council ask staff to explore options for including money in the 09-10 budget for professional consulting regarding including both the Base and Rossmoor in the city’s General Plan, and reviewing the entire Plan for ways to increase future sales tax revenue, including potential retail overlays such as the one proposed by the Planning Commission for the Katella corridor.
I’m sure there will be some interesting discussion of this letter at Monday night’s Council meeting.
Here’s the complete text of the proposed letter.
June 15, 2009
James P. Combs
Brigadier General, USAR(R)
4522 Saratoga Avenue, Building 15
Los Alamitos, CA 90720Re: Request for Information Regarding the Joint Forces Training Base (JFTB) Composting Program
Dear General Combs:
During the informative tour you conducted on May 26th, it was clear that the composting program now underway at the JFTB was both innovative and a work in progress. Toward that end, my colleagues on the City Council and I had read recently in the Orange County Register that the JFTB intends to adjust its plans for truck routes so that they do not include Lampson Avenue with regard to the current composting pilot program. Accordingly, I am writing to respectfully request additional information and to state the City of Los Alamitos’ concern about alternate routes to Lampson Avenue.
Over the years, we have genuinely appreciated your openness about issues, and we remain committed to the ongoing viability of the JFTB as a functioning military facility. However, we are becoming concerned with the enhanced non-military usage of JFTB land which may result in unintended deleterious impacts on the quality of life for Los Alamitos residents. For example, moving truck traffic off of Lampson Avenue will likely result in the trucks carrying compost material entering and exiting the JFTB through the Lexington Avenue gate exclusively – at least in the short term. Obviously, that was not the goal at the outset of the project, but the change in traffic management would affect the sixteen single family and five multi-family residences along Lexington Avenue. In addition, the change would create additional truck traffic on Katella Avenue. Frankly, we believe sincerely that such impacts are unintended. But, we also believe that this could have been planned for and mitigated from the outset with a thorough planning process that adhered strictly to NEPA and CEQA guidelines.
The recent information regarding the change in truck traffic patterns also brings rise to a seeming sense of improvisation with regard to the manner in which the composting project is being undertaken. Given that the utilization of Lampson was a significant part of the composting project, the sudden course correction that Lampson will not be used is simply not consistent with solid advance planning. That coupled with our ongoing concerns with some of the findings stated in the “Final Sustainability Analysis Report for the Joint Forces Training Base” dated December 2007, raises the specter of incremental non-military development of the Base that may have many more unintended consequences in the future. In short, we are concerned that the cumulative effect of multiple projects may impact our community negatively in the years to come.
Accordingly, we are writing to seek your assistance in becoming a full partner in a master planning process that seeks to ensure the strategic viability of the JFTB while ensuring that the Base is not developed in a manner that may prove detrimental to the cities surrounding the Base. To date, we seem to be relegated to “reacting” to programs incrementally during their planning stages and inception rather than participate as a stakeholding entity with a significant interest in the future of the JFTB – and, more specifically, the enhanced non-military use of the JFTB.
We believe that the time is right to talk about a genuine plan that outlines specific goals and pre-approved types of uses with regard to the non-military development of the JFTB that will meet the needs of the surrounding communities in the years to come. Over the years, we have certainly developed the relationships and social infrastructure to have that type of meaningful discussion, and we look forward to working with you and your successors on a solution that represents the work of a true partnership.
We appreciate your time and consideration of this letter. As always, please feel free to give me a call if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
CITY OF LOS ALAMITOS
Troy D. Edgar
Mayorcc: John Moorlach, County Supervisor – 2nd District
Jim Silva, State Assemblyman – 67th District
Tom Harman, Senator – 35th District
Ed Royce, Congressman – 40th District
Dana Rohrabacher, Congressman – 46th District
Bill Wade, Major General, Adjunct General – California National Guard
As always, your thoughts and comments are strongly encouraged.
Comments
13 Responses to “Los Al Council urged to seek “full partner” status in Base planning”
Leave a Reply
Your suggestion to place former Mayor Dean Grose on any ad hoc committee associated with the base is puzzling. He has and evidently still is representing the City on the Military Affairs Board. He and Seal Beach Councilman Miller attended meetings since the conception and inception of the composting program. Neither of these Council members informed those citizens most affected let alone their respective city councils of what Gen. Combs was proposing.
So each city council and Gen Combs is left reacting to the emotional unsubstantiated outrage of a few vocal citizens who won’t even allow a brief, controlled, pilot program of the proposed composting.
All of this because these two elected officials failed to communicate and take the proactive role you are proposing.
The letter is a good start, but please don’t suggest participation by a disgraced, obviously out of touch, racially insensitive former mayor.
Miller is not far behind Grose. The disservice he has done to his own constituents first by failing to report out and keep them informed, second by failing to keep his city council informed, and third by grossly exaggerating and misrepresenting the supposed negative impacts on CPE, should anger the residents of CPE.
The issue isn’t truck traffic. It is the residents of CPE not being informed early in the process when the composting project and its location was being discussed in the presence of Mr. Miller and his failure to communicate.
When he finally does communicate it is by an inflammatory “CYA” flyer blaming everyone but himself and attacking the character and motives of the General.
The whole purpose of a pilot program is to see if the project works. That includes traffic, noise and other impacts. To react emotionally to problem that may or may not exist benefits no one. To those who thought the composting would emit odors and did not take the time to visit the site (the two ladies in the front row peppering the General rudely with their questions)made fools of themselves. Odor was one of my concerns and it was dispelled with the facts ie. a visit to the compost heap.
The same concern of traffic impact will either be dispelled or confirmed by the TEMPORARY PILOT PROGRAM.
But then lets not let fact get in the way of an emotional unsubstantiated outrage. It gets you out of the house and away from the kids or spouse to attend an otherwise boring council meeting.
Just speculating here, but Dean Grose didn’t mention anything because Briggeman might have been in the running still to be a part of this composting program on the base.
Disgraced and Dishonorable Grose was too busy politicing instead of representing the people of Los Al.
Los Al…you get what you vote for…and who EDGAR AND BRIGGEMAN WANT…Ha ha!
I’m sure Ken Stephens and Dean Zarkos are exactly what the people wanted.
I’m sure Chuck Sylvia (Edgar et al.) will be spending more money on a pretty new flyer to let all of you know exactly what you should think.
Our most trusted voice sure has her pulse on the city and is well informed…Don’t worry, she will still be ready to be the Queen of Los Al’s 50th.
BTW-No Helicopters from the LA Sheriff’s Dept. on Fred Freeman, Ken Parker and Cat D. watch…But Dean Grose, Troy Edgar and our most trusted can’t even tell us that we might have a few extra trucks on our street.
Rememeber last year when two council members asked about the recycling center at the base…Yeah, that’s right…it was Cat and Gerri and Dave Rudat said it was nothing just an idea and nothing was really happening. I guess that wasn’t quite the truth and it looks like Dean Grose knew all along.
I wonder why the General didn’t accept Briggeman’s proposal? I don’t think that was part of the master plan.
I see chuck was right on top of this too with his CPLA/LATA Group.
Don’t worry Los Al..this won’t be the last crap we get handed. We still have 3 1/2 more years of POE and Stephens and Edgar and Zarkos will keep running next year. I doubt Mejia will run after the smear of last year and how successful it was.
Dave,
Are you kidding? What makes you think no other council or members have ever actively been involved with the base and it’s future planning.
In the last six years the relationship between the city and the base has changed considerably and now, yet again, we are getting a new commander.
We’ll see how he reacts to our community and it’s needs.
Hope the baseball fields stay!
“To Dave,”
All I’m doing is applauding the current proactive stance. Most of my memories of the past 20 years have been of the Council reacting to a Base plan (like the L.A. County Sheriff’s helicopter base) rather than being partners from the inception.
If past Councils have been so proactive, why has no General Plan Overlay ever been adopted for the Base? That seems like step one in being proactive to me.
The only proactive stances I can think of are on more minor matters like the Pool on the Base or the Theatre, and the Pool’s been a money loser from day one.
Mr. Green Jeans,
I included both Mr. Grose and Ms. Schloss for two reasons:
1. Both have been involved in Base issues and have a lot of history.
2. They represent different sides on many city issues, and I think all major points of view need to be represented to achieve both the most inclusive and the best solutions. (That’s also why I suggested the Mayor and Council Member Mejia.)
Not saying they’re the best choices, just examples of the type of choices that might be made.
Many voices is what this project needs, and I agree with Dave on this one. If you didn’t have debate on this, then how could this project move forward and be done the way it benefits all? Just because someone doesn’t see your point of view doesn’t mean their voice should not be heard. That’s the whole point in a fair “plan” for all.
For that matter, how can anything be done without the very people who are versed in this project from the get go? All I see here is finger pointing and no real input.
If we are to move ahead properly on this project, shouldn’t we just accept the fact that together we are strong, but separate we are weak? That’s a team mentality, and perhaps it should be the motto from this moment on.
I don’t think that Dean Grose should still be the chairman of the RMAC. That is a federal installation and the Commander in Chief is…. guess who? Grose should have been asked to step down; he could still attend the meetings as a resident.
I don’t think he has the proper judgment to sit on any committee between the JFTB and the city. There are residents who still support him, but I also question their judgment. It is their business if they want to have a friendly relationship with him. However, they should not be trying to elevate his status in the community. He is tainted and has tainted Los Alamitos.
There are several vulgar and racially insensitive emails floating around the city from Grose to other “outstanding community members”. They are all public and can be obtained through the Freedom of Information Act by a records request at city hall. If you are still on the fence about his judgment, make a request.
Dave: Dean Grose representing us? Have you been in the sun too long? I believe he has done enough.
Richard & “To Dave,”
I suggested Dean Grose both because of his lengthy involvement with the Base and because he still represents a significant block of our Community. He did resign both as Mayor and from the Council, and has hopefully learned some important lessons about sensitivity. I don’t think he should lead the ad hoc committee I suggested, just thought he might be a good person to involve in this particular issue. I was not addressing his leadership on the RMAC, which is a separate issue.
The important thing to me is that there be additional followup to the letter with specific plans that Gen. Combs can help implement, and that any ad hoc group include citizens representing all major viewpoints. As Enea pointed out, the key is teamwork. Just like the 2009 Lakers, we need to learn how to unite and work together for our common good. If our “superstars” don’t involve the whole team, we’ll end up embarrassed, like the 2008 Lakers.
I would not be in favor of Grose to sit on any city/JFTB ad hoc committee. It is out of the question. He is done as a rep for the city.
His lack of judgement sealed the deal for him. As time goes by there will be more info on his judgement.
The city would be in charge of putting reps on the ad hoc. Grose has NO say in any thing that goes on at city hall.
He has a right to call, show up and speak at a CC meetting, write letters or emails, but His opinion will not be respected.
Dave, I know you always like to look on the bright side for Los Alamitos and are known as a peacemaker, but I think you show let this one go.
People may forgive, but there are not likey to forget.
Dave, I understand that there are residents who think the email encident was not handled peoperly. Below is a story about a non elected person who was asked to resign for the same email.
The GOV. of NC returned the $5,000 donation he had made to the campaign. I think any donations made to any CA elected officals should be thinking about returning the donations Grose has made to their campaigns.
newsobserver.com:
ABC head resigns over racist email
Submitted by ryanteaguebeckwith on May 5, 2009 – 4:41pm.
Gov. Beverly Perdue asked for — and received — the resignation of N.C. Alcoholic Beverage Commission Chairman Doug Fox today, just hours after newspapers provided Perdue’s office with a copy of a racist photo illustration sent from Fox’s e-mail address following last November’s election.
The e-mail included an altered photo of the White House that turned the South Lawn into an enormous watermelon patch. The phrase, “There goes the neighborhood…” was printed above the photo, Mark Johnson reports.
The e-mail was sent from Fox’s law firm address on Nov. 14, ten days after Barack Obama was elected president. The message, which had been forwarded multiple times by others before reaching Fox, contained no text other than a subject line: “how true.”
Fox made no mention of the e-mail in his resignation letter, instead suggesting that he was leaving voluntarily.
“I believe it is time to surrender the helm to someone new,” Fox wrote.
But Perdue indicated in a statement today that the resignation was linked to the e-mail.
“I have accepted Doug Fox’s letter of resignation,” Perdue said. “Emails and images of this nature are offensive and unacceptable.”
Fox, who was paid $110,000 last year, offered to stay on and help his successor settle in. Perdue declined.
“The resignation will be effective immediately,” said David Kochman, Perdue’s communications director.
The News & Observer and Charlotte Observer contacted Fox last Thursday through the ABC Commission staff and e-mailed him at his law firm on Monday seeking comment. He did not respond. Fox also has served for the last year as president of the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association, which represents the 19 states with government-run liquor sales.
On Tuesday morning, the newspapers showed the e-mail to Perdue’s staff and asked for comment.
The lobbyist who received the e-mail from Fox, Bill Hester, refused to speak with the newspapers when contacted by phone and e-mail. He represents Southern Wine & Spirits, a major liquor distributor.
Copies of the image have been bouncing around e-mail boxes across the country for months. The mayor of a small southern California city, Los Alamitos, resigned in February amid criticism for sending the same watermelon patch photo.
Fox was appointed by then-Gov. Mike Easley in 2004. He is the state’s top liquor regulator, but the commission’s power is limited. It handles liquor law violation cases, sets prices and runs the state warehouse from which all ABC stores buy their liquor. The stores, though, are run by local ABC boards.
Below is an article which could help to explain why JFTB and the surrounding communities are in this mess. Unless the State or Feds want to buy all the homes and start over it is going to be an on going battle It is going to take team work.
JFTB is the poster child of what NOT to do!!
If no homes were built here…people would not live here.
Land purchase protects base from encroachment
June 13, 2009
The preservation of land around military bases is of high importance because encroachment is a serious threat to their mission, especially those that depend on flight missions such as Whiting Field Naval Air Station.
That’s why we are pleased that the Florida Cabinet this week approved the $5.1 million acquisition of land that will protect nearly 1,400 acres in Santa Rosa County and prevent encroachment on Whiting Field.
This latest acquisition bodes well with the commitment to protect land uses surrounding Whiting Field by preventing development that could compromise and adversely affect the Navy’s mission and hopefully protect the base from future closure.
The land buy is part of the larger Florida Forever project to fill in protected land between Whiting Field and the Blackwater River State Forest.
The land was acquired from The Nature Conservancy as part of an ongoing collaboration between the military and Florida’s Division of Forestry, with the Navy providing $1.3 million of the purchase price.
Not only does the land purchase protect land from development, prevent encroachment and preserve the habitat, the land also will be open to the public. It will provide recreation for off-road vehicles, hikers, canoeists and bicyclists.
Creating off-road trails will benefit ATV riders and also would have an environmental advantage by providing an area for users who are no longer running on more sensitive and illegal sites, according to an analysis by the Department of Environmental Protection.
In the long run, the simplest and most absolute protection against encroachment of Whiting NAS is to get to get the land around it in public hands.
Acquiring property adjacent to Whiting protects the base from the threat of encroachment, and in this case provides county residents with additional recreational opportunities for everyone to use and enjoy.
Dave: Dean Grose did irreperable harm to this city. Any committee with him involved will cause a replay of Loa Al as a racist city news. Only this time we will look worse because we knew about the previous problem and stii included him.
One would easi;y be able to draw the conclusion that the City really approves of his prior action.
We have enough of an uphill climb to regain our reputation without this. Please move on!
Richard,
Hmmm. Pretty hard to argue with that.