Orange County, CA November 7, 2000 Election
Smart Voter

City Hall and Prudent Spending

By Gail Reavis

Candidate for Member, City Council; City of Mission Viejo

This information is provided by the candidate
Cost have grown on new City Hall and we haven't even started to build it.
The first vote for a city hall was an overwhelming loss for those who supported building a new city hall. So,last year another measure was placed on the ballot after professional manipulation of public sentiment was studied and with three loaded questions placed on the ballot, the voters chose Option 3 which was to build a 47,750 square foot city hall. The next month, the plans had grown to 52,000 square feet, and the plans were denied by the Planning Commission. When the issue came before the Planning Commission again, some of the questions were answered, others remained troubling. So, with the caveat of reviewing certain issues before further changes could be made, the Commission voted 4-1 to approve the City Hall. The next week the City Hall came before the City Council and they voted to remove the Planning Commission from further scrutiny of the City Hall.

Facts not revealed regarding City Hall expenses were:

1. Current lease includes utilities.

2. Current lease include maintenance.

3. Current lease includes building exterior.

4. Current lease includes adequate parking for employees and city vehicles.

Now we learn, that off site parking had to be leased for city vehicles due to inadequate parking near the library. How much is that costing?

What is the cost to furnish a City Hall twice the size we currently lease? What is the cost of monthly utilities, and general maintenance? What will the budget be for exterior up keep? How will the current configuration of the library parking have to be changed? And, how much and how long before a multi-story parking structure must be built on this site?

Not only have I suggested the investigation of the now abandoned "First Direct Plus" building on Los Alisos as a suitable City Hall, I have tried to work with the voters approval of the 47,750 sq. ft. city hall by asking these questions as well as the need for an emergency road to the new building. While it is understandable that the mayor is worried about cut-through traffic from La Paz, with the City Emergency Center being on site, my suggestion was to add a driveway which would be secured by locked gate which only police and fire could access if there were a Catastrophic event. All these questions and suggestions fall on deaf ears. As your city councilperson, this refusal to discuss these issues will stop

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ca/or Created from information supplied by the candidate: September 22, 2000 16:20
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