CITY OF LAGUNA HILLS
CITY COUNCIL/PLANNING AGENCY
REGULAR MEETING
MINUTES
Tuesday, March 8, 2022
GENERAL BUSINESS - CONVENING AT 7:00 PM
CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Mayor Wheeler.
INVOCATION: Pastor Kathleen Bratun of The Connection Church PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Mayor Pro Tempore Heft
ROLL CALL OF CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
Attendee Name Title Status Arrived
Dave Wheeler Mayor Present
Janine Heft Mayor Pro Tempore Present
Don Caskey Council Member Present
Erica Pezold Council Member Present
Don Sedgwick Council Member Present
1. PRESENTATIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS
1.1 Laguna Hills High School Student Liaison
Recommendation: The City Council received an oral report from Laguna Hills High School 2022 Spring Student Liaison Austin Kays.
1.2 Crime Survivors, Inc.
Recommendation: The City Council received a presentation from Patricia Wenskunas, Founder/CEO of Crime Survivors, Inc.
1.3 Presentation by Mercy House on Homeless Outreach
Recommendation: The City Council received an update from Timothy Huynh on Mercy House’s homeless outreach efforts in the City of Laguna Hills.
City of Laguna Hills City Council/Planning Agency Tuesday, March 8, 2022 Regular Meeting Minutes
2 2. SCHEDULE OF FUTURE EVENTS
2.1 Schedule of Future Events
Recommendation: Assistant City Clerk Lee announced the upcoming City events for the month of March 2022.
3. PUBLIC COMMENTS
The following individuals addressed the City Council on non-agendized items:
Jimmy Hanes, a resident of Laguna Hills, spoke regarding neighborhood watch, Regional Housing Needs Allocations (RHNA) numbers, and high-density housing.
Anne Higuchi, a resident of Laguna Hills, spoke regarding integration of lowincome housing and high-density housing.
Cameron Simbro, a resident of Laguna Hills, spoke regarding potential zone changes of commercial centers for high density housing.
Dawn Ford, a resident of Laguna Hills, spoke regarding information circulating through the community regarding housing, scheduling of City Council meetings, and the Build-A-Fort program.
4. CONSENT CALENDAR
Motion to approve the Consent Calendar.
RESULT: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Janine Heft, Mayor Pro Tempore
SECONDER: Erica Pezold, Council Member
AYES: Dave Wheeler, Mayor; Janine Heft, Mayor Pro Tempore; Don Caskey, Council Member; Erica Pezold, Council Member; Don Sedgwick, Council Member
4.1 Waive Reading in Full of all Ordinances and Resolutions on the Agenda Recommendation: That the City Council waive reading in full of all ordinances and resolutions on the agenda and declare that said titles which appear on the public agenda shall be determined to have been read by title and further reading waived.
4.2 Approval of Minutes for February 22, 2022, Regular Meeting Recommendation: That the City Council approve the Minutes for the February 22, 2022, Regular Meeting.
City of Laguna Hills City Council/Planning Agency Tuesday, March 8, 2022 Regular Meeting Minutes
3 4.3 Ratification of March 8, 2022, Warrant Register
Recommendation: That the City Council ratify the accompanying Warrant Register for the period from February 11, 2022, to February 24, 2022, in the amount of $310,919.63.
4.4 Progress Payment No. 2 for Laguna Hills Civic Center Suite 160 Tenant & Site Improvements
Recommendation: That the City Council approve Progress Payment No. 2, in the net amount of $98,344.00, to SD Design Construction Corporation, for Laguna Hills Civic Center Suite 160 Tenant & Site Improvements.
ITEMS REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT CALENDAR
There were no items removed from the Consent Calendar.
5. PLANNING AGENCY
There were no separate Planning Agency Business Items for this meeting.
6. CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARINGS
There were no City Council Public Hearings for this meeting.
7. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS
7.1. City Manager
The City Manager gave no Administrative Reports.
8. MATTERS AGENDIZED AND PRESENTED BY CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS Mayor Pro Tempore Heft
8.1 Discussion of Funding, or Equivalent Services, in Support of the Laguna Hills Chamber of Commerce
A motion to reconsider the issue was made by Mayor Pro Tempore Heft, seconded by Council Member Pezold.
RESULT: APPROVED [4 TO 1]
MOVER: Janine Heft, Mayor Pro Tempore
SECONDER: Erica Pezold, Council Member
City of Laguna Hills City Council/Planning Agency Tuesday, March 8, 2022 Regular Meeting Minutes
4 AYES: Dave Wheeler, Mayor; Janine Heft, Mayor Pro
Tempore; Don Caskey, Council Member;
Erica Pezold, Council Member
NAYS: Don Sedgwick, Council Member
Mayor Pro Tempore Heft provided information on the item and responded to Council Member requests for additional information.
Recommendation: Mayor Pro Tempore Heft recommends that the City Council direct Staff to begin work as expeditiously as possible with the Chamber of Commerce to develop funding agreement deal points in support of the Laguna Hills Chamber of Commerce.
A motion to direct Staff to work with the Chamber of Commerce to develop funding agreement deal points and return to the City Council at the April 12, 2022 meeting was made by Mayor Pro Tempore Heft, seconded by Mayor Wheeler.
RESULT: APPROVED [4 TO 1]
MOVER: Janine Heft, Mayor Pro Tempore
SECONDER: Dave Wheeler, Mayor
AYES: Dave Wheeler, Mayor; Janine Heft, Mayor Pro
Tempore; Don Caskey, Council Member;
Erica Pezold, Council Member
NAYS: Don Sedgwick, Council Member
Mayor Wheeler recessed the City Council Meeting and, acting in capacity as Mayor/Chair, called the Joint Planning Agency/City Council Meeting to order at 7:46 p.m.
JOINT PLANNING AGENCY/CITY COUNCIL MEETING
ROLL CALL OF CITY COUNCIL/PLANNING AGENCY MEMBERS
Attendee Name Title Status Arrived
Dave Wheeler Mayor/Chair Present
Janine Heft Mayor Pro Tempore/Vice Chair Present
Don Caskey Council/Agency Member Present
Erica Pezold Council/Agency Member Present
Don Sedgwick Council/Agency Member Present
City of Laguna Hills City Council/Planning Agency Tuesday, March 8, 2022 Regular Meeting Minutes
5 JOINT PLANNING AGENCY/CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARINGS
Village at Laguna Hills Continued Joint Meeting
Mayor/Chair Wheeler reopened the public hearing.
Community Development Director Longenecker reviewed the information in the staff report and read the staff recommendation into the record.
Special Counsel, Tom Clark, Stradling, Yocca, Carlson & Rauth, provided a presentation on the status of the proposed development agreement negotiations.
Stephen Logan, Vice President of Development, Merlone Geier Partners, provided a PowerPoint presentation on the project and the proposed development agreement changes and responded to Council Member requests for additional information.
Mayor/Chair Wheeler reopened the public comment portion of the public hearing.
At Mayor/Chair Wheeler’s request, Assistant City Clerk Lee announced the electronic public comments that were received and forwarded to the Council/Agency prior to the meeting.
The following individuals address the Council/Agency on the public hearing item:
Ann Owens
Erik Huber
Victoria Hernandez
Lowell Reed
Lauri Reveles
Vivian Stapleton
Denise Legters
Charles Carnow
Neel Patel
John Hanna
Adam Wood
Robin Jochims
Mayor/Chair Wheeler closed the public hearing.
Recommendation: That the City Council and Planning Agency take the following actions:
1) Resume the Joint City Council and Planning Agency Meeting; 2) That the Planning Agency and City Council:
a) Independently consider the City of Laguna Hills General Plan Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) (State Clearinghouse No. 20080811100) as previously addended for the Five Lagunas Project along with the Fifth Addendum to the PEIR;
City of Laguna Hills City Council/Planning Agency Tuesday, March 8, 2022 Regular Meeting Minutes
6 b) Adopt a Resolution entitled: “A Joint Resolution of the Planning Agency and the City Council of the City of Laguna Hills, California, adopting the Fifth Addendum to the 2009 General Plan Program Environmental Impact Report as previously addended for the Five Lagunas Project and a Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program for the Village at Laguna Hills Project pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act”;
3) Adopt a Resolution entitled: “A Joint Resolution of the Planning Agency and City Council of the City of Laguna Hills, California, approving Site Development Permit, Master Sign Program, Conditional Use Permit, Vesting Tentative Tract Map, Development Agreement, Precise Plan No.
USE-0010-2019, a request by MGP Fund X Laguna Hills, LLC, to modify the previously approved Five Lagunas Project to continue to redevelop the former Laguna Hills Mall site located at 24155 Laguna Hills Mall, and making certain findings in connection therewith”;
4) That the City Council introduce for first reading, read by title only, and waive further reading of an Ordinance entitled: “An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Laguna Hills, California, approving and adopting a Development Agreement between the City of Laguna Hills and MGP Fund X Laguna Hills, LLC for the Village at Laguna Hills Project.” 5) That the City Council dissolve the advisory ad hoc committee established on September 28, 2021, for the single-purpose of directing further development agreement negotiations for the Village at Laguna Hills Project.
A motion to approve the project and move to approve the staff recommendation was made by Council/Agency Member Sedgwick, seconded by Council/Agency Member Caskey.
RESULT: APPROVED [3 TO 2]
MOVER: Don Sedgwick, Council/Agency Member
SECONDER: Don Caskey, Council/Agency Member
AYES: Janine Heft, Mayor Pro Tempore/Vice Chair; Don
Caskey, Council/Agency Member; Don Sedgwick,
Council/Agency Member
NAYS: Dave Wheeler, Mayor/Chair; Erica Pezold,
Council/Agency Member
City of Laguna Hills City Council/Planning Agency Tuesday, March 8, 2022 Regular Meeting Minutes
7 JOINT PLANNING AGENCY/CITY COUNCIL MEETING ADJOURNMENT Mayor/Chair Wheeler adjourned the Joint Planning Agency/City Council Meeting and reconvened the City Council Meeting at 9:59 p.m. All Council Members were present in chamber.
9. CITY COUNCIL MEMBER COMMITTEE REPORTS
9.1. Committee Assignment Reports
Recommendation: That the City Council receive oral reports on the following City Council Committee Assignments:
1. South OC Watershed Management Area Executive Committee (Council Member Caskey) February 24, 2022 and March 3, 2022 Meetings.
Council Member Caskey had no report.
2. Orange County Fire Authority
(Council Member Sedgwick)
Council Member Sedgwick provided an oral report including a video on the Laguna Beach fire of February 10, 2022.
Council Member Pezold provided an oral report on an Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District press release received earlier in the day regarding mosquitoes that tested positive for west nile virus in the Fullerton area and responded to Council requests for additional information.
Mayor Wheeler provided an oral report on the South OC Watershed Management Area Executive Committee.
3. California Mayors Coalition
(Mayor Wheeler) March 4, 2022 Meeting.
Mayor Wheeler had no report.
4. Orange County Public Libraries Advisory Board
(Mayor Wheeler) February 24, 2022 Meeting.
Mayor Wheeler provided an oral report.
5. Association of California Cities-Orange County Legislative & Regulatory Committee
(Mayor Wheeler) February 24, 2022 Meeting.
Mayor Wheeler provided an oral report.
City of Laguna Hills City Council/Planning Agency Tuesday, March 8, 2022 Regular Meeting Minutes
8 10. CITY COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTS
Council Member Pezold
Council Member Pezold requested that a discussion regarding the formation of a Planning Commission be agendized for a future meeting and received a second from Council Member Caskey.
Council Member Pezold spoke in remembrance of Laguna Hills High School graduate Skylar Scripter.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the City Council at this session, Mayor Wheeler declared the meeting adjourned at 10:14 p.m.
Melissa Au-Yeung, City Clerk
ATTEST:
Janine Heft, Mayor Pro Tempore
Approved at meeting of March 22, 2022