City Council Minutes 1 January 28, 2025
MISSION VIEJO MINUTES
City Council, Community Development Financing Authority, Successor Agency of the Community Development Agency,
Housing Authority, and Library Board of Trustees*
January 28, 2025
A Regular Meeting of the City Council, the Community Development Financing Authority, the Successor Agency of the Community Development Agency, the Housing Authority, and the Library Board of Trustees of the City of Mission Viejo, California, was called to order by Mayor Ruesch at 5:00 p.m., on January 28, 2025, at 200 Civic Center, Mission Viejo, California.
A complete copy of the agenda for the meeting containing all items as shown he rein was posted by 5:00 p.m. on January 23, 2025, on the outdoor bulletin board at City Hall. A copy was also posted at the Montanoso Recreation and Fitness Center, 25800 Montanoso Drive and Norman P.
Murray Community and Senior Center, 24932 Veterans Way. *All Board and Agency memberships are reflected in the title "Council Member."
Present: Council Member Goodell
Council Member Kelley
Council Member Vasquez (arrived at 5:03 p.m.)
Mayor Pro Tem Bucknum
Mayor Ruesch
Absent: None
Staff Present: Elaine Lister, City Manager
Jerry Hill, Assistant City Manager
William P. Curley, City Attorney
Kimberly Schmitt, City Clerk
Renata Winter, Assistant City Clerk
RECESS AND RECONVENCE MEETING
At the hour of 5:00 pm Mayor Ruesch recessed the meeting. Mayor Ruesch reconvened the meeting at 6:00 pm with all five City Council Members present.
INVOCATION: Council Member Goodell
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Council Member Vasquez
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PRESENTATIONS
P1. Recognize the 2024 Employees of the Year
Mayor Ruesch presented plaques to (1) Administrative Services Analyst Sherry Merrifield, City of Mission Viejo Employee of the Year; (2) Fire Apparatus Engineer Jaime Martinez, Orange County Fire Authority Employee of the Year; and (3) Deputy Christopher Chun, Orange County Sheriff's Department Employee of the Year.
P2. Check Presentation From the 4th Annual Konrad Reuland Charity Tennis/Pickleball Tournament to Big Brothers Big Sisters
Received presentation.
P3. Recognize the 30th Anniversary of the Trauma Intervention Program in Orange County
Mayor Ruesch presented proclamation.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Roberta Scharlin Zinman, M.V.: Addressed the City Council regarding issues on her homeowner’s insurance not being renewed.
Jess Matlock, M.V. Thanked the Council and staff for their support of the Mission Viejo Girls Softball League. He recapped some projects at the ball fields.
Tom Moore, M.V.: Asked the Council what the next step will be for the La Paz – Marguerite Parkway intersection and that perhaps a presentation is in order. He asked what the plans are for the Potoki Center during the 2028 Olympics.
Gayle Wood, M.V.: Thanked the Council for their support of the Marine Adoption Committee during the holiday season.
CONSENT CALENDAR
Motion made by Council Member Kelley, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Bucknum, to approve the Consent Calendar as outlined below.
On roll call, said motion carried by the following vote:
AYES: Bucknum, Goodell, Kelley, Ruesch, and Vasquez
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
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1. City Council Minutes
Approved the Minutes for the regular City Council Meeting of January 14, 2025, as presented.
2. General Check Register Dated January 10, 2025, in the Amount of $2,253,776.99 Ratified the accompanying check register.
3. Golf Check Register Dated January 10, 2025, in the Amount of $262,734.05 Ratified the accompanying check register.
4. Revisions to City of Mission Viejo Personnel Policies Adopted Resolution 25-01 Providing for the Revisions to Select Personnel Policies.
5. Memorandum of Agreement for the Sharing of Emergency Management Resources
Authorized the City Manager to execute the Memorandum of Agreement (A25-021) by and between the City of Aliso Viejo, City of Laguna Hills, City of Laguna Niguel, City of Lake Forest, and the City of Mission Viejo for sharing of emergency management resources.
6. Requests for a One -Time Exemption to the "No Alcoholic Beverage Consumption" Regulation at City Facilities for Two Community Events
Approved the request for a one -time exemption to the "No Alcoholic Beverage Consumption" Regulation at City facilities for two community events.
NEW BUSINESS
7. 2025 Orange County International Triathlon in Mission Viejo
Director of Public Works Mark Chagnon presented the staff report.
The following spoke in favor of the event: Renee Wierz, Menifee; Brandon Walters, Menifee; Peter Shafron, M.V.; and Russ Jones, San Juan Capistrano.
Motion made by Council Member Kelley, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Bucknum, (1) approve the request submitted by Five Point Events to hold the 2025 Orange County International Triathlon in Mission Viejo on Sunday, April 27, 2025, and (2) approve the request for in-kind funding to Five Point Events in the amount up to $12,000 as requested.
Mayor Ruesch made an amended motion to follow the recommendation of the Community Services Commission which was for $6,000. Motion died for lack of second.
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On roll call, said original motion carried by the following vote:
AYES: Bucknum, Goodell, Kelley, and Ruesch
NOES: Vasquez
ABSENT: None
8. 2025-2027 Pre-Budget Discussion
Financial Consultant and Former Director of Administrative Services Irwin Bornstein presented the staff report.
Motion made by Mayor Pro Tem Bucknum, seconded by Council Member Goodell, to (1) receive report from staff and (2) authorize staff to process contract extensions for Infrastructure Maintenance Annual Routine Maintenance Contracts.
On roll call, said motion carried by the following vote:
AYES: Bucknum, Goodell, Kelley, Ruesch, and Vasquez
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
CITY MANAGER REPORTS
City Manager Lister stated in light of the Los Angeles fires there may be some potential changes to laws regarding the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which may be limited to the burn zones in the Los Angeles area, however the city is tracking any changes and will keep the City Council updated.
CITY ATTORNEY REPORTS
Nothing to report.
COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTS AND ACTIONS
9. Council Member Reports of Events and Activities Attended ~ AB1234
By consensus, the City Council Members acknowledged their event and activities calendars as presented in the report and agreed to provide any changes to the City Clerk for the public record.
Council Member Goodell
Council Member Goodell had no comments this evening.
Council Member Kelley
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Council Member Kelley recapped her conference in Washington D.C. She stated she was able to meet with Congresswoman Young Kim and attended the following sessions: Public Health, Housing Costs, Protecting firefighters from cancer, Federal Immigration policy, local infrastructure HUB, Bi-Partisan infrastructure law. Kelley said she learned a lot at this conference.
She again congratulated the Employees of the year and expressed how much she appreciates them.
She thanked Gayle Wood for giving an update on our resident outreach over the holidays. Council Member Kelley co mmended Director Mark Nix on the successful Geocaching event that took place in the city this past weekend. Lastly, she announced that she will miss the next Council Meeting as she will be attending a legislative reception in Sacramento on behalf of the Transportation Corridor Agency.
Council Member Vasquez
Council Member Vasquez stated that she also attended the Mayor’s Conference in Washington D.C. and highlighted the following sessions she attended: Anti -Semitism, Building America’s Workforce, and Electric Vehicles. Council Member Vasquez reflected on a quote that was spoken during the Anit-Semitism talk, “those who had trouble finding compassion for themselves, had a harder time showing compassion for others”. She felt this to be very true. She also spoke with a number of vendors including CGI Digital which essentially partners with cities and local businesses. They provide announcement banners of events etc., and then tasked with getting sponsors for those events that will pass the cost onto the sponsor and the city has no cost regardless.
She also spoke with Grubhub Food Delivery and asked if that was something that could enhance food delivery services that the city offers and potentially offer to low-income families. Lastly, she stated that her daughter received her first college acceptance letter from the University of Oregon.
Mayor Pro Tem Bucknum
Mayor Pro Tem Bucknum also attended the Mayor’s Conference in Washington D.C. She highlighted and recapped the following sessions she attended: California Mayor’s Roundtable with Senators Padilla and Schiff, Artificial Intelligence (AI) sessions, lunch with Congresswoman Young Kim, post lunch presentation with President Joe Biden, reception with Townsend Public Affairs, Economic Development Public-Private Partnerships, and FIFA World Cup. She thanked Congresswoman Young Kim for showing what it is like to h ave a federal congresswoman who supports our city in Washington.
Mayor Ruesch
Mayor Ruesch stated that he also attended the Mayor’s Conference in Washington D.C. with his colleagues. The goal was to divide and conquer so that they could learn as much as possible. He attended a session on helping small businesses and the moderator of this talk suggested successes of other cities that have had apprenticeship programs and one of their suggestions was looking for public-private partnerships where the city would partner with certain agencies to help them get engaged whether its plumbing or electrical repair to develop those skills to use in our community.
He also sat in on wildfire issues in the State and why it’s so important that we established the insurance ad hoc committee. Mayor Ruesch also sat in on a communication talk regarding broadband availab ility throughout communities which was very interesting. He spoke on the housing issue with the impact on the senior population. He commented that OCFA is very aware
City Council Minutes 6 January 28, 2025
of the health issues that Council Member Kelley spoke about. Mayor Ruesch also highlighted the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to effectively help the public and that those who are concerned about AI there is the ability to limit what access AI is given. He touched on sports tourism and stated that this will not only help our community but our businesses as well. Mayor Ruesch reported that he looked for information for the theater project in regards to grant funding with Young Kim’s office. Lastly, he concluded with the following quote: “Arts develop creativity and creative thinking develops Innovation.”
ADJOURNMENT
At the hour of 9:03 p.m., with no further business to come before the City Council at this session, Mayor Ruesch adjourned the meeting in memory of resident Jeff Lodder, to Tuesday, February 11, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.
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Kimberly Schmitt, City Clerk
Approved at the meeting of February 11, 2025