City Council Minutes 1 April 28, 2026
MISSION VIEJO MINUTES
City Council, Community Development Financing Authority, Successor Agency of the Community Development Agency,
Housing Authority, and Library Board of Trustees*
April 28, 2026
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 Pro Tem Goodell at 5:04 p.m., on April 28, 2026, 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 April 23, 2026, 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 Kelley
Council Member Vasquez (arrived 5:04 pm)
Mayor Bucknum (arrived at 5:07 pm)
Mayor Pro Tem Goodell
Absent: Council Member Ruesch
Staff Present: Elaine Lister, City Manager
Jerry Hill, Assistant City Manager
Tarquin Preziosi, City Attorney
Ellis Chang, Director of Administrative Services
Kimberly Schmitt, City Clerk
Renata Winter, Assistant City Clerk
RECESS AND RECONVENE MEETING
At the hour of 5:05 Mayor Buckman recessed the Meeting. At the hour of 6:00 pm Mayor Bucknum reconvened the meeting with four Council Members present, and with Council Member Reusch absent.
INVOCATION: Mayor Bucknum
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Mayor Pro Tem Goodell
City Council Minutes 2 April 28, 2026
PRESENTATIONS
P1. Business Award - Yama Sushi on the Lake
Mayor Bucknum presented the certificate to Don Lee owner of Yama Sushi.
P2. Presentation by Registrar of Voters Bob Page
Received presentation.
P3. Legislative and Funding Update by Townsend Public Affairs Received presentation.
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Saundra Jacobs, M.V.: Invited Council and Public to the Santa Margarita Water District (SMWD) Water Awareness Festival on Saturday May 16, from 10 am to 1 pm. Introduced Alyson Piguee who is the new Director of Government and Public Affairs for SMWD.
Alyson Piguee, Anaheim Hills: Introduced herself and provided her background to the Council.
Bryan Zahn, M.V.: Spoke on the recent Arbor Day event. He thanked Jerry Hill, Corey Gonyea, and Matt Lockwood for their hard work on this event. He announced the upcoming Julie Foudy Soccer Camp in June and encouraged residents to sign up for this camp.
Melody King, M.V.: Spoke on the hoarder in her neighborhood and asked for the City’s assistance in handling this problem.
Saga Conroy, M.V.: Spoke on Love Mission Viejo Day which will be held on May 16.
CONSENT CALENDAR
Item #6 was removed from the Consent Calendar for separate consideration.
Motion made by Mayor Pro Tem Goodell, seconded by Council Member Kelley, to approve the Consent Calendar outlined below.
On roll call, said motion carried by the following vote:
AYES: Bucknum, Goodell, Kelley, and Vasquez
NOES: None
ABSENT: Ruesch
City Council Minutes 3 April 28, 2026
1. City Council Minutes
Approved the Minutes for the Regular City Council Meeting of April 14, 2026, as presented.
2. General Check Register Dated April 3, 2026, in the Amount of $901,488.01
Ratified the accompanying check register.
3. General Check Register Dated April 10, 2026, in the Amount of $1,661,509.99
Ratified the accompanying check register.
4. Golf Check Register Dated April 3, 2026, in the Amount of $263,389.89
Ratified the accompanying check register.
5. Golf Check Register Dated April 10, 2026, in the Amount of $23,003.57
Ratified the accompanying check register.
7. Mission Viejo Trash and Runoff Abatement Project (TRAP): Environmental Cleanup Program Grant and Gas Tax Funded Catch Basin Debris Screen and Automated Retractable Screen Installations (CIP 26267)
Awarded a construction contract in the amount of $250,000 to G2 Construction, Inc.(A26- 17) for the Mission Viejo Trash and Runoff Abatement Project (TRAP): Catch Basin Debris Screen and Automated Retractable Screen Installations (CIP 26267).
ITEMS REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT CALENDAR
6. Marguerite Recreation Center Surface Parking Lot Expansion - CIP (341)
Assistant City Manager Jerry Hill presented the staff report.
The following spoke on this item:
Tom Moore, M.V.: Stated that his issue is that the plan is all surface parking. He feels parking is necessary, but the Council needs to consider the future for this area. He feels there is an opportunity in this area to have connectivity up to the lake and suggested mix use.
Larry Gilbert, M.V. Read from his Facebook post in 2013 regarding the vendor selection process for projects. He is concerned that the City is not being competitive and voiced concerns regarding RJM being given projects. Lastly, he stated he will be going to the
City Council Minutes 4 April 28, 2026
Grand Jury tomorrow to suggest they audit all purchase orders that have been issued for the past 25 years to see if the City has been fair to all potential vendors.
Cathy Palmer, M.V.: Asked for transparency on the policies and procedures for selecting consultants. She asked that the design be as ecologically friendly as possible, suggesting permeable surfaces, paint that reflects light and the use of solar panels.
Khaled Ayab, M.V.: Stated that the Golf Course has had significant growth over the last few years with increases in community events, weddings, and dining guests. He said the City has been a big part of the success. He spoke in support of this project.
Mayor Bucknum asked for any council comments.
Council Member Vasquez asked for a complete funding plan for the record on this project. She voiced her concerns about going forward with this project.
Motion made by Council Member Kelley, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Goodell, to (1) award a contract and approved issuance of Purchase Order to RJM Design Group (A26- 15) for design services for preparation of construction drawings and bid documents for the Marguerite Recreation Center Surface Parking Lot Expansion - CIP (341), in an a mount not to exceed $283,490.00; and (2) award a contract and approve issuance of Purchase Order to GMU Engineers and Geologists (A26-16) for geotechnical services for CIP (341), in an amount not to exceed $57,300.00.
On roll call, said motion carried by the following vote:
AYES: Bucknum, Goodell, and Kelley
NOES: Vasquez
ABSENT: Ruesch
NEW BUSINESS
8. State and Federal Legislative Platform
Director of Community Relations Robert Schick gave the staff report.
Motion made by Council Member Kelley, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Goodell, to approve the Proposed State and Federal Legislative Platform.
On roll call, said motion carried by the following vote:
AYES: Bucknum, Goodell, Kelley, and Vasquez
NOES: None
ABSENT: Ruesch
City Council Minutes 5 April 28, 2026
MAYOR’S, COMMISSION, COMMITTEE REPORTS AND ACTIONS
9. Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Report
Received written report.
CITY MANAGER REPORTS
CITY ATTORNEY REPORTS
10. SB 707 Brown Act: Meeting and Teleconferencing Requirements
Received oral report.
PUBLIC SAFETY UPDATES
Fire Chief Cheyne Maule announced that for the first quarter of 2026 in Mission Viejo, OCFA has responded to over 2,300 calls with 2,000 being medical aids, 14 actual fire calls and the rest miscellaneous. Capo Valley High School hosted the annual DUI simulation that is very impactful for the students. He stated just this week they assisted Brea with their 200-acre brushfire. Lastly, he spoke about the brush fire today near Saddleback College and the Arroyo Trabuco Golf Course stating no structures were lost.
Chief of Police Larson shared that there is an uptick on scams and fraud particularly involving investment fraud and Rideshare cash pickup schemes. Reminded residents that no legitimate Bank, Law Enforcement or Governmental agencies will ever request you t o withdraw funds and provide it to a courier.
COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTS AND ACTIONS
11 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 Kelley
Council Member Kelley shared the following events she attended: Orange County Sheriff’s Medal of Valor Ceremony, Fourth Annual Orange County Women in Leadership Summit, Family Arts Day, The Night Market, Mission Viejo Activities Committee Member Appreciation Recognition Event, Coyote Safety Awareness, the Darkness to Light Event, Children’s Environmental Fair, Girls Softball League End of Season Parade, Animal Services Dog Barn Bash, and the Arbor Day Event. She gave kudos to staff for a busy two weeks of events. Lastly, she reminded residents that the Love Mission Viejo Day is May 16 from 8:00 am to 1:30 pm.
There are various events one can sign up to help on the Love Mission Viejo website.
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Council Member Vasquez
Council Member Vasquez also attended the Medal of Valor Ceremony as well as the Fourth Annual Leadership Summit. She was unable to attend the Arbor Day event due to a camping trip with her daughter’s Girl Scout Trip where they made smores, went on hikes and canoeing.
Mayor Pro Tem Goodell
Mayor Pro Tem Goodell previously mentioned adding an item to an upcoming council meeting regarding the Oso Creek Vision Plan. He stated that we have been too focused on the past and need to look ahead as the Vision Plan aimed to do when it began in 2020 and was approved in 2021. He stated that current investments like the new parking lot are interim steps within a much larger vision for the area, including expanded amenities and long-term improvements. The same applies to the Oso Creek Golf Course, which, w hile well-maintained, has greater potential as a revenue source, event space, and community hub. He asked the council to consider exploring public-private partnerships to enhance the site—potentially upgrading facilities like the clubhouse and adding structured parking. He stated while the Economic Development C ommittee review may be helpful, he believes an initial council discussio n, possibly tied to upcoming budget discussions, would be the right first step, with details to follow through the appropriate channels.
Mayor Bucknum
Mayor Bucknum a ttended the Medal of Valor event and a SCAG presentation/tour of the OC Vibe near the Anaheim Transportation Center, highlighting Olympic -related development s, timelines, and its role as a regional transit hub . She also attended Family Arts Day, the Night Market (briefly), Arbor Day, and the Darkness to Light Evening Remembrance, which had strong turnout. Mayor Bucknum mentioned that the Arbor Day event featured the city’s goat grazing program, including a guard dog and young goats. She attended the OC Triathlon which had high participation and local hotels were filled, including overflow into neighboring cities. Participants responded positively to America 250- themed shirts. The CHP support was present and appreciated. She announced the following upcoming events: Purse Palooza on May 2, a compost giveaway at Animal Services, Tuesday on the Terrace concerts, the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast on May 6, a bike and helmet event to promote Bike Safety Month May 12 -24, and Love Mission Viejo on May 16.Mayor Bucknum also announced that preparations are underway for the July 11 America 250 parade, featuring themed floats, community groups, and guest announcers, followed by the Barbecue Music Festival. Lastly, she e xpressed appreciation for public comments and interest in addressing community concerns, including exploring solutions related to HOA responsibilities and considering permeable surface practices.
City Council Minutes 7 April 28, 2026
ADJOURNMENT
At the hour of 8:37 pm, with no further business to come before the City Council at this session, Mayor Bucknum adjourned the meeting to Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.
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Kimberly Schmitt, City Clerk