Monthly Archives: February 2015

WHY DO WE HAVE AN EMPLOYEE ?

Hey Mister, What is that rag for?, it makes the ball do funny things.

Hey Mister, What is that rag for?, it makes the ball do funny things.

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While attending a special meeting of the Wildomar City Council, one of two citizens present, I had the opportunity to ask our Mayor what happened to the basketball nets that were order at the last regular City Council meeting held on February 11, 2015.
The answer was they are at home, there hasn’t been time to install them as it is a most difficult task, they do not just hook on.
The question that begs to be answered is
1. Why is it necessary for the Mayor to purchase new basketball nets.
2. Why is it necessary for the Mayor to install the new basketball nets.
3. Why is it necessary to have to attach a u-tube video explaining how to change out a net in this technically savvy age.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD3jIULO8wo

Many different free videos are available along with step instructions at E-how.com and other such sites.

With the city employing what has been referred to as a part time parks employee one has to wonder how it is with so little work to performed,
as the job does not appear to require a full time employee,
no time can be found to purchase an additional 4 basketball nets, as only 4 fancy ones were ordered, and install them in the 3 parks. Hopefully the city employee has acquired a step ladder since opening day 314 days ago.

WHAT EVER YOU SAY I CONSENT

Orwell
While researching the documentation that was used to compile the Measure Z audit it became apparent some of the numbers just did not add up.

Going back over voucher list (checks written by the city) one can not help noticing large gaps in the numbering sequence.

These amounts spent were approved by the city council in what is called a consent calendar.
CONSENT CALENDAR
All matters listed under the Consent Calendar are considered routine and will be enacted by one roll call vote. There will be no separate discussion.
This item isn’t used often, except in specialized organizations such as public legislative bodies or a large professional society’s house of delegates. A consent calendar quickly processes a lot of noncontroversial items that can be disposed of quickly by placing them on a list (the consent calendar) of items to be adopted all at once.

The trouble here is Council members are required to trust that staff has done their job.

As a result of these gaps it became necessary to make a public records request of 79 missing vouchers which were issued during a 18 month period.

The city council might consent to this type of sloppy work but not I. In the future I will be more diligent as should you.

WILDOMAR CONTINUES TO DASH DREAMS

Chalk painting on a sidewalk in a rainstorm.

Chalk painting on a sidewalk in a rainstorm.


The city of wildomar is once again embarking on a series of projects conducted by children at Regency Heritage Park before they the City of Wildomar has determined the fate of this facility in regards to County of Riverside Flood Control and the Lakeland Village Master Drainage Plans Open Channel A.
Despite recent devastation that has taken place on several occasions since the passage of Measure Z at Regency Heritage Park.

February event with one inch of rain in 24 hours.

February event with one inch of rain in 24 hours.

August event with 1/3 of an inch.

August event with 1/3 of an inch.

September 16th this park got a major scrubbing.

September 16th this park got a major scrubbing.


December 12th another 1 inch event.

December 12th another 1 inch event.

This city continues to approve one project after another.

Never mind that these project will disappear with each rain event, there is also a very good possibility they will become a part of the future flood control channel which will handle up to 1,000 cubic feet a second of run-off in a 100 year event.
At a January 29 Riverside County Flood Control public budget hearing this channel was described as “going to take the path of least resistance, as straight a line as possible”.
This would place this 42 foot wide by 6 foot deep facility smack dab in the middle of this park taking out a gazebo, sidewalks, the notorious bridge/dam/waterfall, and about half of the neglected dog park.

Neglected is an understatement

One of four gates with broken latches rendering them unusable

One of four gates with broken latches rendering them unusable


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Almost a year after opening the post in the background is still broken

Almost a year after opening the post in the background is still broken
[caption id="attachment_1412" align="alignnone" width="640"]Ruts get deeper with every rain event Ruts get deeper with every rain event

Not only are latches broken, paint peeling, holes in fences months after the parks opening, plants dead or dying but concern about this neglected facility in non existent.
The first order of business would be to obtain an abstract of title on this parcel.
An abstract of title is the condensed history of title to a particular parcel of real estate, consisting of a summary of the original grant and all subsequent conveyances and encumbrances affecting the property and a certification by the abstractor that the history is complete and accurate.
After this document is obtained the city can then plan out the next moves such as will County Flood need to purchase land from the city for this expanded channel or will they need to swap land in exchange for this.
In their haste to take over the park system from the county after becoming a city many important steps were overlooked.

WILDOMAR CLEAN UP THE MESS YOU HAVE CREATED

STRANGER THINGS HAVE HAPPENED

Imaging my surprise when I received an e-mail about work finally starting on the long ago anticipated lights and security system a Windsong Park. The biggest surprise was 1. It’s a Saturday and
2. It’s Valentine’s Day.

A close up of one of three holes being prepared.

A close up of one of three holes being prepared.

An idea of where they are located

An idea of where they are located

Long ago anticipated seems to be a key element to happenings in Wildomar. The inspection of all 3 of the Tot-Lots occurred almost 4 months after opening ceremonies, with another 5 months lapsing before their rehabilitation was started, yes there is more to do to bring them into full compliance but a least the work has STARTED.
The irrigation pump at Marna was fixed 8 months after hydro-seeding, long after any chance of growing a somewhat useful grass surface.

These lights as part of a security system, with increased patrols and on call private security along with a camera being the other portions were promised in a February 12, 2014 City Council Meeting.

Wildomar City Council Minutes

Wildomar City Council Minutes

The pertinent words

The pertinent words

Much to the dismay of park neighbors the fence was removed on a Friday October 24, 2014 with no security measures in place including access by residents of the private security patrols phone number, this was added after being brought to the attention of the city manager by an area resident

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This number subsequently washed away in one of the rainstorms.

Numerous dates for the installation of security measures were given after the fence came down by everyone at city hall from the city manager to each of the council members, such as the end of next week, within a couple of weeks, by the end of the month.
Then came the poster proclaiming a date certain.

First date was delayed until February 11th due to delivery problems ?

First date was delayed until February 11th due to delivery problems ?

While conversing with the employee of the company installing these lights apparently they are duplicates of the type installed at Marna O’Brien Park along the pathways. These lights according to County of Riverside drawings are 90 watt Low Pressure Sodium which consume an estimated 372,600 watts annually each. (This 93.15KWH per month will only cost an additional $13.04 a month in additional charges for this park at current rates, this does not include replacement cost of bulbs which last about 4 years and assumes peak demand charges are not incurred)
[This based on Southern California Edison’s Standard All Night Service operating schedule of approximately 4,140 hours of service per year one arrives at a total power consumption of 1 million 117 thousand 800 watts annually (1,117,800W) for 3 lights being installed]

Leave it to a city that proclaims it wants to be sustainable along with wanting to accept WRCOG’s green initiative to reduce our carbon footprint to install old technology, the rest of the country is currently headlong into replacing the old with new and installing Adaptive LED lighting technology which uses far less power (up to 60% less), being able to power down after certain time periods and powering up when required such as when directed to by motion sensors.
To install lights that burn continuously throughout the night in a park closed at dusk when a camera with infrared technology sees just fine in the dark appears foolish. But what’s new, city officials are continually making foolish decisions because they won’t ask for input from its citizens. ( A number of those citizens work for Southern California Edison including one that is currently an Electrical Systems Planner and has access to the latest systems and figures.)
This unwillingness to ask is one of the reasons the electric bill at Marna O’Brien Park cost 6 times normal when Demand Charges are included. These demand charges currently add up to about $36 per KWH.

Some will say, you are never happy with anything that gets done in this city , I say, your right things can always be done better. If nothing is said then the status quo will prevail and what’s the fun in that.

“What a waste it is to lose one’s mind. Or not to have a mind is being very wasteful. How true that is.”
Vice President Dan Quayle, 1989

WHY REINVENT THE WHEEL

At the last Wildomar city council meeting there was discussion about shade for the Tot-Lots. What I got out of this was that city officials where going to try and design something to work at Marna O’Brien Park once again leaving out the other parks, not important in their eyes.
Along with designing a shade they were going to try and find a sponsor to pay for this.
Such nonsense, Measure Z Funds along with Developer Impact Fees which can be used for capital improvements are available to purchase reasonably price shade structure that are already engineered for this purpose.
One such manufacturer is the same company that built the existing equipment installed in the Tot-Lots, Landscape Structures.
Below are images depicting this equipment that is readily available for around $10,000 per Tot-Lot. The price could be cheaper if the city uses volunteers to install it. (Let’s hope they don’t chose this option)

Sizes from 18 ft X 18 ft up to 28 ft X 28 ft

Sizes from 18 ft X 18 ft up to 28 ft X 28 ft

Sized at 30 ft X 30 ft

Sized at 30 ft X 30 ft

Listing for the largest shade structure

Listing for the largest shade structure

A little further description of what they do and some color choices.

Description Pyramid

It is time this city quit acting like a non-profit organization and spend the money we have wisely.

If a benevolent soul wishes to contribute to the purchase and installation of any of this equipment feel free to contact city officials.

WAY TOO LITTLE, FAR TOO LATE

This net is typical of all the nets in the city parks

This net is typical of all the nets in the city parks

At the most recent city council meeting for the city of Wildomar after being confronted about council members lack of really caring about the parks and the 305 days (the far too late) since the re-opening of the 3 city parks during which not a single tattered basketball net was replaced an extreme display of arrogance took place.
Rather than the council direct the City Manager to have the City Parks Employee (paid for with Measure Z Funds) use his part-time hours to visit the near by Walmart and using petty cash from the Measure Z Parks fund purchase 8 new nets at a cost of less than $40.00 and install them before the weekend, two days from that point in time.
A purchase order/voucher or maybe even the city credit card could have been used as well to be paid for at a later date using Measure Z funds.

A council person, during the meeting from the dais, ordered 4 fancy red-white and blue nets (the way too little), half of what was needed.

I (and at least one other person) will be watching to see if these nets are installed at the only park that seems to count in this city. The other 2 parks will have to wait for another embarrassing moment.

This display goes hand in hand with the lack of notice given area residents before the fence was removed from one of the parks. A most telling lack of respect for citizens directly affected by actions of the city. This removal occurred prior to any of the security measures being installed for which this city has paid up front a large sum of money with a date uncertain, two dates have been given January 26th and February 11th, so far

First date was delayed until February 11th due to delivery problems ?

First date was delayed until February 11th due to delivery problems ?

WILDOMAR’S VERY OWN RAINMAKER

The prescient prognosticators of Wildomar seem to have a clog in the synaptic cleft causing the nerve impulses to wander into the stratosphere of the imagination.

In the Measure Z Oversight Advisory Committee “independent audit” the rainmaker relived an out of body experience explained below.

Park rehab activities at Regency – Heritage park sustained significant damage during an afternoon spring storm in which over 5 inches of rain was received in 2 hours on the freshly planted slopes. The park is part of the County flood control system and acts as a storm drain channel. With the severity of the storm and micros bursts, the channel was inundated with debris which has hampered the parks timely restoration.

Freshly Planted?, the Great Day of Service was held on October 26, 2013. This rain event sounds about as fictional as the narrative provided the League of Cities.
http://www.cacities.org/Member-Engagement/Helen-Putnam-Awards/California-City-Solutions/2014/Great-Day-of-Service-City-of-Wildomar
In which it was claimed $100,000 in donations was raised. (Only if one counts the “anonymous donor”, not, as even with the 40K promised this fell far short of 100K.

The first month with days in the spring season.

The first month with days in the spring season.

This audit is for the 2013-2014 fiscal year with the parks reopening on April 12, 2014.
In most north temperate zone locations, spring months are March, April and May, with spring beginning technically on March 20, 2014 and ending on June 20, 2014.

The month the parks opened shows just under a quarter of an inch

The month the parks opened shows just under a quarter of an inch


The bulk of Aprils rainfall, .200 fell on the 24th and 25th of the month.

Using the data available from WeatherCurrents.com for Wildomar which has a weather station which is located in the City of Wildomar near Durango Ct. and Union St, this places the weather station 3200 feet or 6 tenths of a mile as the crow flies from Regency Heritage Park and 2000 feet from Marna O’Brien one finds this statement to be complete fabrication of someones extremely vivid imagination as the whole rainfall season for 2013-2014 shows less half of the stated rainfall of one micro burst.
Seasonal Rainfall
Like “Punxsutawney Phil” (who was dropped on his head or “Concord Charlie” maybe even the lastest to join “Mojave Maxine” these predictions while fun to hear are about as accurate as shooting spit-wads in a hurricane.

Another bit of fiction in the claim is that Regency Heritage Park is a part of the County Flood system. Although there is an enormous volume of water channeled towards this park only a standard 10 foot wide easement for the free flow of water exist in county records.

VISIT A PARK AN MAKE SOME MUSIC

It took a little over 9 1/2 months but one can now visit two of parks in Wildomar and make music on the chime panels located in the Tot-Lots at two of the parks.
(These panels are designed to promote auditory stimulation per the manufacturer)

Chimes located at Windsong and Marna O'Brien Parks Tot-Lots

Chimes located at Windsong and Marna O’Brien Parks Tot-Lots

Also replaced this week were Bubble Panels and Slant window panels that allow a child to view the playgrounds while developing Visual and Proprioception (a sense of how our bodies are positioned) along with motor planning skills. There cool too.

New Bubble Panel at Windsong Park from the outside.

New Bubble Panel at Windsong Park from the outside.


Thru the eyes of a child without the worry of falling

Thru the eyes of a child without the worry of falling

Not to be forgotten the slant panel a Regency Heritage Park was fixed along with the one at Marna O’Brien Park.

Chickened out looking from the inside out

Chickened out looking from the inside out

A sight better than before

What was at the park opening day

What was at the park opening day

We can see clearly now the fog is gone

We can see clearly now the fog is gone

Back at Windsong Park a much needed replacement of the mirror that was talked about recently has been completed with the refurbishment of the periscope.

The side discussed recently

The side discussed recently


Little notice backside of the mirror

Little notice backside of the mirror


Up periscope

Up periscope

Some much needed and required signage was also updated reminding parents and children of the dangers created by helmet, hoodies an other object around the neck while playing. The need for parental supervision is also noted

Age appropriateness is also included in the signs. Older kids need to be aware of the younger children

Age appropriateness is also included in the signs. Older kids need to be aware of the younger children

Please check for hot surfaces when the weather gets warmer
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