Lake Elsimore CA ban on fireworks is strengthened

http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_S_sfirework11.409a020.html#
10:00 PM PDT on Tuesday, April 10, 2007

By MARY BENDER
The Press-Enterprise

LAKE ELSINORE - The city's ban against fireworks, including so-called safe and sane varieties, had long been condensed to a single, generally-worded paragraph in the Lake Elsinore Municipal Code.

On Tuesday night, the City Council tossed out that old version and replaced it with Riverside County's longer and more specific fireworks ban, which will become law in Lake Elsinore when the ordinance takes effect in 30 days.

The City Council introduced the seven-page ordinance at its March 27 meeting. On Tuesday, the council adopted it unanimously and without comment.

"This gives us the tools to provide better enforcement," city spokesman Mark Dennis said after the meeting.

The fireworks ban imposes fines ranging from $500 to $1,000 for anyone convicted of using, possessing, storing, manufacturing, selling, transporting, igniting, discharging or exploding any fireworks, whether they be illegal varieties or others sold in many Southern California cities.

Offenders also could face a one-year term in Riverside County jail if convicted.

Further, under the ordinance, a property owner also will be held responsible if he or she allows people to engage in any of the banned activity on his or her property.

The ordinance will be in place by summer, when fireworks usage peaks.

Earlier this year, the Western Riverside Council of Governments urged local cities, including Lake Elsinore, to incorporate Riverside County's detailed fireworks ordinance into their own municipal codes, Dennis said.

The new regulations will enhance the "preservation of the public peace, health (and) safety," the ordinance states, citing the danger of injury, especially to children. "Fireworks are often stored without safety precautions in residential neighborhoods," it said.

"Fireworks often come from countries where safety regulations for making fireworks are not as stringent as those for fireworks manufactured in the United States," the code states.

The ordinance spells out specific ingredients that are banned, including arsenic sulfide, phosphorous and boron, and types of fireworks that fall under the new prohibitions, including skyrockets that "rise into the air during discharge," Roman candles or similar devices that "discharge balls of fire into the air," chasers that "dart or travel about the surface of the ground during discharge," and any sort of firework made to explode in a manner unexpected by the user.

The ordinance allows a few categories of people to use fireworks -- most notably licensed pyrotechnic operators who have been granted a permit from the fire chief and the sheriff to stage a public fireworks display, such as those sponsored by cities on Independence Day.

On the permit application, the pyrotechnician must detail the site where the fireworks will be discharged and make a diagram of the area, showing the location of trees, telephone lines, buildings, roads and spectators.

Reach Mary Bender at 951-893-2103 or mbender@PE.com

Lomita CA plans to extinguish fireworks this Fourth of July

http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/articles/7077331.html?showAll=y&c=y

Lomita plans to extinguish fireworks this Fourth of July
They already are illegal, and officials promise to get tougher. A new ordinance will make violations punishable by fines and jail.

By Nick Green
STAFF WRITER

Last year Lomita Mayor Mark Waronek stood at a friend's house in Rolling Hills Estates on Independence Day looking down on the city.

Despite a ban on fireworks enacted in Lomita in 1986, the night sky above it was ablaze with cascading showers of sparks.

"I was amazed, it looked like Fallujah," Waronek said. "It's like a war zone. ... It was an eye-opening experience, it really was."

So eye-opening, in fact, that Monday, at the urging of Waronek, Lomita approved an aggressive ordinance that toughens the punishment for anyone using fireworks in the city. In the past sheriff's deputies have simply confiscated fireworks. Now violators will be slapped with a misdemeanor and face six months in jail and a fine of up to $500.

To enforce the tough ordinance, a Fireworks Eradication Team consisting of four sheriff's deputies and four plainclothes officers or volunteers will fan out across the city citing offenders and confiscating fireworks.

"We're serious -- there's a new sheriff in town," City Manager Tom Odom said. "If we catch you, we're going to prosecute you."

The tough new stance against fireworks marks a complete turnaround for the mayor, who last year urged the City Council to discuss lifting the ban so charitable groups could once more cash in on the sale of fireworks.

But that effort fizzled rapidly.

Odom noted in a report to the City Council on Monday that municipal employees receive a "barrage of complaints" every year over illegal fireworks.

"Animals go crazy, kids get hurt and it has just become a real problem -- it puts senior citizens on edge," Odom said. "Based on the complaints we get, there are more citizens against them than for them."

In the South Bay, only five cities -- Carson, Inglewood, Gardena, Hawthorne and Lawndale -- still allow so-called safe-and-sane fireworks.

Lomita's ordinance will be officially adopted in 30 days and become law 30 days after that, just in time for fireworks season.

The strict ordinance is essentially an admission that previous efforts to stop people setting off fireworks in the city have failed.

The city formerly attempted to educate residents on the dangers of fireworks by focusing on the fire danger created.

Last year the city spent just $1,069 on fireworks enforcement; this year that bill will rise to about $20,000.

Lomita plans an all-out public relations blitz to discourage fireworks.

Electric signs along roads, public service announcements on cable, warnings in utility bills and other measures will alert the public about the new ordinance.

Parks personnel will set sprinkler start times to 9 p.m. from July 1 through July 7.

And the Fireworks Eradication Team will prowl city streets from 8 p.m. to midnight around the holiday looking for people who dare to wave so much as a sparkler around.

"The main thing is enforcement," Waronek said. "I love fireworks, but you've got to do it in a safe-and-sane manner. I'll go to another city and enjoy the Fourth of July."

nick.green@dailybreeze.com

LA County $21 Billion (thats billion) budget starts July 07

When you think of "B"illion dollar budgets you think federal, not county level. Once again robing Peter to pay Paul. The Supes must be saying to themselves "Perhaps we can work some magic again and push all these tough issues onto the next administration or at least until we can scurry out of office". We love the part about the falling property tax revenues for 2007-08. We have not seen the bottom yet and they plan for a 6% increase. Full speed ahead! Oh and don't forget about that Measure B we passed a few years back..remember that?

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-budget17apr17,1,6732162.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-california
L.A. County to boost public safety funds
Its budget earmarks money to revamp jails, add deputies to streets and target gang crime. But the healthcare deficit remains a challenge.
By Jack Leonard and Susannah Rosenblatt
Times Staff Writers

April 17, 2007

Spurred by the last year's increases in home prices, rising property tax revenues will help fund a boost in public safety spending in the coming fiscal year as Los Angeles County seeks to refurbish its aging and dangerous jail system, put more sheriff's deputies on the streets and target gang crime, officials said Monday.

The 2007-08 proposed budget, unveiled by Chief Administrative Officer David Janssen, also earmarks money to redesign juvenile camps, overhaul camp management and upgrade security in an effort to fix the county's troubled juvenile detention system. The U.S. Department of Justice has demanded improvements to the county's three halls and is investigating conditions in its probation camps.

Janssen's $21-billion budget plan, which would take effect July 1, most likely marks his last as the county's top fiscal officer. Janssen officially retired in January. But after a failed search for his replacement, he agreed to remain for the rest of the year.

The budget is a far cry from Janssen's first in 1997. At the time, the county faced painful job cuts as it struggled to cope with a ballooning deficit in its health system and the aftermath of a recession.

Still, Janssen, known for his fiscal caution, raised some warning flags Monday about the county's future finances, citing the looming healthcare deficit and concern over the cost of retired employees' healthcare benefits. In addition, he said the slowdown in home sales will undoubtedly cut into rising property taxes. He estimates a 6% increase next year rather than this year's 10%.

"We have challenges," Janssen said. "I think we've demonstrated over a number of years now our capacity to deal with budget challenges, so I'm not exercised or concerned about whether or not we're going to be able to deal with those challenges."

The most intractable problem remains the public healthcare system's deficit, which is projected by some county estimates to reach $794 million over five years. The new budget does not cure the problem. Indeed, Janssen said that he employed "very optimistic assumptions" in drafting the healthcare budget and that the gloomy financial forecast could eventually lead to cuts in health services.

Supervisor Don Knabe said in a statement he was concerned that the health department's fiscal outlook was "quickly reaching a day of reckoning," and he voiced concern about the uncertainty of federal funding.

Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky underscored the fragility of the health department's finances, but said the county had previously been able to cobble together needed funds with a combination of federal, state and county dollars.

"Every year we get to the brink," Yaroslavsky said, "we're able to patch things together."

The health department will receive $190 million to help complete a state-of-the-art medical center that is replacing County-USC Medical Center in East L.A. along with upgrades at two other county hospitals.

Similar construction funds have been put away for the county's beleaguered jail system, which has been beset over the last few years with violence and overcrowding that forced the Sheriff's Department to release inmates early.

The budget includes $245 million to add much-needed jail beds to house inmates, including barracks for women at the Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic, and to refurbish the empty Sybil Brand Institute jail for women in Monterey Park. It will take several years to finish the project.

Under Janssen's plan, the Sheriff's Department also could add 165 deputies to patrol jail corridors and hallways where inmates have taken advantage of limited security to attack one another. An extra $16 million will pay for a redesign of the aging Men's Central Jail.

Melinda Bird, senior counsel for the ACLU of Southern California, said that she welcomed the proposal but that the jails need even more deputies.

"Our inmates-to-deputy ratio is far too high," she said. "It contributes to violence, inmate rape and generally poor and unconstitutional conditions."

Sheriff Lee Baca applauded the budget for adding more than 100 deputies to patrol unincorporated areas of the county, which suffered staffing cutbacks during lean times a few years ago.

"With this additional amount, it's quite a recovery," Baca said. "It should be exactly where we were before, and it could be beyond it."

Gang suppression efforts will also receive an additional $6.4 million.

But Supervisor Mike Antonovich said the extra funding was not enough, given the scope of public safety problems.

"This budget severely shortchanges the Sheriff's Department's ability to properly address the gang problem and jail security," Antonovich said in a statement.

Like most public agencies, the county has done nothing to deal with the growing bill it will face in future years for retiree health benefits. Rather than putting money away, the county simply pays the cost of retiree benefits each year ($377 million this year).

The projected cost over the next few decades is likely to be a lot more. A grand jury estimate two years ago put the figure at $9 billion. But Janssen, whose office has conducted informal estimates in preparation for a more comprehensive study due in the next month, said that figure could be low. "I'd be happy if it wasn't more than $14 billion," he said.

The county, he added, must quickly put money aside to meet its commitments. He suggested starting with $400 million in surplus pension funds and $17 million from next year's regular budget.

Janssen is expected to present the budget to the Board of Supervisors today. Hearings start May 9.

jack.leonard@latimes.com

susannah.rosenblatt@latimes .com

Canyon Lakes, CA bans fireworks

City Connection: Council meeting recap

http://www.thefridayflyer.com/FF-2007-4-13/FFS-6558.htm
By Shannon Weatherford
Reporter

The Canyon Lake City Council’s regular monthly meeting was held last Wednesday, April 4, with all members of Council present.

[snip]

Fireworks ordinance
In an effort to maintain continuity of prohibitions and penalties throughout Riverside County for the use and possession of illegal fireworks, the City of Canyon Lake adopted Ordinance No. 97 Prohibiting the Use of Fireworks in the City, mirroring County of Riverside Ordinance 858 Prohibiting Fireworks. Included are prohibitions on the possession, storage, use and discharge of defined fireworks. Manufacturing of fireworks without special permits is also expressly prohibited and penalties for all aspects are specified as well.

California public employees gain generous benefits while public sleeps

LAAG could not have said this any better than Mr. Boren. Kudos. Maybe the politicos are starting to listen to the natives beating the drums?

California public employees gain generous benefits while public sleeps
http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/13986

By JIM BOREN
The special interests usually have their way when the public doesn't pay attention to policy decisions on issues that seem arcane to most taxpayers. Quite simply, the ones paying the bills get ripped off because government bores them.

Then they wake up one day to find they've been funding political giveaways for years, and that's threatening their favorite programs. Elementary school music is being cut; a fire station is being closed; a program for seniors is being eliminated. Now they're mad, but often it's too late.

Generous public employee pensions in California and excessive health benefits for the retirees are examples of the public not giving a thought to costly programs that could fundamentally change the mission of public agencies. But who cares about actuarial tables and unfunded liabilities? Besides, we have a short attention span and the problems won't be felt for a generation.

It's interesting to see what upsets the public. Californians started an election rebellion over paying an excessive car tax, but they didn't say a word about lucrative pension programs that may give public employees more money in retirement than they were paid for working.

The high car tax in California helped to get Gov. Gray Davis recalled in 2003, but a more serious Davis misstep _ heaping benefits on public employees that the state couldn't afford _ didn't make the voters' radar.

But decisions on employee benefits at all levels of government threaten the ability of agencies to provide the services they were created to perform. In school districts, for example, money is being sucked out of the classroom to pay for health benefits. The biggest problem is the increasing burden of retiree benefits.

School trustees in the Fresno Unified School District began controlling these costs last year and the retirees responded by suing them. Even though they were being asked to contribute a tiny amount toward their health care, they've rebelled.

Unfortunately, they think the money to pay for health benefits somehow magically appears. One retiree said the other day that it doesn't matter what the actuarial tables say, the state will bail out the school districts.

But this could be a house of cards, and one day retirees may have nothing at all as the government agencies supporting them go bankrupt. Who will they sue then?

A new report underscores the problem in California. Local governments and school districts in California face rising retiree health care costs and that could divert money from community services, according to the California HealthCare Foundation.

New federal accounting rules are beginning to reveal the huge liability that has been mounting in most public agencies in recent years. The rules, which will be phased in beginning next year, will require public agencies to report the cost of retiree benefits.

That should draw "increased attention to retiree health care spending," according to the CHCF. "This report is intended to stimulate a frank conversation about this important issue," said Mark D. Smith, the CHCF's CEO.

But a frank discussion will only occur if the public pressures elected officials to deal with the problem. In the current environment, public employees control the political agenda.

The Center for Government Analysis estimates that retiree health care costs for public employees in California will be $31 billion per year by 2020.

Pensions for public employees are another big problem. San Diego was the poster child for the problem. The city's pension fund was nearly $2 billion upside down last year, and it threatened every city program, including public safety.

In Fresno County, a grand jury investigation said the county faces "insurmountable debt" if retirement costs aren't contained. The report said the county couldn't afford to pay retirement benefits owed to its 4,000 retirees and 7,000 current employees without going to the taxpayers for more money.

The problem was magnified in Fresno because the county allowed retirees to manipulate the method for calculating their pay. The "Fresno method" resulted in some retirees getting more money in retirement than they earned while working. A judge ruled in 2004 that the Fresno method was improper and the pensions of about 600 employees had to be recalculated.

Employee unions continually push for increases in benefits, even when it's not financially wise. But unions take no responsibility if government agencies give benefits when they shouldn't.

Consider this union response in an Associated Press story last week: "If they haven't been looking at the numbers, shame on them," said John Abraham of the American Federation of Teachers.

That's another reason taxpayers should be paying attention to public employee benefits. Unfortunately, they're more interested in the latest antic of Paris Hilton.

Jim Boren is The Fresno Bee's editorial page editor. E-mail him at jboren(at)fresnobee.com or write him at 1626 E St., Fresno 93786.

Highland CA plans to vigorously promote its ban on fireworks

Does not look like a new ban but rather putting some teeth into an existing ban

10:00 PM PDT on Wednesday, April 11, 2007
http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_S_bfireworks12.40610b2.html

By JULIE FARREN
The Press-Enterprise

Highland plans to vigorously promote its ban on fireworks over the next three months through fliers to all homeowners, notices in utility bills and magnetic signs on city-owned vehicles.

The Highland City Council voted 3-0 Tuesday night to approve the public awareness campaign. Councilman John Timmer and Councilwoman Jody Scott were absent.

According to a staff report, complaints by residents and City Council members about fireworks are increasing.

"It's been an ongoing problem in this community for years," said City Manager Joe Hughes.

The public awareness campaign will cost $8,000 for printing, addressing and postage for the notice mailed to residents and community organizations, the staff report said. The notice, printed in English and Spanish, also will be included with June utility bills and on mailers sent home with students.

The Highland sheriff's Citizens on Patrol volunteers will go door-to-door to notify residents of the citywide prohibition, according to the staff report.

Overtime has been approved for additional law enforcement officers to enforce the policy leading up to the Fourth of July holiday and immediately afterward.

Highland will notify neighboring cities of the effort and city officials plan to coordinate all the citations for one court date to minimize overtime costs.

The city must get serious about ensuring that anyone violating the fireworks policy is held responsible, Mayor Ross Jones said.

"It's going to have no value unless we enforce it," Jones said.

Anyone caught using fireworks could receive a citation and fine of up to $500, or could be arrested, Highland sheriff's officials said.

Reach Julie Farren at 909-806-3066 or jfarren@PE.com

Stockton CA City Council bans 'safe and sane' fireworks

As you can see the police and fire departments think outlawing safe and sane will draw more illegal fireworks into the city. Well had they read the LACFD report from 2005 (see our story here ) they would know that it has just the opposite effect, much to the dismay of the smoke and fire (safe and sane) peddlers.


By David Siders
Record Staff Writer
April 04, 2007 6:00 AM

STOCKTON - The City Council outlawed fountains, spinners and other backyard fireworks Tuesday, ruling even fireworks designated by the state to be "safe and sane" are a hazard.

The prohibition - affecting fireworks that typically do not fly or explode - formalizes a ban the city enforced for years, before finding last year that no rule existed. It allows officials to confiscate the fireworks they find.

Fire and police officials warned legalizing even some fireworks might prompt the peddlers of illegal fireworks - fireworks that are not designated by the state to be safe and sane are illegal across California - to sell dangerous firecrackers and rockets near legitimate stands. Police have more important work to do than to regulate the industry, Police Chief Wayne Hose said.

The council grieved briefly for the pyrotechnic spirit of the Fourth of July; that sentiment did not prevail. "This is for the safety of our community," Councilwoman Rebecca Nabors said.

A fireworks company and Stockton Baptist School, which sells fireworks to raise money but has previously had to travel to do so, said fireworks are a tradition worth having. They have said the designation "safe and sane" suggests the state does not find such fireworks hazardous.

TNT Fireworks Inc.'s Don Pascarella asked the council to "give it (legalized fireworks) one try."

Fireworks designated by the state to be safe and sane are legal unless a local body votes to prohibit them. Fireworks are legal in Manteca, Ripon and Escalon, but not in Tracy, Lodi or unincorporated San Joaquin County.

The council's decision to ban fireworks followed the city's announcement this year that it was too dangerous to continue the public fireworks display at Weber Point. Deputy Fire Chief Dave Hafey said Tuesday that the city is close to a deal with a private landowner to launch the show from a different place.

Contact reporter David Siders at (209) 943-8580 or dsiders@recordnet.com. Visit his blog.

LACFD report proves LAAG was right on fireworks

LAAG just located the "2005 Fireworks Report" prepared by the LA County Fire Dept. for all county ares they patrol and all cities in the county that contract with them for fire protection. Fortunately the County provided all the raw data on the fires caused by Fireworks, both "illegal", "safe and sane" and fires caused by both or an unknown source believed to be some type of pyrotechnic device, legal or illegal.

Take a look at the chart below. Pay particular attention to the top row as compared to the middle row. What this shows is that County wide is that there are more than twice the incidents involving ALL types of fireworks (both "illegal" and "safe & sane") in the cities that allow safe and sane versus the cities that outlaw all firework use. Now what is even more interesting is that if you look at only incidents involving "illegal" fireworks (those banned statewide) (column 6) there is still almost twice the number of incidents in cities that allow safe and sane fireworks as those that don't.

Click on chart to enlarge it.



So LAAG appears to have been correct in its conclusion (during the Nov 2006 election) that cities that allow safe and sane fireworks are magnets not only for "illegal" fireworks but an increased number of incidents involving only "illegal" fireworks. This data is borne out also by the incidents in the County of LA areas, all of which ban safe and sane fireworks.

Also remember that all this data and the types of fireworks that caused the fires or injuries was all prepared by the LA County Fire Dept. Not LAAG or the fireworks companies.

Another bit of information from the report. There was close to 200,000 property damage (not including brush fires or LACFD costs) from fireworks alone in 2005. Also there were 12 injuries. Again the fire figure is likely fairly accurate (as its hard to hide a fire) but the injury county is probably low especially in cases of adult injuries and not wanting to report and injury from use of an illegal firework.

If you would like to see a full copy of the report please contact us at the email address on the right side of this page.

Open and Accessible government....are they kidding?

Remarks by Mayor Diane DuBois on assuming the office of Mayor of Lakewood
March 27, 2007

This is taken from the announcement verbatim:

"Accessible government
We also pledge to uphold another Lakewood value: an open and accessible city government. Our new “Lakewood Connect” service provides you with 24/7 access to city services and information. It provides a way for you to track the status of your service requests.It makes your city more accountable to you in meeting your service needs. I invite you to go online today to www.lakewoodcity.org and become more connected to your community."

As it happens LAAG sent an email to the City Council on March 27, 2007 noting how lacking its website was [see 3/27/07 email below]. As of this date there has been no response at all. Typical. Is this the City's idea of an open government? Is not responding their way of dealing with the problem? Apparently. We also requested that the city (on more than one occasion) keep the agendas current on the web page. The city responded that essentially they are not required to and that this is just done as a courtesy to residents. We pointed out it was not a courtesy if it was not current. It was basically useless.

Why does LAAG make such a big deal over openness? Well look at the scandals that have happened in a number of small cities in LA county (Like Maywood and Cudahy to name a few) that were essentially allowed to fester due to the fact that there really was no one watching the city council. We have lots of investigative reporters looking into what the federal government and the state are doing but very little at the city level. All this is made harder by a lack of "REAL" information.

LAAG is pretty much fed up with Lakewood City Hall refusing to post agendas timely on the website at least 72 hours before the city council meetings. The law only requires that they post the agendas somewhere at city hall (broom closet?) and three other "mystery" public places not on the website. (Supposedly they are also at the Library on Calrk St. but no luck there finding anything current) Why might you ask would they fail to post this information on the website? After all they post dance class schedules there. Well the best way to "slip" things past sleeping voters is to just not alert them to issues and do the the bare minimum as required by law (ie don't post stuff on the site or send out an email with real agenda items on it or you could end up with some angry or curious residents at your meeting and they don't want that!)

As for the agendas this was brought to the city's attention a few times but still the repeated problem has not been fixed. For example as of 1/15/07 the current agenda posted on the website was 12/12/06. As of 3/17/07 the "most current" agenda posted on the site is dated 2/27/07. This is a big deal as the agenda is the only way busy residents can see what is going on and if they need to go to a meeting. That is the purpose of agendas.

Our 3/21/07 email inquired further specifically on the agenda posting:

"Where exactly are they [the agendas] posted [by law], when exactly are they posted, during what hours are they available and is the full agenda package [supporting and backup material] available for viewing at those three "public" locations? Is the city hall closing always the Friday before the tues meeting? As you know making this available M-Th 9am 5pm is not really convenient for most people who work.

As far as US mailing agendas what does that cost per year? Also are they put in the mail 72 hrs (3 days) before the meeting or earlier? I would suspect that [LAAG] would not get them in sufficient time to act on anything in the agenda."

There was no response to this above email as of 4/1/07.

LAAG has asked the Sheriff's department on 4 separate occasions for the last two months for crime statistics for 2006. No response at all. So we will have to do a public records act request. Neither the City nor the Sheriff's department apparently feels it is worth their time to document and back up their vague and grandiose statements about crime "reduction".

This is just a sampling of the lack of information about current issues being decided in the city. The email below contains more examples.

Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2007 15:13:55 -0700

To: TSRR@msn.com (Todd Rogers, City Council), bayoujo@aol.com (Joe Esquivel, City Council), JEsquive@lakewoodcity.org (Joe Esquivel, City Council), oldeacon@aol.com (Larry Van Nostran, city council), LVanNost@lakewoodcity.org (Larry Van Nostran, city council), stacro@aol.com (Steve Croft, city council), DDuBois@lakewoodcity.org (Diane DuBois, City Council), HChamber@lakewoodcity.org (Howard Chambers, City Mgr), SRuyle@lakewoodcity.org (Sandi Ruyle, Deputy City Mgr), LNovotny@lakewoodcity.org (Lisa Novotny Asst City Mgr), MStover@lakewoodcity.org (Mike Stover Asst City Mgr), "Denise Hayward, Lkwd City Clerk"

From: "www.LAAG.us | Lakewood Accountability Action Group"

Subject: web page..."Times change....Lakewood doesn't"

Cc: "Bob Brammer, Lkwd webmaster" , "Linda Price"


One of many examples of how you do a city web page right. http://www.cityoftemecula.org/Temecula/Government/Meetings_and_Agendas/CityCouncil/

FYI: temecula pop: 93,923 (2006)

Temecula: One click and you can email all the city council members with real city email addresses:

Lakewood: Email addresses not even provided

Temecula: Minutes and agendas posted TIMELY and archived (back to 1/06) in an easy to locate fashion

Lakewood: nope

Temecula: Agenda also have supporting materials on line!! All linked to the agenda..what a dream

Lakewood: Dream on...cant even get the agenda to the library next door on time...in good old 1950's paper version

Temecula: Full screen windows media (also on FIOS tv) and ARCHIVED ready for viewing ANY TIME

Lakewood: Better be sitting at your computer at 730pm stream time as its not archived video like everyone else does on You Tube

Temecula: Public hearing notices: http://www.cityoftemecula.org/Temecula/Government/PublicHearing/

Lakewood: Nope

Temecula: Business licences on line:
http://www.cityoftemecula.org/Temecula/Businesses/Assistance/BusinessLicenses/BusLic.htm

Lakewood: cant even put the business lic. form on line! let alone the licences

Temecula Muni code: http://www.cityoftemecula.org/Temecula/Government/CityClerk/CodeOrdinancesResos/
(of course they use Lexis like many cities; first rate and up to date; the WHOLE code; I mentioned Lexis to you months ago)

Lakewood: only 2 muni code articles. Most of the code is missing. Project mired down and way behind the times and behind schedule.

Temecula: lots of current info on line http://laserfiche.cityoftemecula.org/weblink7/Browse.aspx?dbid=2

Minutes, agendas and ordinances back to 1989!!! Note they are even using a more updated version of Laser fiche than Lakewood (it has a search function Lakewood's does not...very helpful)

Lakewood: Nope...you want a record come down and look at it (..oh and were are closed alternating Fridays)

Temecula: parcel info all online: http://chtemp.cityoftemecula.org/GIS_ArcIMS/Viewer/Top/Viewer.asp?app=parcels
http://www.cityoftemecula.org/Temecula/Government/IS_GIS/GIS/

Lakewood: looked up "GIS" on Lakewood page and got this??: http://www.lakewoodcity.org/news/displaynews.asp?NewsID=822

Temecula: Entire 214 page current budget on line as well as the 2006-07 CIP Budget and the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) (160 pages)
http://www.cityoftemecula.org/Temecula/Government/Finance/Budget/

Lakewood: Have to make due with 39 pages of cute pictures and pie charts http://www.lakewoodcity.org/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=3680
(dont want to get into all those numbers as the devil is in the details);

FYI: Lakewood budget 55 million and temecula is 61 million (but they have a few more residents and their own PD; yet another story)

Even the city council resumes are impressive: http://www.cityoftemecula.org/Temecula/Government/CouncilCommissions/CityCouncil/

(Of course I guess that is why the Temecula web page is clean, up to date and thorough (less fluff on softball and more meat on what the city is doing or not doing)

No go back and look at your web page again and see what you can improve. Quite frankly I think there is lots of room for improvement and I think Lakewood is in the bottom tier of cities with respect to meaty information on their website. On another note I also asked the city clerk in Temecula if the city will email electronic versions of documents for free and they said yes. And they responded the same day they received the email.

Maps: issues arround Lakewood

This is a work in progress. Here we attempt to use Google maps to share issues around Lakewood CA

click here to see map of bicycle problems in Lakewood

click here to see a map of Lakewood points of interest

click here to see map of general problems in Lakewood

click here to see map of Verizon Fios installations in North Lakewood CA 90712-90713