Tuesday’s City Council meeting highlighted awareness of drowning prevention, children’s mental health and more
The City Council on Tuesday discussed the importance of water safety and received a presentation about children’s mental health, among other business.
To help bring awareness to the importance of water safety, the Council proclaimed May through August as Drowning Prevention Awareness Months. Orange County Fire Authority Division Chief Cheyne Maule spoke about the devastating and traumatizing nature of these preventable incidents and the ABC’s of water safety – A is for Active Adult Supervision when children are near the water; B is for Barriers around the pool and spa; and C is for Classes to learn how to swim.
The City is hosting Water Safety Day and an open house from 2-4 pm on Saturday, May 20 at the Sierra Recreation and Fitness Center, 26887 Recodo Lane.
May 7-13 was proclaimed by the Council to be Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week in recognition that addressing the emotional and mental health needs of children and youth today is fundamental to the future. Board Member Amy Betonte from Orange County’s Extraordinary Lives Foundation accepted the proclamation and thanked the City "for recognizing the vital importance of community in raising happy and healthy children.”
In other Council news, during Council Comments, Mayor Brian Goodell described his recent meetings with the leadership of the Oceania National Olympic Committees regarding Mission Viejo being a potential training site as preparation for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games.
The City Council normally meets at 6 pm on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Meetings are streamed live on the City’s website and air on Cox Channel 30 and AT&T U-Verse Channel 99. Residents are encouraged to sign up for the City's eNewsletter and follow the City's official social media sites for the most accurate, up-to-date information.
Comments
At the May 9 council meeting…
At the May 9 council meeting, I raised the following concerns:
What are you doing to promote facilities to American athletes?
What are your economic expectations for our residents from the ONOC?
What are your definable and measurable goals and objectives?
What is the strategy to meet those goals and objectives?
The questions went unanswered.
When I was on the Council, an international event, the ITF tennis tournaments, was supposed to be cost-free but had a budget of about $50,000. By reviewing the check registers and making records requests, it appeared that about $250,000 was expended on an event that had minimal public interest or participation. The staff had by-passed the Council for these budget busting expenditures. My Council colleagues did nothing, barely a shrug of the shoulders.
Mayor Goodell is hopeful to attend another overseas meeting. As he is a Nadadores board member, whose interests are being represented on these city paid trips?
I cannot emphasize strong enough that the public needs to insist that this Council create a policy that prevents pet projects from being publicly funded without a public definable benefit.
The lack of accountability was stunning, and that culture continues to this day. And it will continue as long as the public allows it to continue.
