Carmel Mountain Ranch Community Council

Meeting Minutes 10/12/05

Meeting held at CMR Library

Draft Submitted by Deva Edelman

The regular meeting of the CMRCC was held at the Carmel Mountain Ranch Branch Library on October 12th, 2005. Joetta Mihalovich, chair, called the meeting to order at 6:35 pm. Official business was conducted as reported below.

Members Present Members Absent Members Excused
Joetta MihalovichRay LishPhil BellCyndie BradleyJim HaugheyDeva EdelmanKelly Rudiger BinghamMichelle KeplerJohn PedroarenaDiane DeBerry

Guests: Officer Paul Lennon, SDPD; Courtney Smith, Councilman Brian Maienschein’s Office; Jennifer Cordeau, San Diego Planning Department; Jim Gonsalves, Supervisor Pam Slater’s Office; Randy Plese, CMR Fire Station; Ron Coss, City of San Diego Water Department; Charles Sirois, Carmel Mountain Ranch Country Club; Carl DeMaio, Performance Institute

Approval of Minutes
Minutes from 09-15-05 meeting were approved.

CMRCC Business
CMR Fire Station: Randy Plese reported:
· There are a number of disaster preparedness steps people should take in case of natural disaster or terrorist attack. At work, these include knowing your company’s evacuation plan, and keeping a flashlight on hand. In the car, keep emergency supplies and a map to help find alternate routes. At home, assemble an emergency kit with items such as food, water, medications, trash bags, flashlight, and charcoal for cooking. Also have an emergency escape plan, with a designated meeting place. Have your family practice an evacuation drill.

Supervisor Pam Slater’s Office: Jim Gonsalves reported:
· Terminating gridlock is a problem shared by all San Diegans. Supervisor Slater this month addressed the Women’s Transportation Seminar, an international organization seeking to advance the transportation industry and the role of women in this field.

· Childhood obesity is a growing problem. In March, Supervisor Slater hosted a School Food Summit that brought together more than 250 educators and nutritionists concerned about this crisis.

· A study has determined that a lack of sand on San Diego beaches has contributed to bluff failures along the coast. Supervisor Slater is pushing for federal funding to replenish the beach sand.

San Diego Police Department: Officer Paul Lennon reported:
· The San Diego Police Department will have a booth at the Carmel Mountain Ranch Fall Festival on October 23rd.

· Former Captain of the Northeastern Division Chris Ball has been replaced by Captain Jim Collins. Captain Collins used to run the homicide division, and has been on the force for 37 years. Captain Ball is not Captain of the Central Division Downtown. Natalie Stone is the new Lieutenant of the Northeastern Division.

Councilman Brian Maienschein’s Office: Courtney Smith reported:
· The Carmel Mountain Ranch Fall Festival will be Sunday, October 23rd. The Councilman will have a booth.

· Councilman Maienschein is working with CalTrans to remove trash along the I-15 off ramps.

· CalTrans I-15 expansion and HOV lane construction are on schedule to be completed in 2007. Construction near Lake Hodges may be delayed because of rains.

· This month marks the second anniversary of the Cedar Fire. 96% of destroyed homes have been issued permits, and 61% of homes have been completed.

San Diego Planning Department: Jennifer Cordeau reported:
· On October 13, the general plan committee will meet to discuss revised organization and structure, and present a preliminary draft.

· On October 13, and pedestrian master plan and traffic calming open house will be held at Balboa Park.

· A Community Orientation Workshop will be held on October 27 from 6-8pm.

Chair’s Report: Joetta Mihalovich reported:
· The Carmel Mountain Ranch Fall Festival will be held on October 23 from 10am-5pm on Carmel Mountain Road. Shea Homes has recently contributed $1000.

· The Carmel Mountain Ranch community website is located at http://www.neighborhoodlink.com. Neighborhood phone numbers, library hours, etc., will be posted, as well as agendas for upcoming CMRCC meetings and minutes from previous meetings.

· The Savannah Terrace development in Sabre Springs is being expanded. An amendment to the plan is going to the planning commission to change the zoning of parcel 16 to allow building of 42 more units.

Presentations
City of San Diego Water Department: Ron Coss reported:
· San Diego currently imports 85% of its water from the San Francisco Bay Delta and the Colorado River Aqueduct. San Diego currently uses more that its allotted share of the Colorado River water, and over the next 15 years will have to reduce use to the allotted amount. We are currently using 8% less water per person than 10 years ago. San Diego’s population is expected to increase up to 50% over the next 20 years.

· San Diego owns two water reclamation plants, with a treatment capacity of 45 million gallons per day. Only about 6.5 million gallons per day is currently being used. Of this, 92% is used to irrigate landscaping, and the rest is used for industrial purposes. The Otay Water District is building a pipeline expected to be finished in 2008 which will allow for 6 million more gallons per day to be used.

· The City Council is creating a water re-use study to explore ways to increase our use of reclaimed water. Options include expanding current distribution systems, creating wetlands, and creating reservoirs.

Carmel Mountain Ranch Country Club: Charles Sirois reported:
· October 20 has been set as a tentative date for meeting of a focus group which will discuss issues surrounding the Country Club.

· On October 3rd, the Country Club started it’s yearly maintenance program. This includes punching the greens and overseeding, a process which takes about two weeks.

· The Country Club has been addressing the removal of vegetation and trees as requested by neighbors. The number to call with questions or concerns is 858.487.9224 x221. The Country Club is committed to a rapid response to requests from neighbors.

· The golf course is considering ideas to address concerns about the golf course being used as a “public park”. Neighbors have complained about people walking or driving on the golf course at night and causing disturbances. The golf course is concerned about public safety such as people being struck by golf balls while walking on the course. They are considering solutions such as putting up 2 miles of additional fencing, and are in communications with the homeowners associations as to what type of fencing this would be.

· The golf course is offering discounts to Carmel Mountain residents. Membership is $1800/ year plus $7 a round for CMR residents. Also, through the end of the year, CMR residents will get a 15% discount on clubhouse events.

The Performance Institute: Carl DeMaio reported:
· The Performance Institute is a private think tank seeking to improve government performance. The Institute is assessing the situation of the City of San Diego. The City has run a deficit every year for ten years. The pension system has run up a 2-2.5 billion dollar deficit. Waste water fees have increased every year, but the additional funds are not going to improve infrastructure as needed.

· The Institute has recommendations which are included in the Budget Accountability and Financial Recovery Initiative. These include rolling back illegal pension benefits, enforcing a balanced budget, electing a comptroller to audit city departments, ensuring full disclosure of city finances to the public, requiring future pension benefit changes be put to a public vote, and requiring competitive bidding of city services.

Action Items:
· Christine Taylor was elected to the CMRCC Board by unanimous vote. Ms. Taylor is a homeowner who resides on Eastbourne Road with her husband and two children.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:57 pm.