The cameras were installed earlier this year and “have already aided law enforcement in several incidents,” according to a report to council members from Assistant City Manager Dave Christian.

An early contract extension was offered by Georgia-based Flock Group, Inc., “in an effort to incentivize and retain customers,” Christian reported. Fullerton and Buena Park are among 13 Orange County cities contracting with the Flock Group for the license plate readers.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department asked the council to consider purchasing the cameras “in order to improve the public safety services they provide to the community,” Christian noted in an earlier report to council members.

“Specifically, the cameras would enhance (law enforcement) ability to find stolen vehicles, find ‘persons of interest’ and conduct investigations,” Christian said. He added, “What really makes (the Flock) product unique is the user interface software.

“Within the software component, law enforcement can receive hotlist alerts and create custom alerts for plates under investigation,” Christian said. The Flock Group camera systems are live in more than 600 cities in 38 states and are used by more than 210 police departments.

“It should be noted that all data will be transmitted in encrypted form directly from the cameras to the cloud stored where it can be accessed only by law enforcement for a period of one year,” Christian said. The cameras are powered by solar energy and are not wired to a power source.

Sheriff’s Department and city staffers worked with the Flock Group to identify various locations in the city that best capture the ingress and egress of vehicles. Most are mounted on existing city-owned poles.

Only one resident spoke in opposition to the cameras when they were first approved Dec. 20 on a 5-0 vote. There was no opposition expressed to the five-year extension, which was part of 15-item consent calendar approved on a 5-0 vote Oct. 17.

* * *

Forty-one Yorba Linda signalized intersections are part of a countywide synchronization project in cooperation with the Orange County Transportation Agency to update a 2009 plan to improve travel times, reduce delays and congestion and increase the number of successive green lights drivers experience in their daily commutes.

Included in the new council-approved pact is the creation of a countywide signal synchronization baseline by retiming some 2,500 county signals along regionally significant corridors to avoid crossing conflicts and ensure signal timing is based on current traffic volumes, according to a report to council members prepared by Tony Wang, the city’s traffic engineering manager.

Jim Drummond is a longtime Yorba Linda resident. He gives his opinion on local issues weekly. Send e-mail to jimdrummond@hotmail.com.

Superintendent Alex Cherniss and school board Trustee Leandra Blades spoke in opposition to the charter school petition by the California Republic Leadership Academy Yorba Linda at a public hearing before the Orange County Board of Education on Oct.4.

The county board is considering an appeal of the Placentia-Yorba Linda district’s denial of a petition to operate a kindergarten through eighth grade charter school in the district on a 5-0 vote at a meeting in August.

According to the county board’s 20-page policy on charter schools, the five county trustees have 30 days from the public hearing to grant or deny the petition, unless trustees and petitioner agree to extend the time period for another 30 days.

The next two county board meetings are Nov. 1 and Dec. 6 at the education department office in Costa Mesa. If the county’s board does not grant or deny the petition during that time period, the petitioner can appeal to the state board of education.

Speaking in support of the appeal were the charter’s Executive Director Gary Davis and several parents who hope to send their children to the charter school, which plans to provide a “classical leadership education.”

Previously, county trustees approved a California Republic Leadership Academy charter in the Capistrano Unified School District for kindergarten through eighth grade students that planned a “curriculum, culture and purpose based on the classical liberal arts tradition.”

Cherniss and Blades told county trustees the California Republic charter plan was “not right” for district students and the district plans a “better option” charter with an Orange County School of Computer Science.

The Placentia-Yorba Linda district’s “better option” is expected to be approved soon, perhaps at a Nov. 14 meeting. A public hearing to gauge support for the charter was held Oct. 10, with the presentation of an 83-page petition by Bernardo Yorba Middle School Principal Beth Fisher.

The petition proposes an in-depth computer science program for up to 1,000 seventh- and eighth-grade students that will start on Aug. 27 for the 2024-25 school year for an initial five-year period.

Cherniss addressed the fentanyl crisis in a recent online message saying that the district is taking “immediate proactive measures to make sure our kids do not fall victim to this dangerous drug that has infested our communities.”

In addition to “red ribbon” assemblies for high school students, the district plans presentations to parents and families through the Parent University program, led by Placentia police officers and county sheriff’s deputies.

And doses of Narcan, which can reverse opioid overdoses, are available at all school sites, with more than 250 employees trained in administration.

Jim Drummond is a longtime Yorba Linda resident. He gives his opinion on local issues weekly. Send e-mail to jimdrummond@hotmail.com.

And 63 seniors who earned the International Baccalaureate diploma at Valencia High School exceeded the number from the county’s other IB high schools, a record held for seven years.

Passing scores – three or higher on a five-point scale for AP and four or higher on a seven-point scale for IB – can earn university credit and allow students to bypass introductory courses. Decisions on credits and placement are made by individual universities.

A total of 4,493 AP examinations were administered during the annual May testing period to freshman through senior students at El Dorado, Esperanza, Valencia and Yorba Linda high schools, a nearly 7% increase over last year. The already high pass rate increased by 2%.

Here’s how each high school scored on the AP tests, according to district-provided data:

El Dorado administered 1,156 exams in 25 subjects for an 84% pass rate, up from 1,008 exams in 22 subjects for a 77% pass rate last year.

Esperanza administered 565 exams in 22 subjects for an 83% pass rate, up from 548 exams in 20 subjects for a 78% pass rate last year.

Valencia administered 1,557 exams in 29 subjects for an 86% pass rate, up from 1,473 exams in 24 subjects for an 87% pass rate last year.

Yorba Linda administered 1,215 exams in 26 subjects for an 88% pass rate, up from 1,083 exams in 27 subjects for an 88% pass rate last year.

Interestingly, AP Chinese language is now offered at each high school, and the pass rate for the 51 students who took the exam this year was 100%. And the number of chemistry exams administered jumped nearly 75% to 229 with a 98% pass rate.

The IB program at Valencia administered 412 exams in 19 subjects with a 93% pass rate. Currently, 65 seniors and 95 juniors are enrolled in IB, according to Fred Jenkins, IB coordinator.

Scores on 13 of the exams were significantly higher than world averages, including economics, computer science, psychology, biology and history, ranging from 18% to 75% higher.

The Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education diploma, offered at Valencia since 2021, represents “breadth across the curriculum and depth in selected subjects, with a balance of maths and sciences, languages and arts and humanities,” according to program criteria.

This year, the number of exams given increased by 122%, from 46 to 102; the pass rate increased by 9%, to 80%; and the number of 10th through 12th grade students taking an exam increased by 70%, from 44 to 75.

Jim Drummond is a longtime Yorba Linda resident. He gives his opinion on local issues weekly. Send e-mail to jimdrummond@hotmail.com.

Since the beginning of summer, the district renewed three agreements with the university that will place Cal State students in classroom settings for the next two or three years. Each of the agreements was approved on an unanimous vote by trustees.

And according to comments at an August meeting, district officials are in contact with College of Education administrators to return student teachers to the district’s 34 campuses. Assistant Superintendent Issaic Gates said he’s “hopeful” Cal State student teachers will be back.

The university had six student teachers in the district at the time of the withdrawal decision, down from the 70 to 80 normally placed in district elementary, middle and high school classrooms, according to EdSource, a nonprofit newsroom covering public education in the state.

One factor in the decision to withdraw student teachers was the district’s decision to prohibit the teaching of critical race theory, the first district in Orange County to establish such a ban in 2022.

Currently, the district has nearly 30 agreements with colleges and universities regarding the placement of interns in the district. Statements accompanying most of the agreements note the institutions screen interns, with participation in the pacts assisting in future recruitment.

The recently renewed pacts with Cal State include a Teaching Internship Program Agreement to provide support for non-credentialed teachers, an Affiliated Clinical Site Agreement for athletic training students and a Communicative Disorders Program Agreement for use by speech-language pathologists.

Other agreements approved by trustees in June, August and September include pacts to place student teachers, counselors, physical and occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists and speech-language pathology assistants with Central State University, Maryville University, Chapman University and Calvin University.

Others include Nova Southeastern University, Rancho Santiago Community College, Point Loma Nazarene University, Massachusetts Emerson College and Cal State East Bay.

* * *

The recent denial of a charter school petition submitted by California Republic Leadership Academy on a 5-0 trustee vote will be appealed to the Orange County Board of Education.

Currently, Orange County has 42 charter schools, including the 23 authorized by the county board. Some of the board-authorized charters were approved after being denied by districts.

The California Republic Leadership Academy has a county board-approved charter school for kindergarten through eighth grade students in the Capistrano Unified School District.

Jim Drummond is a longtime Yorba Linda resident. He gives his opinion on local issues weekly. Send e-mail to jimdrummond@hotmail.com.

And the increase in the number of units throughout the city will play a role in Yorba Linda’s plan to meet a state mandate to provide opportunities for 2,415 new housing units by 2029.

The units, which can be attached to a main house or stand separate on a residential property, are projected to account for 400 of the 2,415 units, with an anticipated unit breakdown based on household income: 100 very low, 172 low, 120 moderate and eight above moderate.

According to city-provided numbers, about 10 accessory dwelling unit permits were approved each year from 2018 through 2020, increasing to 27 approvals for 2021. A current estimate is that the city will begin approving 50 permits each year, leading to a total 400 by 2029.

The city adopted a new ordinance regarding requirements for the units in 2020 to comply with state legislation. Previously, the number of permits approved each year ranged from five to 11.

The time between application submission and permit approval has narrowed significantly, according to the city, and a pilot program to waive fees and additional plans to streamline the process and reduce upfront project costs will incentivize more of the affordable units.

The city also plans to promote units with handouts, simplified applications and a web page, as well as exploring a program to provide funding help to owners who sign affordability covenants.

A 275-page report from a 17-member working group of residents recently reviewed by the City Council noted that the city “has a number of unique characteristics that make the realistic development capacity” of accessory dwelling units “significantly higher than in many other parts of the region.”

Among the characteristics: large lot sizes, development standards that include lot coverage and setbacks, three-car garages and a high disposal income that can facilitate self-financed units.

The building of accessory dwelling units is not covered by the city’s right-to-vote initiative, which requires a public vote on major changes to zoning documents because the units are considered “by-right” opportunities.

Progress on production and affordability will be monitored each year, with reviews in 2024, 2026 and 2028 to evaluate if the number of units built will meet the goal of 400.

* * *

Mark Pulone, who has served as Yorba Linda’s city manager for 10 years, was granted a salary increase to $289,213 at the City Council’s Aug. 15 meeting. His contract term was extended an additional year to Sept. 30, 2026.

The increase included a 2% cost-of-living adjustment “as received by all city employees” and an additional 5% “based on exceptional merit and performance,” noted a report to the council from City Attorney Todd Litfin.

Jim Drummond is a longtime Yorba Linda resident. He gives his opinion on local issues weekly. Send e-mail to jimdrummond@hotmail.com.

In all, the 42 acres of vacant and underutilized land on the 25 properties could host 1,110 housing units, officials have said, but just four of the properties have been recommended for inclusion in the new housing plan for 203 units by a 17-member working group of residents.

Voters are expected to weigh in on the new plan in November 2024. A previous plan to rezone enough properties to meet the requirement was defeated with 75% of voters opposed last year.

Possible inclusion of the four religious properties in a revised ballot measure, as well as a 400% increase in housing units proposed for Savi Ranch (described in my Aug. 3 column), was included in the working group’s 275-page report.

According to the report, “(A)ffordable housing development can be an attractive option for congregations to off-load excess land, use proceeds to support existing ministries and live out their mission to love thy neighbor.”

The four sites recommended for using vacant or underutilized land for housing are Friendship Baptist Church on Bastanchury Road for 60 units on two acres; Richfield Community Church on Richfield Road for 55 units on 3.7 acres; Messiah Lutheran Church on Liverpool Street for 40 units on two acres; and Friends Church overflow parking on Mountain View Avenue for 48 units on 1.61 acres.

Religious properties recommended by the working group for removal from consideration were the Islamic Center on Eureka Avenue, Shinnyo-En USA on Bastanchury Road and Chabad Center on Yorba Linda Boulevard, which would have totaled 152 units on about five acres.

In addition, the 23-acre vacant parcel on Fairmont Boulevard owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints could handle 230 units, but the recommendation was for 196 units.

The city hosted a virtual meeting in 2021 which was attended by some 20 representatives from 12 congregations. The participants “generally favored” creating a Congregational Land Overlay Zone for religious properties, noted the working group’s report.

Currently, the city is developing standards to be used in the overlay zone. One key feature expected to be included is to allow congregations “to decrease on-site parking and remove nonessential buildings in order to accommodate housing,” the report stated.

While the working group report listed seven religious sites as “most viable for development,” all congregations in the city “will be eligible to take advantage of the additional development rights conferred by the overlay zone.”

The City Council voted 5-0 for staff “to consider and incorporate” the working group’s findings and conclusions as staff prepares revisions to the housing plan for the November 2024 ballot.

Jim Drummond is a longtime Yorba Linda resident. He gives his opinion on local issues weekly. Send e-mail to jimdrummond@hotmail.com.

A previous effort to rezone sufficient land to meet the state requirement failed by a 75% “no” vote in November. The new plan – anticipated for a November 2024 vote – adds eight acres in Savi Ranch to the rezoning plan for a 400% increase in the number of housing units.

In addition, Savi Ranch properties would see an increase in density from 35 units per acre to 60 units per acre, to bring the Savi Ranch contribution to meet the mandate to 790 units from the previous 200 units. Housing heights in Savi Ranch would be limited to five stories.

The Savi Ranch recommendation came from a 17-member, city-selected working group of residents that met six times under the guidance of a city-hired consultant, the Irvine-based marketing, technology and public affairs company Tripepi Smith.

A key reason for recommending the large increase in housing units in Savi Ranch is to revitalize a region that has some retail establishments struggling to survive and other areas needing new investment.

According to a lengthy report detailing the working group’s recommendations, the members “are excited at the possibility of a ‘downtown’ experience with mixed-use integrated into (the area), creating a retail and residence district that is similar” to other new development.

A major concern about the added housing numbers is increased traffic. The working group’s report noted the city is in the design phase of traffic improvements in the area, but additional units could return traffic conditions “back to what they are, as of June 2023.”

However, the city traffic consultant has reported that 850 units could be added to Savi Ranch without signalized intersections exceeding their target level of service numbers.

The 275-page report with the working group proposals and backup material is available by clicking on item 15, then “attachment 1” on the July 18 council agenda on the city’s website.

* * *

Solar canopies will be installed in portions of the parking lots at the Community Center, Library and Arts Center and Black Gold Golf Club, with the energy savings expected to reach $2.7 million over a 20-year period.

Initial stages of the project will begin immediately, but completion is not anticipated until early to mid-2025, according to a presentation to the City Council by Assistant City Manager David Christian. Council approval was 4-1; with Janice Lin opposed due to an “industrial hard look.”

Forefront Power will finance, design, build, own, operate and maintain the structures, and the city will pay a flat rate for the solar energy generated. The canopies at the Community Center will be built only in the southern parking lot, not in the northern lot fronting Imperial Highway.

Jim Drummond is a longtime Yorba Linda resident. He gives his opinion on local issues weekly. Send e-mail to jimdrummond@hotmail.com.

About midway through 2021, the number of speakers increased dramatically from most prior meetings, as the coronavirus pandemic brought out several dozen speakers, who presented opinions both pro and con on school closures and mask requirements.

Beginning with the December 2022 meeting, individual speaker comments were limited to a maximum of three minutes each, down from the previous maximum of five minutes each.

And trustees established a sliding scale of speaking times based on the number of individuals who completed forms prior to the start of the public comment period: one to 10 speakers, three minutes each; 11 to 15 speakers, two minutes each; 16 to 30 speakers, 1.5 minutes each; and 31 or more speakers, one minute each.

So far this year, speakers have ranged from nine in January to 35 at a June 6 session. Others: 13 in February, 17 in March, 25 at four April meetings, 17 in May and 27 at a June 20 meeting, including 10 for a public hearing on a charter school plan (five pro, five con). No July meetings were scheduled.

Topics included a range of issues, with some speakers addressing multiple issues. January and February subjects included arts programs, student health and safety, starting the school year earlier, meeting decorum, censoring books, critical race theory and Black History month.

March and April topics included the district’s impacted schedule policy, school library books, needs for wellness counselors and the sudden reassignment of an assistant superintendent.

May’s main topic was charter schools, while other subjects included student teachers, racism in schools, El Dorado High School field lighting, mental health and the supervision of students.

In the two June meetings, 21 speakers supported El Dorado science teacher Judy Rehburg, who was placed on administrative leave after parent complaints about sex education subject matter in her physiology class. Five speakers voiced opposition to the teacher’s lessons.

Other June meeting concerns: El Dorado field lights, removing inappropriate library books, needs for guidelines for teachers and a library materials policy, support for teachers and appreciation for former Rose Drive principal and assistant superintendent Linda Adamson.

* * *

Sizable pay increases await substitute teachers when district campuses reopen Aug. 29.

To remain competitive with surrounding districts, daily substitute pay jumps to $200, up $50; special education substitute pay increases to $205, up $33.57; and long-term substitute pay increases to $220, up $28.

The district will hold a hiring fair for substitute teachers and special education aides from noon to 4 p.m. on July 25 at 1301 E. Orangethorpe Ave., Placentia. Aide pay starts at $18.12 per hour.

Jim Drummond is a longtime Yorba Linda resident. He gives his opinion on local issues weekly. Send e-mail to jimdrummond@hotmail.com.

The petition from the California Republic Leadership Academy seeks to establish a school for transitional kindergarten through eighth grade for a five-year period beginning July 1, 2024. A public hearing on the charter proposal, which is the third in district history, was held June 20.

The purpose of the hearing was to allow the board to “consider the level of support for the petition by teachers employed by the district, other employees of the district and parents,” according to a charter document.

Petitioners are not requesting to use district facilities “at this time,” but they have until Nov. 1 to request the use of facilities – “if needed” – for the 2024-25 school year, based on requirements in state law.

The transitional kindergarten through eighth grade enrollment would be implemented in phases, beginning with students through fifth grade in 2024-25 and adding one grade level each year through 2027-28, if the charter is approved.

The charter proposes to meet common core state standards by teaching classical texts and documents to the students, who will be called “scholars.” The 690-page petition is available at https://bit.ly/3CbwVdp.

In 2019, a petition for a South Coast Academy charter school was withdrawn by organizers before trustees could schedule a public hearing, and in 2009, a public hearing was held for a petition from Charter School Development Systems. But organizers failed to appear, and trustees denied the petition as “not…consistent with sound educational practice.”

* * *

The past two months have seen major changes to the district’s management staff, with three of the five top-level officials already departed due to resignations and another soon to retire.

Latest to leave is Linda Adamson after nearly three years as assistant superintendent of educational services. She resigned effective June 30 and was replaced by Olivia Yaung, human resources director and former Valencia High School principal, who began June 20.

Issaic Gates began June 22 as assistant superintendent of human resources, replacing Rick Lopez. Lopez was assigned new duties April 19 and resigned effective June 30, with Nancy Blade serving briefly in an interim role.

Gates was director of secondary education in the Inglewood Unified School District and a former San Marino High School principal. Alex Cherniss, who began as superintendent May 1, replacing Michael Matthews, is a former San Marino Unified School District superintendent.

A nine-week application period closed June 30 to replace David Giordano, who is retiring Sept. 30, after eight years as assistant superintendent of business services, a position he previously held for three years in the Brea-Olinda Unified School District.

Jim Drummond is a longtime Yorba Linda resident. He gives his opinion on local issues weekly. Send e-mail to jimdrummond@hotmail.com.

The city’s property and sales tax consultant is predicting “a bit of a slowdown in the economy” in the latter half of the fiscal year that begins July 1, according to a recent report to the City Council by Assistant City Manager Dave Christian.

The slowdown is expected to impact the city’s sales tax income, which is projected to “remain flat” for the fiscal year ending June 2024, and increase by only 2.3% for the fiscal year ending June 2025.

The consultant, Brea-based HdL Companies, provides the city with a multi-year forecast of property and sales tax revenues based on trends in the broad economy and unique factors that impact these revenue sources in Yorba Linda, Christian said.

“Utilization of this consultant improves the accuracy of the city’s revenue forecast on the city’s two largest revenue sources,” noted Christian. Property taxes bring the most revenue for city coffers, estimated at 52.7% and 53.3% for the fiscal years ending June 2024 and June 2025.

“It is anticipated that the slowdown in the real estate market that the region has experienced over the last several months will impact the second year” of the city’s 2023-25 budget, Christian said, with property tax growth projected at 3.7% and 3.2% for the next two fiscal years.

A solar energy canopy project proposed for the parking lots at the community center, library and arts center and the Black Gold Golf Club was put on hold after a 30-minute presentation and discussion at a June 6 council meeting.

Despite strong support from Mayor Gene Hernandez, potential action on the project was delayed until the July 18 meeting. A planned timeline put project completion at early-mid 2025, if approved.

The parking lots for the three city facilities were identified by San Francisco-based Forefront Power as meeting criteria for using the solar canopies to offset energy costs at the locations, with savings estimated at $2.7 million over a 20-year period.

Forefront would finance, design, construct, own, operate and maintain the canopies, with the city paying Forefront a 20-year flat rate for the solar energy generated and delivered on a per kilowatt basis, according to Christian, presumably less than the current electrical expense.

At the end of the 20-year contract period, the city would have the option of entering into a new agreement or having the canopies removed without cost to the city, Christian said, noting that Forefront would reimburse the city if the project didn’t deliver at least 95% of promised energy.

Among reasons for delaying action were councilmember concerns about the aesthetics of the structures, with the word “eyesores” mentioned by Beth Haney; the lengthy 20-year agreement time period; and the number of sites in the proposed project.

Jim Drummond is a longtime Yorba Linda resident. He gives his opinion on local issues weekly. Send e-mail to jimdrummond@hotmail.com.