City Council

Fact Checking Brian Goodell

“Fact Checking” has become a standard part of journalism. After years advocating the big lie that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, politicians national and local now fluently revise history to promote fictions that flatter them. So those of us reporting news must take time to fact check. Sometimes the public figure’s misstatements are poor recall, failure to research, or reliance upon misinformation. Maybe “fact checking” is a kind description of such mistakes. But it’s too gentle for purposeful misrepresentation. Such misstatements are lies. The speaker knows they are lying. Such intentional lying by public figures continues at Mission Viejo City Council meetings with dismaying frequency. One recent liar is Councilperson Brian Goodell.

Reported by Stacy Holmes

Tuesday, March 4th over 120 protestors (more than doubling the previous week’s protest throng) crowded all four corners of the intersection of Marguerite Parkway and La Paz Road for two hours. A near constant chorus of car and truck horns beeped in support. Municipal and county agency buses and trucks often beeped or flashed lights in support.

The protests took many themes including:

No One Elected Elon Musk

Deport Billionaires: Trump, Musk et al

Stop Young Kim, our Congressperson who fails to oppose Trump

Save the National Parks, Not the Oligarchs

Save Social Security

Save Medicare

Make Noise

Resist

Wake Up and Smell the Fascism

Stand with Ukraine

Respect Women’s Rights

End Doge

Stop Project 2025

Save Democracy

Mission Viejo Subsidizes the Nadadores Foundation for Another 10 Years

by Michael Schlesinger and Walt Lawson

On September 26, 2023, Mission Viejo’s City Council voted 3-1 to amend and renew its contract with the Nadadores Foundation, Inc., for 10 years to July 1, 2034. Mayor Goodell abstained due to his position on the Board of the Nadadores. Council member Cynthia Vasquez voted against it.

The City owns the Marguerite Aquatics pool complex and is responsible for its management, general maintenance and capital improvements. In 2018 the City completed an $11 M capital improvement project to renovate the entire Center.

The Nadadores Foundation, a private 501(c)3 Foundation, uses the Marguerite Aquatics Center exclusively as a training facility for swim and dive programs that over the past 50 years has produced national championship teams and Olympic medal winners. The Foundation does not pay rent for use of the complex; instead, it pays for certain aquatic complex management activities, such as for marketing and events, public swimming and diving programs, as well as a portion of the utility expenses.

To use this facility, one does not have to be a resident of Mission Viejo but must become a member at a projected general membership cost of $1,368/year as of January 1, 2024 ($104/month, plus annual fee of $50 and required fee to US Masters Swimming program of $70). In contrast, a single general membership cost to swim at the City’s Montanoso or Sierra Recreation Center is $360/year after a one-time registration of $50. The Aquatics Center does not allow leisure or lap swimming like can be done at the City’s Montanoso or Sierra Centers; its members must sign up for 50-minute swimming workouts with a coach.

To justify the large ongoing subsidy to this private foundation, which is open to non-residents, the City maintains that the Nadadores club brings economic benefits to the City, national / international marketing advantages as well as “swimming and diving instruction to the residents of Mission Viejo.” However, no detailed analysis of the specific economic benefits to Mission Viejo businesses, particularly the limited numer of hotels and restaurants near the Center, has ever been presented. Meanwhile, Mayor Goodell has also been spending thousands of taxpayers dollars on international travel to Asia-Pacific nations in search of these economic drivers.

The agenda report discussed the expenses the City was paying before contract renewal, or a total of $367,484 for pool chemicals and utilities, with the Nadadores paying $237,276 for the remainder of maintenance expenses. Under the amended contract, the City will continue to pay $180,000 for pool chemicals and $60,319 for utilities, plus all other maintenance for the pool, locker rooms, and janitorial services, or a grand total $389,487 annually, with no escalation provision for its expenses. After two one-time payments of $60,000 for utilities for the next two years, the Nadadores will pay $215,273/year, plus a 3% cost escalation factor for each year thereafter. However, for the term of the contract, if the City’s expenses increase over $389,487, the Nadadores will not be required to reimburse the City for any portion of the increase.

The amended contract states that the City shall do all landscape maintenance and replacement; maintain the pools aside from routine vacuuming; keep and maintain all swimming and diving pool equipment including moveable bleachers; and do all major repairs and replacements of broken, malfunctioning, worn or defective equipment (personal property owned by the Nadadores is excluded). The ongoing capital and structural improvements can be very costly. For example, after the $11M total renovation of the Center in 2018, the City had to spend $77,000 for dive tower repairs per its amended FY 2022-23 budget.

The agenda report went on to compare the Mission Viejo’s net cost to operate the Aquatics Center to those in Irvine and San Clemente, with the conclusion that Mission Viejo “serves the most users at a fraction of its price.“ However, the analysis is skewed – it neglects to spell out Mission Viejo’s full cost of running the Marguerite Aquatics Center and revenues it generates. The statistics from the other cities appear to include their full staff costs and user fee revenues. In that comparison, Mission Viejo’s expense total of $565,344 omits the complete cost to run the Marguerite Aquatics Center, which per page 220 of its Proposed FY 2023-25 Budget, is $1,012,690/yr including a .7 FTE employee. There was also no explanation for the $100,243 revenues; it is unclear if it is a minor portion of the contractual amount owed by Nadadores or a portion of the revenues generated by membership fees or other fundraising.

At the September 26 Council meeting, citizens were permitted 3 minutes each to ask questions concerning the amended contract. Two members of the public commented that there was no audit provision in the contract, no escalation clause for the City’s expenses, no standards set for Nadadores expenses for salaries, travel expenses, promotional events, etc. There is no transparency as to how the Nadadores collect and spend their money. There was also no information provided about any independent fund-raising the Nadadores does to support its operations, something that is common for private foundations to do.

Council member Cynthia Vasquez asked several questions concerning the Nadadores contract. As a result, it was revealed that only 40% of the Nadadores members represent residents of Mission Viejo. The City is paying for non-residents to train at the facility in return for undetermined economic benefits. She also suggested that a review should occur yearly or some period less than 10 years because of uncertain factors such as inflation or a pandemic. Before Vasquez could finish her questions, Council member Kelley cut her off by calling the question on the motion to approve the contract.

Despite the comments by some of the members in the audience, Council members Kelley, Bucknum and Reusch decided to approve the contract instead of tabling approval to consider the points raised by the public and Council Member Vasquez. At the end of the meeting, after the vote was taken, Ms. Vasquez explained her remaining concerns, two of which were significant.

With this contract, the Nadadores are now required every 6 months to report revenues, economic benefits and the value the Nadadores provide for use and operation of the Aquatic complex. Ms. Vasquez first asked what accounting standards were going to be used for this report. Her second point was the need to define the City’s responsibility for repairs and maintenance. She used an example of a broken washing machine that has a leak and asked in that circumstance would the City have to replace the washing machine or fix it.

Larger questions include why the City continues too heavily subsidizes a private foundation that serves so many non-residents; charges much more than the City’s other recreation facilities; and doesn’t fully share or offset the full cost to operate, maintain and improve the Aquatics complex.

In summary, the Mission Viejo taxpayers are stuck with a 10-year contract that was approved without sufficient scrutiny and leaves the City open to ever-increasing costs. A first year law student could have drafted a better contract.

Racist Enablers:

CAPO School Board

Mission Viejo City Council

Capistrano Unified School District Board Vice President Judy Bullockus used the N-word at a public meeting of the Capistrano Unified School District. To date, she has not resigned and the CAPO Board has not taken action to remove her.

When the issue was brought to the attention of the Mission Viejo City Council, one member softly entoned, “Judy should have used a different word.” No other individual Council member spoke to the issue. No action by the Council as a whole. No disavowal of Bullockus’ public endorsements of Council members Goodell, Kelley and Bucknum in their runs for City Council reelection. No public assurance to home buyers with children that Mission Viejo will not tolerate racists. No affirmation of CAPO faculty and staff who may be members of racial or other minorities. No welcome to Mission Viejo to future teachers, administrators and staff no matter their individual racial, economic, gender or cultural status.

A petition to remove Bullockus from the CAPO Board is available at: https://www.change.org/p/demand-the-resignation-of-cusd-trustee-judy-bullockus

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Council Meeting 1/29/2025 More

Council Meeting 1/14/2025 More

Bucknum, Ruesch & Vasquez 1/2025 More

Council Meeting 11/12/2024 More

Council Meeting 10/22/2024 More

Council Meeting 10/8/2024 More

Council Meeting Highlights 9/24/2024

Council Meeting Highlights 8/27/2024 More

Taxpayers Pay for City Council Trip to Olympics More

How Council Spends Money & Selects Staff More

Council Meeting 7/9/2004 More

Council Meeting 6/25/2004 More

Pride Month in Mission ViejosJune 2024 More

Council Meeting Summary 5/28/24 More

Council Meeting Summary June 11 More

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Council Meeting Summary 4/23/24 More

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Council Meeting Summary March 26, 2024 More

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2024 USA CBD Triathlon Read full article.

Mission Viejo and Proposition 1 February 2024 More

City Hall Developments January 9, 2024 More

Should Wendy Bucknum, Trish Kelley and Brian Goodell resign? Should the City Attorney and City Manager be fired? January 2024 Read Full Article

Stop the Monster Update - December 2023 Read Full Article

Court of Appeal Unanimously Affirms Judgment Removing Mission Viejo City Council Members from Office. December 2023 More

City Sued over Los Osos Project. December 2023. More

Court Awards More than $715,000 Attorney Fees - November 2023 More

City Subsidizes Nadadores for 10 More Years November 2023 More

City Council Meeting Summary August 2023 More

Court Awards Attorney Fees October 2023 More

‘23 - ‘25 City Council Budget Posted August 2023 More

La Paz Road Widening Update Posted July 2023 More

Los Osos Presentation Posted August 2023 More

City Council Meeting May 2023 Posted Jun 2023 More

Housing Element Posted August 2023 More