The CotoBuzz Journal, Community Journalism

In just 15 short months, the community witnessed the absence of the CHP for proactive traffic patrol followed by two tragic traffic accidents. In the last one, the board blamed the victim, although the teen driver eventually pleaded guilty.

Then there was the firing of the public safety chairperson, allegedly because of the potential for “undue concentration of power”, when in reality it was because she refused to place the board’s personal agenda over public safety.

When the board was coerced into bringing back the CHP after the first traffic fatality, the property manager allowed road certification to expire, nullifying any legal pro-active traffic patrol. Instead of anyone having the intestinal fortitude and admit accountability, the blame immediately went to a missing tickler file.

Then there was the board’s initiative aimed at training the private security guards after numerous complaints. This was followed by an announcement of a new deployment of the security guards to help kids cross the street and the Sheriff’s mounted units to patrol the horse trails. Meanwhile the crime and vandalism data shows the highest rate for the community, ever.

The CZ Master Association’s May 2006 Newsletter prominently announces that the Board of Directors “is formulating a Public Safety Committee in an article with the ambitious title “CZ Master Association Champions Public Safety Committee”.

During the July 2006 General Session, the board unanimously approved the appointment of an interim Chair of the Public Safety Committee. Then in the August 10, 2006 General Meeting, the board names 8 members to the Public Safety Committee. Most with little to no experience in public safety, while at the same time denying membership in the same committee to a career public safety professional.

We will not go into the “paraphrased story” by the Orange County Register on the firing of the CHP.. But, then the board tightens the strings on the CHP and holds them to a three-month contract renewal period.

When the board is asked for the 2006 public safety committee meeting minutes, the response is: “Because the Public Safety Committee does not have any records of minutes prepared from January 1, 2006, it is not a committee of the board”! – does this mean that Public Safety is Coto’s Bastard Child?

All these things have happened because the Varo/Mezger CZ Board has been the Feel Good Board rather than the Do Good board. My understanding is that Varo is a salesman. As someone who has managed sales people for years, my experience is that many are good at relationship building; but lousy when it comes to details and often negotiations which is the reason sales management is so critical. Otherwise, to close a deal sales people will often give away the store particularly if commission is involved. Don’t get me wrong, sales people are essential to the growth of any organization and I love working with them since I have touched or worked in Sales all my life; but many sales people can’t manage their way out of a wet paper bag. And, when successful, sole contributor sales people are promoted to management many of them fail because the skills that allowed them to be successful in Sales are often contrary to sound management principles. Given all the Varo/Mezger fiascos, it would appear that Varo who is steering the ship like many sales people is a Smoozer, not a manager. It is what it is. Of course, all the Varo/Mezger fiscal mismanagement has resulted in two unnecessary dues increases in just two years which is the cost we are paying for all the smoozing going on under Varo/Mezger. This next time around Delegates need to elect new CZ Board Members with common sense who understand the concept of fiduciary responsibility and a little business management experience wouldn’t hurt either. Joe Morabito

P.S. A small number of Sales people can make the transition to management; but ironically, the ones that do are probably not the star performers in Sales.

Public Safety from Used Car Salesman?

Certainly the board fact’s and deeds (by any metric: crime/capita, $/capita,) association with the selling of $2,000,000/year public safety budget resembles more the sale of Public Safety from Used Car Salesman, than committed managers to public safety. What can you expect from a board that proudly announces in its own newsletter that the “CZ Master Association Champions Public Safety Committee”, while at the same time denying the Safety Committee “Because the Public Safety Committee does not have any records of minutes prepared from January 1, 2006, it is not a committee of the board”!

“Coto resident Ed Caruso and Board President Bob Varo of the CZ Master Association disagreed on whether Varo, in a private meeting, told Caruso that he planned to fire the California Highway Patrol from traffic duty within the community. A story in the July 14 edition of Canyon Life/Rancho Santa Margarita

It is no secret that the Orange County Register has been an ardent supporter of the Varo/Mezger administration. There is evidence that the editor collaborated with the board to silence critics, including the CotoBuzz Journal: The OCR board of directors failed to respond to the CotoBuzz Journal complaints for depraved indifference exhibited by the Coto de Caza administration, immediately after the first traffic fatality in December of 2005

First 2006-2007 Coto de Caza Board of Directors Meeting, Standing Room Only! - The first 2006-2007 Coto de Caza Board of Directors Meeting, can best be described as standing-room only, with the local media well represented. A political junkie would have felt right at home, as you could sense the excitement, the energy and the tension in the air!. Failed candidate Dr. Betty Olsen thanked Yocham and Zipperman for their success and wished them the best.