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TABLE OF CONTENTS:
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if you prefer text version.
USALAND
A.
TALES FROM THE
LEFT COAST
B.
FIGHT TERRORISM
COTOLAND
A.
COTO DE
CAZA PRIORITIES
B.
OPEN LETTER TO CZ -
REQUEST FOR RETRACTION
C.
THE CZ
BOARD DOES NOT WANT YOU!
D.
WHY CZ
CANCELLED CHP CONTRACT - An Analogy
E.
A
GATE WITHIN A GATE - THE VILLAGE TRIBE
F.
ASK COTOLADY - SECURITY
WITHIN COTO DE CAZA
G.
HOA RACKETS
H.
LOS VERMINS aka LOS VERDES
CZLOCK
I.
WHY
LIVE IN A GATED COMMUNITY?
J.
COTO
INTERACTIVE DISCUSSION FORUM - YOU ARE BUZZED!
K.
THE NORTH GATE -
A WEAK LINK? - the $160,000 SOLUTION!
TALES FROM THE LEFT COAST
Like
many other celebrities, Paul Newman pledged that if
President George W. Bush was re-elected, he would
leave the country. In this case, Newman
threatened to move to Ireland. After the
election, an Utah disc jockey published an open
letter. Paraphrasing its content, the disk
jockey was letting Newman know that the jockey's
listeners had contributed an average of $5.00 per
person to purchase a one way airplane ticket to
Ireland scheduled for December 6, 2004.
In
case Newman declined the ticket, the funds were going
to go to an organization helping provide for the US
troops, "...since we are sure that you do support
our troops"!
NORTH
GATE- THE WEAK LINK
Handling
of the North Gate continues to be a hotly debated
issue. In typical CZ fashion, the board
says that "..w
are well aware of how the North Gate was a weak link,
with kids propping the gate open to let friends
in. All of that is being factored into a
re-design of the gate, including vandal-resistant
mechanisms and cameras. At a cost of $160,000
per year to man the gate we can afford to do a lot of
things t0 strengthen the gate".
Perhaps
it is this piecemeal approach to security that gives
Coto de Caza the imfamous distinction of having a
higher crime rate than other non-gated and much more
densly populated neighbors. Perhaps they never
read the former Security Director's The
State
of Security White Paper, or the Proposed
2005 CZ Goals and Objectives prepared by
CotoBuzz. Planning a $160,000 expense while the
Village People proceed with their Gate within a Gate
strategy in light of the former security directors
assertions of overhead required to administer
violations by this renegade group seems like an
oxymoron.
Coto
de Caza Priorities - Security
As we follow the activity in the Coto
Discussion Forum, it is clear that Security is not
only a huge priority for Coto residents, but most of
us have definite ideas as to what needs to be done
about it. The
subject matter is so complex, eliciting strong
reaction that it is obvious that current CZ Board
communication methods are ineffective and as a result
their decision making process may be flawed.
One more reason why the current board should be
using the Coto Interactive Discussion Forum to get the
benefit of previous board members and long time
residents.
Traffic Control - The CHP Fired from Coto:
A vivid example is the CZ board’s decision to
discontinue the use of the CHP as a proactive law
enforcement element.
The board’s stated reason for such action is
cost reduction. When
pressed, the board states that the number of citations
issued by the CHP were at a minimum, a view consistent
with that of the former gate access committee
chairperson who thinks there is little that can be
done with regards to public safety
“ ….. really
folks, there are accidents every day on every road in
the State. There is nothing CZ can do to have CZ
accident free. Heck, people even run over their own
kids in their own driveways. Get real.
Like I said, I'll bet the number of accidents
in a given time frame with the CHP and in the same
time frame without the CHP would be equal”.
However, it looks like the CZ board did not
have access to reliable safety information prior to
2003. Further,
the information supplied to Coto residents by the CZ
board, with
the 2004-2005 budget justifying the decision to
terminate the CHP contract was incorrect.
This has prompted for numerous requests to the
CZ Board and Keystone for a retraction.
The reasoning is that if Keystone issues
retraction letters for trivial matters such as
“..interpretation of Rules with regards to
parking….”, they should issue a retraction letter
when it impacts the top priority for Coto residents.
“ I
was shocked to read the incorrect information
concerning cancellation of
our CHP contract
in the letter from the Board to homeowners which was
included
in the budget packet. Shocked to read that the Board
chose to cancel
the contract based on incorrect information. …. The
low number of citations is a direct
result of the CHP operating in Coto for the past 4
years-hooray! It worked!
The possibility of the sheriff conducting pro-active
traffic
control
is either months away or non-existent. How about a
retraction? I would
like to fully understand the reasoning behind this
decision and if it was
based on this incorrect information, maybe the Board
ought to take another
vote”, stated a Coto Discussion Forum participant.
In an effort to
understand the type of information available to the CZ
board, we requested from Keystone copies of traffic
incident reports from 2002- to date, but were surprised to find that “…. incident reports are only made available
to parties directly involved in specific incidents
subject to Board approval.
Incident reports may include calls the CHP/Sheriff’s
Dept. responded to but only if the security/patrol
company also responded”, according to a Keystone
representative.
We confirmed that accident
information is not available to Coto residents, and that
the information provided to the CZ board by Keystone or
Securitas is incomplete.
So, we decided to go directly to the
most reliable source:
The CHP. The
CHP confirmed that they have the most accurate
information available since the Sheriff’s office is
not allowed to investigate accidents.
Reported
accidents in Coto from 2002-2004 year to date
This
represents a 47% increase in accidents in Coto from
2002.
Further, 75 of
all accidents between 2002-2004 to date have happened
in three different roads:
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ACCIDENT LOCATION
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%
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Coto Drive
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42%
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Vista Del Verde
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27%
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San Miguel
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6%
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Sub-Total
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75%
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Security Costs
There is also debate
not only as to the effectiveness of the dynamic duo,
Keystone and Securitas with regards
to security, but also the breakdown, even when
taken directly from the budget presented by the CZ
board to Coto residents:
Coto's
annual budget for Gate Attendant is $1,236,700.
Divide
the
$1,236,700 by the 8760 hours, then Coto is paying
$141.18 per hour to
staff
the gates.
Coto's
annual budget for Patrol Service is $322,432. Taking
the same 8760
hours per year and dividing the $322,432 by 8760
hours, then Coto is paying
$36.81 per hour for Patrol Service.
Coto's
Transponder Installation budget in $84,654 for 2005.
The Sports Park
Office is open 40 hours per week. Taking the 40 hours
per week times 52
weeks per year gives 2080 hours per year. Dividing the
$84,654 by 2080 hours
gives an hourly total of $40.70 to install
transponders!
Gate
Attendant---------$141.18 per hour
Patrol
Service-----------$ 36.81 per hour
Transponder
Install----$ 40.70 per hour
Total
Securitas $ 218.69
per hour
Bear
in mind that this is the same outfit that
over-invoiced the CZ $168,000 and recently asked
employees to stop using their standard “time card
process”.
Why
live in a Gated Community such as Coto de Caza?
According to the conclusion of the
international conference on private urban governance,
more then half of all new homes in the U.S. are
guarded in some way. This might seem like a somewhat
extreme reaction on the American anxiety, but the
whole trend towards gated communities could actually
be a good thing and a revival of the old Greek ideal
of the city-state
The most obvious feature of a gated community
is the fact that it is gated. Gated communities also
promote freedom. If you don't like the rules of the
community, maybe you can change them by engaging in
the political process.
A
USA Today article states that Gated Communities
are not just for the wealthy:
“The popularity of gated communities is on
the rise nationwide, according to developers and
housing experts. In a nation still confronting
post-9/11 jitters, living behind walls and knowing
your neighbors create a safety zone for many. Security
is also a top concern for baby boomers as they head
toward retirement”.
Why people cherish life behind gates or walls
usually starts with safety.
"I moved here from Charlotte, N.C.,"
says Marcia Newton, 63, a flight attendant for the New
Orleans Hornets basketball team, which switched cities
earlier this year. "When I came to New Orleans, I
thought, 'Oh, my God, all the crime.' "
It should be comforting to know that recently
Three Orange County cities are among the safest cities in the country, according to an annual ranking based
on the FBI's 2003 crime statistics.
Mission Viejo and Lake Forest were ranked the
fourth- and sixth-safest cities, respectively. Irvine
ranked 11th.
And just as quickly, reality sets in when
comparing Coto de Caza crime figures with those of its
non-gated neighbors (source: CNN
Money):
COTO
DE CAZA
Population:
13,597
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about
crime data
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City
Stats
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Natl.
Avg.
|
Rank
from
Lo
to Hi
(out of 1260)
|
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Personal crime risk
(index based on 100
average;
lower is better)
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59
|
100
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777
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Property crime risk
(index based on 100
average;
lower is better)
|
41
|
100
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282
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RANCHO
SANTA MARGARITA:
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City
Stats
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Natl.
Avg.
|
Rank
from
Lo to Hi
(out of 1260)
|
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Personal crime risk
(index
based on 100 average;
lower is better)
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31
|
100
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406
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Property crime risk
(index based on 100
average;
lower is better)
|
31
|
100
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187
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IRVINE
Population:
150,450
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|
|
(about
crime data)
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City
Stats
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Natl.
Avg.
|
Rank
from
Lo
to Hi
(out of 1260)
|
|
Personal crime risk
(index based on 100
average;
lower is better)
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125
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100
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1,066
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Property crime risk
(index based on 100
average;
lower is better)
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63
|
100
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568
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LAKE
FOREST
Population:
61,091
|
|
|
(about
crime data)
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City
Stats
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Natl.
Avg.
|
Rank
from
Lo
to Hi
(out of 1260)
|
|
Personal crime risk
(index based on 100
average;
lower is better)
|
28
|
100
|
341
|
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Property crime risk
(index based on 100
average;
lower is better)
|
24
|
100
|
142
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Traffic Enforcement -
Background
Traffic committees had been recommending some kind of enforcement
for years.
Previous boards did not think self enforcement could work and
were, reticent about going it. These boards fought the removal
of the speed bumps for this reason. With
no speed bumps and a larger volume of traffic,
previous boards began self enforcement almost. Many homeowners were compliant and paid fines; the worst
offenders did not. Security provided reports of teenagers driving Coto
Drive at speeds of 80+
without stopping!
Security followed some of these
kids home and had
a talk with the parents. Parents refused to
cooperate! Shocking you say? Remember, this is
Coto, were our kids have an "Eye Problem"!
There were other problems with self enforcement. Those homeowners
refusing to pay fines could only be
compelled through small claims court and a
board member and/or management or
Legal representative had to be there as well. Coto’s
speed
limits could not be
supported in court.
The board ordered a traffic study to establish legally
supportable speed limits. Self enforcement didn't
work. Many residents were angry at the raised speed
limits although the traffic study reported these
were the speeds that were currently being
driven! The board then took the next step and complied with California vehicle code and changed out the
required signage.
It should be noted that as soon as the announcement was made that
the contract with CHP would not be renewed there was a
noticeable change in speeds on Coto Drive.
Might the fact that Coto de Caza traffic
accident rate is increasing and crime statistics are higher than those of its neighboring non-gated communities be
a self-fulfilling prophesy?
That is, paraphrasing the previous
gate access committee chairperson
“
…there is nothing CZ can do to minimize crime, Heck,
people even run over their own kids in their own
driveways. Get real..”, or should we as a
community stop impersonating an ostrich when it comes
to overall security?
As the mayor pro tem of Thousand
Oaks, one
of the safest cities in the US might say:
"Public
safety is our primary concern. We will do
everything in our power to keep our city safe".
It
should be noted that CotoBuzz prepared the most
comprehensive security strategic plan ever in the
history of Coto de Caza, for the benefit of the
current CZ board.
This was done little over one year ago, and
what do we have in return......? Higher crime
rate and increased traffic accidents!
http://www.divestterror.org/
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Coto
Discussion Forum Alive and Thriving
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Currently, the
forum can be accessed by the CZ Board, residents from the
Estates, Villages and CZ Masters. Subjects covered
include the Dead Oak Trees, Cumulative Voting, the Brewing
Revolt, Security, etc..... Get your Swiss Knife -
join the Coto Discussion Forum
When
participants violate the Cotobuzz guidelines, they will be
BUZZED three times. The
third BUZZ will come along with an automatic ban from the
discussion forum.
We
suggest you obtain a free email account such as Yahoo or
Hotmail. Since you can post and download pictures
and files, we also recommend you have you antivirus
software updated. If you need help setting up, send
us email at cotobuzz@yahoo.com
CotoBuzz is open to all Coto
de Caza residents, regardless of political affiliation,
personal or professional agenda.
Mutual respect – we may not agree, but we recognize we
all have a right to express ourselves without fear of
retribution. We express ourselves without resorting to
personal abuse or name-calling.
Coto
De Caza District Photos The
Coto Discussion Forum includes photos of representative
Coto Districts (currently 14 districts represented,.....
add yours), Coto de Caza issues, such as the Dead Oaks
Trees, Road Repairs, CotoLand, etc.
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