At 8 a.m.this morning I surprised the Mission Viejo Community Foundation by walking into their September Board meeting at the Potocki Conference Center. The Foundation is an “independent, non-profit, public benefit corporation.” Foundation member Dave Leckness said they were just speaking about me and asked me to sit in. While I may have surprised them by my appearance I was taken aback to find our city manager Dennis Wilberg there.
Previously I had blogged about Mission Viejo taxpayers providing over $400,000 to this start up non-profit group. So as not to impair their fundraising efforts the decision was made that the city would have no participation or oversight in their operations.
The down side is that although I recently asked the city manager to have a Board Member attend a council meeting to provide a (2008) update that has not occurred and we are powerless to mandate an appearance.
As someone who has served on 501 C-3 non profit boards I realize that said meetings are not advertised to the public. In fact one member questioned how I knew that it was being held.
My latest interest in the Foundation was triggered by a request to the city for some additional funding to support a new program. That application was under review by our Community Services Commission last week. While the sum requested was minimal the bigger issue for me was that our Deputy City Manager Karen Wylie was serving as Interim Executive Director of the Mission Viejo Community Foundation. The application contains her city hall mailing address. We are to maintain a “hands-off” policy which apparently is no longer the case.
She was in attendance at this morning’s meeting. In my comments I mentioned that while their goal for the Murray Center was commendable they started too late, especially in the current economy.
Without rehashing the Murray Center CIP I added that they missed a golden opportunity to partner with the community over one year ago when Lance MacLean requested $300,000 for a possible Rose Parade Float. I pointed out that of the dozen cities I contacted about their 2009 Rose Parade floats most have active volunteer fundraising activities throughout the year to offset a major chunk of their overall project costs. My sense is that the city manager was there to seek their support for the float, something I had suggested previously. Before I departed Karen told me that the group failed to raise the million dollars as targeted for the Murray Center expansion, adding that we received around $200,000.
In closing let me say that anyone who donates his or her time to volunteer for causes, without compensation, should be commended. The members of the Foundation are each local businessman that wish only the best for Mission Viejo. Those individuals who were compensated with taxpayer money are no longer in the picture.
Foundation Chairman Joe Celantano, whom I had never met before this morning, said that while I was permitted to participate today, I am taking away some of their agenda and personal time. While I do appreciate being allowed to sit and address this group for a few minutes, Joe took a hard line in stating that we are independent of the city.
Foundation Member Dave Leckness said my name was mentioned as someone known in the city who might be able to support their publicity or fundraising efforts.
For anyone wishing to learn more about this non-profit organization or to see how you can support their activities simply call (949) 305.3061.
email response:
Larry:
Having a city executive chair the foundation–which is a private entity on the surface sounds to be a violation of the charter of the foundation and a violation of California law. The real facts are that this foundation failed in their mission to raise their stated goal in funding for the Murray Center expansions. The city fronted money for the foundation and they have not even covered those funds.
The foundation should be shut down, terminated and like the Vigilante minor league baseball team the city sponsored be considered a failure. Chalk this failure up to Frank Ury who fostered the idea.
Joe
Joe.
I think it was council members Frank Ury AND Trish Kelley who promoted this foundation without engaging in any due diligence as to their performance post payment of taxpayer funds. If is was Frank or Trish’s personal $400,000 I bet you that they would not have approved this “blank check” effort. It’s beyond belief how those who call themselves fiscal conservatives throw out the treasurer’s lock box beacuse it makes them feel good.
Has the city staff bypassed the council in the decision-making process? I’m not sure which is worse, as both the city staff and the council are completely untrustworthy. The whole process is tainted — a failed effort siphoning money from the city treasury — and now, the city staff has its own organization out of the reach of the city council.
How about throwing all of them out — get rid of the council and elect people who understand the purpose of city government.
Larry, I don’t think this is going to help your fundraising efforts. Oh well, better to highlight problems so they can be fixed. Que sera sera.
Anonymous. Fundraising efforts.
While may name was mentioned I am not sure what the majority will say after my prior posts and this latest update. Even in these tough financial times, if the cause is just and you can sell the benefits to the community you have a shot at getting support. That said I do not have a price for my silence. At least two or three people were shocked when I walked in this morning. Besides myself both our city manager and his assistant never anticipated seeing me at this meeting.
Larry,
I was hired by the city to establish the Mission Viejo Community Foundation as a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation, which I did. I was told that the city wanted to raise funds for many of its programs and the expansion of the Murray Community & Senior Center. I also applied to be its Executive Director since I have successfully setup boards and been Executive Director of several, such as the Tustin Community Foundation and Community Foundation of Orange.
If you remember correctly, the city set up a task force to interview and recommend someone to be the Director and raise funds. Well, the committee recommended a professional fund-raising operation which required the city to invest over $220,000 to start. That is not my idea of how you operate a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation. My proposal to the committee was that i would set up an independent board of directors of high-level individuals from the business and finace world within the community who had never been asked before and begin raising money. my fee for doing this was $30,000/year for two years and then the foundation could pick up the my compensation. And in that two year period I guaranteed to raise double my salary.
So, it is not surprising to hear that it has gone no where and at a great expense to the taxpaying citizens of Mission Viejo.
Also, you are correct, once established their should be a handsoff by the city. No employees should have any say on what the foundation does.
If you would like to talk further about this just email me.
Thanks,
Bob Kiley
Larry,
I was the individual who brought the idea of a community foundation to the city council with all good intentions, experience, and a track record.
My proposal was three-fold
1. Preparing, filing the necessary paperwork, and qualifying it as a 501(c)(3) non-profit community foundation.
2. Being hired as its Executive Director for 2 years at $30,000/year.
3. Develop a Board of Directors of high-level individuals from within the community and begin raising money.
I was hired by the city to just to establish the Mission Viejo Community Foundation as a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation, which I did. I was told that the city wanted to raise funds for many of its programs and the expansion of the Murray Community & Senior Center. I also applied to be its Executive Director since I have successfully setup boards and been Executive Director of several, such as the Tustin Community Foundation and Community Foundation of Orange.
If you remember correctly, the city set up a task force to interview and recommend someone to be the Director and raise funds. Well, the committee recommended a professional fund-raising operation which required the city to invest over $220,000 to start. That is not my idea of how you operate a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation. My proposal to the committee was that i would set up an independent board of directors of high-level individuals from the business and finace world within the community who had never been asked before and begin raising money. my fee for doing this was $30,000/year for two years and then the foundation could pick up the my compensation. And in that two year period I guaranteed to raise double my salary.
Also, you are correct, once established their should be no involvement by the city. No employees of the city should be working for the foundation or have any say on what the foundation doing. It should be a stand alone non-profit.
So, it is not surprising to hear that it has gone no where and at a great expense to the taxpaying citizens of Mission Viejo.
Bob Kiley
Robert. Thank you for this update.
A major concern is that the city council majority has no problem in spending OPM and were clueless in failing to monitor the results of the MV Community Foundation’s effort to assist in fundraising for the Murray Center expansion. We primed the pump to the tune of around $400,000 which was insane. Making matters worse we were fully aware of the fact that we have no control of a non-profit yet blindly spent taxpayer money.
The foundation told us their plan was to raise over $one million toward the expansion of the Murray Center. When they didn’t materialize, and after discovering our plans to enter a float in the Tournamet of Roses parade, I suggested raising money to offset all or most of that $300,000 plus expenditure. Their chairman told me that they do not need to listen to any suggestions from me as a guest at their meeting.
The Mission Viejo saga continues beginning with the current RECALL effort of one Lance MacLean.