Undergrounding

Detailed alleged petition irregularities and $50,000-plus assessments, and argued solar power is a better alternative than undergrounding utilities in Newport Heights.

Played a pre-recorded video from Jeannie Phobes, an elderly Newport Heights resident, who said the $50,000 assessment would drive her from her home.

Read a letter opposing undergrounding in Newport Heights, citing the historic charm and mature trees of Santa Ana Avenue.

Warned of unadvertised private conversion costs for undergrounding, including $36,500 electrical panel conversions.

Asked whether the undergrounding petition has a deadline.

Discussed Manhattan Beach's piecemeal undergrounding and creative financing, and profiled undergrounding proponent Mike Hen, a former council member and mayor.

35-year resident and developer argued the project benefits only about two dozen homes on Santa Ana Blvd while burdening the neighborhood with $50-70K per-home costs; said it violates core property rights principles.

Family in Newport Heights since the 1960s; on fixed income and can't afford $50,000+ assessments; pleaded 'please leave us alone.'

43-year resident noted the city spent tax dollars on alley improvements and Edison upgraded grid equipment after the 2016 AD 118 defeat; undergrounding would destroy those investments for no safety gain.

43-year resident read her unanswered July 26 email opposing the petition, which omits total costs, foreclosure risks for unpaid assessments, and statutory rights being waived.

Asked the council to replay Jeannie Fobes' glitched video, voiced opposition to the petition process, citing lack of transparency and strong-arming of older residents to sign.

Newport Heights resident of 15 years argued assessment money would be better spent on streetlights, sidewalks or solar, and that insurance wouldn't improve; said the notification process was flawed.

A Newport Heights homeowner since 1970 whose pre-recorded video statement glitched; she said the undergrounding project could drive her out of the neighborhood.

Presented records showing proponents Michael Hen and Andrea Byrd were allowed to edit the city's petition with 72 changes, including reassuring language never used in twelve prior city petitions.

Argued petition language claiming a 50%+ property-owner vote is needed to form the district is legally false under Prop 218 — only returned ballots, weighted by assessment, are counted — and asked the council to suspend the petition.

Laid out steps: verify Steinberg's claims via city attorney opinion, suspend circulation, terminate AD 118-2 formation, remove the city engineer from petition drafting, and bar proponents from editing petitions.

Argued underground lines aren't risk-free and Newport Heights isn't a fire hazard zone; also opposed a police station on Civic Center Parkland.

Opposed the undergrounding petition, saying one group of homeowners shouldn't impose $60,000-plus costs on neighbors who can't afford it.

Defended the undergrounding initiative as a democratic process under state law, rebutted claims about failed districts and cost escalation, and said hundreds of signatures are in hand.

Recounted the failed 2016 effort and Edison's admission undergrounding isn't safer; says costs of $80,000+ for older homes are unfair.

Rebutted Mike Hen, alleging mailer manipulation, digitally altered petition photos, and city-sponsored districts without homeowner proponents.

Questioned why city staff appears to have engaged with the Safer Newport Heights group on a cost-deferment program, calling it troubling.

Called the District 118-2 undergrounding a waste of city money, noting seven failed attempts in 13 years and an estimated $30 million tax burden on about 600 properties.

Long-time resident on a fixed income said his family cannot afford undergrounding and asked to be left alone.

Said undergrounding is an unnecessary financial burden for fixed-income residents in historic cottages and poses earthquake restoration risks.

Criticized the 'Safer Newport Heights' mailer as misleading, saying it omitted the actual petition while framing the project as safety-driven.

Argued the area is low fire-risk, undergrounding in alleys is prohibitively costly, and covered conductors would achieve safety goals at one-fifth the cost.

An artist who paints telephone poles, asked the council to consider the poles' aesthetics and to vote no on undergrounding.