In light of a national teenage-suicide epidemic, the Aliso Viejo City Council unanimously passed a resolution that would formally declare the city’s intent to do all it can to prevent suicide.
At this juncture, that means spreading awareness by providing outreach information, such as a 24-7 lifeline, via the city’s website, cityofalisoviejo.com.
This resolution sprung from a recent conversation Mayor David Harrington had with his three kids, one junior and two sophomores at Aliso Niguel High School.
“What I’m asking for with this resolution, first of all, is the recognition that (suicide) is a problem,” Harrington said during the Wednesday, Feb. 21 council meeting. “We need to do more as a city.”
Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for Americans ages 10-14 and 15-24, according to a 2016 report by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nationwide, suicide among all age groups has been increasing at a 1 percent rate since 1999. That rate increased to 2 percent every year since 2006.
“Talk to your kids. Don’t assume that they’re not listening to you because they’re not looking at you. My kids got beats by dre, they’ve got their iPhones –– it’s tough to talk to them sometimes,” Harrington said. “Just talk to them. You are their foundation.”
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255.
In other news, Harrington granted a certificate of recognition to the Aliso Niguel High School’s marching band, color guard and drumline for prestigious consecutive wins last November at the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association Championships.
In competition with 30 to 40 other 3A-Division teams, ANHS qualified in the top 12, then continued on to win the conference by four points.
“It’s the highest spread ever in history of Southern California marching band championships,” ANHS Director of Bands David Wineberg said.
This feat punctuated their undefeated season.
Site development at St. Mary’s School
The council unanimously voted to adopt a resolution that permits site development plans at St. Mary’s School. The plans outline the replacement of two modular buildings with a larger, permanent structure and a security guardhouse with new gates and fencing among additional minor alterations.
Entitlements with funding constraints have recently expired, which is why the request is being revisited, said City Clerk Mitzi Ortiz.
This decision excluded Councilmember William Phillips and Mayor Pro Tem Ross Chun due to their personal concerns of potential conflict of interest or perception of a conflict of interest.
The permit was granted, contingent upon the school’s compliance to not increase the original student capacity by more than 25 percent.
Master fee schedule
City council approved a recommended action to update the city’s Master Fee Schedule, a record of cost and services provided by the city for residents and customers, in an attempt to close the cost-to-revenue gap.
The action will “consolidate and streamline fees across all city functions,” said Ryan Smith, senior accountant to the city.
Currently, the cost is being subsidized by general fund monies. The service fees fund programs such as building planning and street improvement projects.
For residents, this revision will increase the building permit and plan check fees by an estimated 9 percent, effective July 1, and will offset actual costs by 25 percent.
“To be clear,” Smith said. “We’re in not any way profiting off of these fees. We’re just trying to recoup our costs.”
Next meeting
The next Aliso Viejo City Council meeting will be 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 7 at City Hall, 12 Journey, Unit 100.