OK, so this is one time to give credit where credit is due
By Doug Spoon, Editor Here at Menifee 24/7, we do not hesitate to report on all aspects of the news of Menifee, whether those are perceive...
http://www.menifee247.com/2021/10/this-is-one-time-to-give-credit-where-credit-is-due.html
By Doug Spoon, Editor
Here at Menifee 24/7, we do not hesitate to report on all aspects of the news of Menifee, whether those are perceived as negative or not. At the same time, we do not hesitate to give credit where credit is due.
Say what you will about the City of Menifee’s staff and City Council amid its explosive growth to 105,000 residents. From this viewpoint, they did a very professional and informative job in presenting today’s State of the City program.
Let me start by saying I am not a fan of what journalists like to call "dog and pony" shows. These are staged events designed to project a positive image and ignore or minimize negative aspects. Journalists traditionally put those in the category of “grip and grin” staged photos and ribbon cuttings. We prefer to report facts that speak to the heart of the news. Sometimes that is pleasing to folks, sometimes not.
That is why I chose not to attend today’s State of the City event, preferring to watch the live stream. And what I saw -- although admittedly mentioning very little of Menifee Town Center and ignoring the controversial theater site – was a detailed and professionally produced picture of the City’s accomplishments and what projects are in the pipeline.
The venue was a vast improvement, now that the city has access to the huge ballroom at Fairfield Inn & Suites. A capacity crowd watched as speakers gave carefully written and well-delivered comments, using teleprompters and multiple camera views to efficiently communicate both with the audience on site and those watching virtually.
While all the corporate sponsors were listed on a video board and thanked as a group, there were no introductions of the “bigwigs” seated in the room. No disrespect to them, but the public does not attend or tune in to see or hear from them. Same with the various dignitaries such as regional government officials who normally attend these things. The decision to thank them as a group saved time and kept the focus on the topic of the event, and that should be applauded.
As part of the introductory portion of the event, Mayor Pro Tem Lesa Sobek discussed her decision to choose “It Starts With Menifee – the ME in Menifee” as this year’s theme. Sure, you can refer to Sobek’s theme as simply a plea for kindness in the midst of the pandemic and concerns over the state of the city. On the other hand, it can be productive to look at the “ME” aspect as a call for each us to hold ourselves accountable for what goes on here.
For many of us, that means driving slower and more cautiously. It means respecting the property of others. It means supporting local businesses, yet demanding more of City leaders in attracting the right businesses. It means doing our part in our civic duties, while demanding that City leaders do the same.
You might not agree with every project that has been or will be approved for Menifee, but one should appreciate the detailed and entertaining way in which City progress was pictured in a lengthy video produced by a very professional source. Great care was taken to discuss and picture projects, events and topics, including:
-- Projecting a loss of $8.3 million in tax revenue because of the pandemic, City officials cut back staff and services and actually experienced tax revenue $7.2 million higher than projected.
-- Using grants, the Menifee Cares business program provided support of local businesses, awarding $415,000 to 83 businesses and preventing 96 percent of those businesses from closing.
-- More than 165 projects are in the development process with City staff. These include 34 new housing developments and 28 commercial centers, such as Menifee Crossroads at Bradley Road and Newport Road; Newport Pointe at Newport and Evans Road; and McCall Plaza at Menifee Road and McCall Boulevard.
-- In an announcement that hasn’t been made public previously, the presentation stated that the County Justice Center [a nine-room courthouse for family law matters] is scheduled to break ground in Menifee Town Center this month.
-- A football stadium and kinesiology building is being constructed on the Menifee campus of Mt, San Jacinto College.
-- Construction of the already-opened Liberty High School is nearing completion, and expansion of Menifee Valley Middle School is complete.
-- Using funds from the Measure DD public safety tax, three new code enforcement officers have been added, in addition to a ladder firetruck.
-- Services at City Hall have been expanded to include a virtual building permit portal and other virtual services designed to streamline public assistance.
-- Expansion of the Lazy Creek Recreation Center is one of several Community Services Department projects.
-- Several new traffic signals were installed and road improvement projects completed.
None of this addresses the issues of whether the Holland Road Overpass project has been poorly managed; whether a multi-million dollar amphitheater in Central Park would be a wise expense; and whether the city could’ve done anything to prevent the disasters at the Krikorian Theater site and the former Smart & Final site.
Even so, we’ll pause on this day to put those issues aside and give the City credit for thoroughly describing their accomplishments and plans. Granted, the entire program was presented in a positive manner, perhaps ignoring issues others would like to hear discussed. But the positive aspects should not be ignored, either.
Having said this, our review of this dog and pony show would be upgraded to a greyhound and thoroughbred showcase. And I have to admit that the final video of the program, which shows city manager Armando Villa driving around town and giving rides to staff members who sing and dance their way around the city, was wonderfully produced, directed and acted.
Now before you City critics out there start saying I’ve become soft as an investigative reporter, please accept my promise that my part of the ME in Menifee involves being a community watchdog. It is my belief that no one else in the media is doing this, and it is essential in every community. But even a cynical old grouch like this one will continue to give others the opportunity to use their ME for what they believe is the best for Menifee.
Don’t take my word for it. Judge for yourself. Click on this link from the City’s Youtube channel and watch the event for yourself. (The unedited video has a long lead time and actually starts at the 1:48:00 mark). Then take your own ME seriously, so perhaps we can all start to work together for a common cause.
Here at Menifee 24/7, we do not hesitate to report on all aspects of the news of Menifee, whether those are perceived as negative or not. At the same time, we do not hesitate to give credit where credit is due.
Say what you will about the City of Menifee’s staff and City Council amid its explosive growth to 105,000 residents. From this viewpoint, they did a very professional and informative job in presenting today’s State of the City program.
Let me start by saying I am not a fan of what journalists like to call "dog and pony" shows. These are staged events designed to project a positive image and ignore or minimize negative aspects. Journalists traditionally put those in the category of “grip and grin” staged photos and ribbon cuttings. We prefer to report facts that speak to the heart of the news. Sometimes that is pleasing to folks, sometimes not.
The venue was a vast improvement, now that the city has access to the huge ballroom at Fairfield Inn & Suites. A capacity crowd watched as speakers gave carefully written and well-delivered comments, using teleprompters and multiple camera views to efficiently communicate both with the audience on site and those watching virtually.
While all the corporate sponsors were listed on a video board and thanked as a group, there were no introductions of the “bigwigs” seated in the room. No disrespect to them, but the public does not attend or tune in to see or hear from them. Same with the various dignitaries such as regional government officials who normally attend these things. The decision to thank them as a group saved time and kept the focus on the topic of the event, and that should be applauded.
As part of the introductory portion of the event, Mayor Pro Tem Lesa Sobek discussed her decision to choose “It Starts With Menifee – the ME in Menifee” as this year’s theme. Sure, you can refer to Sobek’s theme as simply a plea for kindness in the midst of the pandemic and concerns over the state of the city. On the other hand, it can be productive to look at the “ME” aspect as a call for each us to hold ourselves accountable for what goes on here.
For many of us, that means driving slower and more cautiously. It means respecting the property of others. It means supporting local businesses, yet demanding more of City leaders in attracting the right businesses. It means doing our part in our civic duties, while demanding that City leaders do the same.
You might not agree with every project that has been or will be approved for Menifee, but one should appreciate the detailed and entertaining way in which City progress was pictured in a lengthy video produced by a very professional source. Great care was taken to discuss and picture projects, events and topics, including:
-- Projecting a loss of $8.3 million in tax revenue because of the pandemic, City officials cut back staff and services and actually experienced tax revenue $7.2 million higher than projected.
-- Using grants, the Menifee Cares business program provided support of local businesses, awarding $415,000 to 83 businesses and preventing 96 percent of those businesses from closing.
-- More than 165 projects are in the development process with City staff. These include 34 new housing developments and 28 commercial centers, such as Menifee Crossroads at Bradley Road and Newport Road; Newport Pointe at Newport and Evans Road; and McCall Plaza at Menifee Road and McCall Boulevard.
-- In an announcement that hasn’t been made public previously, the presentation stated that the County Justice Center [a nine-room courthouse for family law matters] is scheduled to break ground in Menifee Town Center this month.
-- A football stadium and kinesiology building is being constructed on the Menifee campus of Mt, San Jacinto College.
-- Construction of the already-opened Liberty High School is nearing completion, and expansion of Menifee Valley Middle School is complete.
-- Using funds from the Measure DD public safety tax, three new code enforcement officers have been added, in addition to a ladder firetruck.
-- Services at City Hall have been expanded to include a virtual building permit portal and other virtual services designed to streamline public assistance.
-- Expansion of the Lazy Creek Recreation Center is one of several Community Services Department projects.
-- Several new traffic signals were installed and road improvement projects completed.
None of this addresses the issues of whether the Holland Road Overpass project has been poorly managed; whether a multi-million dollar amphitheater in Central Park would be a wise expense; and whether the city could’ve done anything to prevent the disasters at the Krikorian Theater site and the former Smart & Final site.
Even so, we’ll pause on this day to put those issues aside and give the City credit for thoroughly describing their accomplishments and plans. Granted, the entire program was presented in a positive manner, perhaps ignoring issues others would like to hear discussed. But the positive aspects should not be ignored, either.
Having said this, our review of this dog and pony show would be upgraded to a greyhound and thoroughbred showcase. And I have to admit that the final video of the program, which shows city manager Armando Villa driving around town and giving rides to staff members who sing and dance their way around the city, was wonderfully produced, directed and acted.
Now before you City critics out there start saying I’ve become soft as an investigative reporter, please accept my promise that my part of the ME in Menifee involves being a community watchdog. It is my belief that no one else in the media is doing this, and it is essential in every community. But even a cynical old grouch like this one will continue to give others the opportunity to use their ME for what they believe is the best for Menifee.
Don’t take my word for it. Judge for yourself. Click on this link from the City’s Youtube channel and watch the event for yourself. (The unedited video has a long lead time and actually starts at the 1:48:00 mark). Then take your own ME seriously, so perhaps we can all start to work together for a common cause.
