PLACENTIA : Mayor Meets Public at Breakfast Meetings

Residents interested in having a cup of coffee and a stack of pancakes with Mayor Maria Moreno can join her for breakfast the first and second Friday of every month.

Continuing a tradition she started last year as a councilwoman, Moreno will hold court from 7 to about 9:30 a.m. at the International House of Pancakes at Kraemer Boulevard and Chapman Avenue.

“I’m not doing this because I hold stock in the place,” Moreno said. “I campaigned on being accessible, and I’m making good on that commitment by being available at different places and at different times.”

Moreno had three visitors at her first mayoral breakfast session Friday. Education and opportunities for children were the topics for the guests, who included former Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District Trustee Connie Underhill. “I think this is a good opportunity for people to meet the mayor,” Underhill said. “People can’t always go to City Hall.”

Moreno began holding her breakfast meetings at a fast-food restaurant last year. Residents would stop by to discuss various topics ranging from traffic problems to litter and graffiti. She moved to the pancake house because it is across the street from City Hall.

“This way, we can go across the street to City Hall to take care of any problems right away,” Moreno said.

The mayor also plans to hold evening sessions at Tlaquepaque Restaurant, at Santa Fe Avenue and Bradford Street. By coming to the people in their own neighborhoods, Moreno said, she hopes to encourage participation by citizens who are disenchanted with government.

“People think you can’t fight City Hall,” Moreno said. “I’m trying to erase that idea and get people to use teamwork to solve problems.”