Chuckmeister Gets It Right - Again

HE'S AT IT AGAIN!
May I, once again, turn your attention to my friend, Chuck Cassity's blog, Chuckmeister Unleashed!, for some crystal-clear thinking? His essay - Jobs, Jobs, Jobs - will reach out and tweak the noses of some readers.

READ IT ANYHOW
I know some of my slightly left-tilted pals will find this particular contribution to the enlightenment of the masses to be offensive. That's OK with me... they need to read it anyhow! :-) Simply click HERE and enjoy the ride.

I'M WAITING...
If you feel the need to rant about this one you've got two places to vent - over on his blog and here, because I agree with him 100% on this one. Let the fun begin...

Late Election Info and Related Issues

FISLER VICTORY CERTIFIED BY REGISTRAR OF VOTERS
Today I heard from Mesa Consolidated Water District Director Jim Fisler that the recount in his race to retain his seat has been withdrawn. A check of the Registrar of Voters site confirms that fact, so Fisler will retain his appointed seat with a slim 66 vote margin over Dan Worthington.

APPLICATIONS TRICKLING IN
As of yesterday afternoon the City Manager's office reports that there is only one applicant for the potential vacancy on the City Council if Katrina Foley resigns next month. There are three applicants for vacancies on the Planning Commission, two of which have been reported here - Byron de Arakal and Chris Bunyan. There are also two applicants for Parks & Recreation Commission seats. The City will not confirm the identities of applicants until the filing deadline of 5:00 p.m., December 17, 2010 has passed.

WHAT ABOUT FITZPATRICK?
Still unresolved at this time is the status of Planning Commissioner Jim Fitzpatrick, who won a seat on the Costa Mesa Sanitary District Board in the recent election. There is a body of thought that he will not be permitted to hold both seats simultaneously. We're still awaiting word from The City on this. We assume City Attorney Kim Barlow will be consulted and rule on this issue. This needs to happen soon because Fitzpatrick will be seated on the Sanitary District Board later this week.

POTENTIAL LACK OF PLANNING COMMISSION QUORUM
IF Fitzpatrick is required to abandon his Planning Commission seat and IF one of the other commissioners - Steve Mensinger, Colin McCarthy or Sam Clark - are appointed to the presumed Foley vacancy on the City Council, that creates a problem for the city. That would leave only two of the current planning commissioners in their jobs and could not do business because of a lack of a quorum in January.

QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS AND MORE QUESTIONS
In the meantime, many questions continue to swirl around City Hall. What is the status of the search for a new Fire Chief? We know that retired Chief Mike Morgan is working a temporary gig across the border in Newport Beach, but what about his replacement? What is the actual status of Police Chief Chris Shawkey and his top captain, Ron Smith? Are they gone or not? What about a replacement for long-departed Finance Director Marc Puckett, who recently landed a similar job in Petaluma? So many holes to fill...

Bunyan Applies For Planning Commission & An Omen?

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I sure did! And now back to the real world..




CHRIS BUNYAN APPLIES FOR PLANNING COMMISSION
I received a note last night from former City Council candidate, author and local businessman Christopher Bunyan informing me that he will file an application for the Planning Commission this afternoon.

HIS QUALIFICATIONS
This is another bit of good news. Bunyan, who ran unsuccessfully for City Council in 2006 and again in 2008, has devoted himself to city issues and recently has been very active in trying to preserve Banning Ranch without development. He cites among his strengths being well versed in CEQA, California Coastal Commission, SoBeca Urban Plan and the Westside Overlay. His presence in the applicant hopper for the open Planning Commission position will provide some variety to the choices available to the City Council when they make their decision(s). Applications for the assumed vacancy on the City Council, Planning Commission and Parks & Recreation Commission will be accepted until close of business on December 17, 2010. The City Council will make their selections at their first meeting of the new year on January 4, 2011.

AN OMEN OF THINGS TO COME IN COSTA MESA?
I don't know if you saw it, but the Los Angeles Times had an article regarding the City of Calabasas on Saturday that may be an omen of things to come here in Costa Mesa. The article was entitled "Calabasas widens city-code crackdown", and deals with the recent enforcement efforts in that city against some elderly residents who owned homes in that area more than a half-century before it was incorporated. You can read the entire article HERE.

OPPRESSION OF ELDERLY RESIDENTS
In one instance the city raided the rural ranch of a 70 year-old man, locked him out and shut off his power and water. In another an 82 year-old resident was given a few days to "redo or tear down" his home, which was built in 1939 under Los Angeles County approval. In yet another instance an 86 year-old woman living on Social Security was ordered to disconnect her working septic tank and connect to a sewer line. Her home was built in 1937. Read the article yourself and decide your position on these heavy-handed tactics.

IS THIS THE FUTURE OF COSTA MESA?
I write about it because members of the current Costa Mesa Planning Commission, including about-to-be-anointed City Councilman Jim Righeimer, have demonstrated similar tendencies when dealing with older homes in our city. In one recent case, for example, they required an Eastside homeowner who wanted to renovate the home his family had owned for a half-century to demolish an outbuilding that was causing no harm to anyone. All the contiguous neighbors spoke in favor of the family before multiple hearings in front of the Planning Commission and City Council. Since it's possible that another member of the current Planning Commission will be elevated to the City Council early in January it is likely that the attitude displayed on the commission will be brought forward to the council.

A "POOR MAN'S IRVINE"?
There are more than a few people in this city very nervous about what they think they see coming with a Righeimer-dominated city council. They've already seen draconian rules imposed on cars being parked legally on driveways and are now worried that Righeimer and his minions will begin a concerted effort to turn Costa Mesa into a de facto Irvine, using Google Earth "flyovers" to discover illegal structures and force remediation by the owners.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

TIME TO CONTEMPLATE THANKSGIVING
On this crisp, clear, sunny morning looking out at a perfectly flat Pacific Ocean with the television on in the background blaring out the pre-game prattle it seems like a perfect setting to contemplate those things for which I am thankful on this Thanksgiving Day 2010.

THE TOP OF MY LIST
Of course, I'm thankful for my lovely and patient wife of 43 years (and counting) who constantly amazes me with her capacity for love and understanding.

FAMILY AND FRIENDS, TOO
I'm thankful for my friends and family who support me in all segments of my life - including this meager effort to inform and entertain you all.

AND FOR YOU, TOO
I'm thankful for all of you who visit this site from time to time, and for those of you who participate in the discussion of important issues here. I frequently don't agree with you, but will let most of you use this forum to express your views.

ROEDER HAS SPECIAL PLACE...
This year I'm especially thankful for City Manager Allan Roeder and his staff for the excellent job they do. The past couple years have tested every one of them and they've all stepped up and continued to demonstrate excellence in the face of tremendous adversity. While dealing with the catastrophic budget problems and the turmoil that swirled around the sale of the Orange County Fair and Event Center simultaneously, Roeder, in particular, demonstrated every day why he has been arguably the best City Manager in our region for years. He will retire in March after 36 years with The City - 25 as City Manager - and will leave behind HUGE shoes to fill. As was stated in Jim deBoom's Daily Pilot column yesterday, Roeder is an Eagle - he soars above us all.

...AS DOES HIS TEAM
I'm thankful to the team Roeder has created and molded over the years - those men and women who just keep on doing their jobs and help make our city such a wonderful place in which to live, work, raise families and play. I'm especially thankful for the men and women of the public safety organizations, who saw their honor and dedication to this city questioned during the most contentious local campaign in my memory and continued to do their job - to protect and serve us.

NEW FRIENDS WITH A COMMON GOAL
I'm thankful for the new friends I've made during the Fairgrounds debacle. That issue brought together some very interesting diverse interests, some of whom will continue to be engaged in broader city issues and use their prodigious organizational and communication skills to help provide perspective to a new City Council that, depending on who replaces Katrina Foley, may end up being the most conservative group ever to occupy the dais in our city's history.

CHRIS MCEVOY
I'm thankful for young Chris McEvoy, who chose to run for a City Council for the second time this year and, for his trouble, saw his name smeared and his reputation sullied by partisan political hacks. Despite the vilification and lies Chris finished a strong third in the race while conducting a bare bones, honorable campaign.

WENDY LEECE
I'm also thankful for the courage displayed by Wendy Leece late in the campaign, who voted her conscience instead of being bullied into following the party line. It placed her friendship with County Supervisor John Moorlach in jeopardy and probably cost her any future support from the Orange County Republican Party. I disagree with Wendy on issues but never doubt her motives - she wants the best for the people of Costa Mesa.

KATRINA FOLEY
I'm thankful for the tenacity and intelligence Katrina Foley has brought to the City Council the past six years. She'll move on to the Newport-Mesa Unified School District Board in a few days and will leave a hole on the City Council dais that will almost certainly be filled by another lock-step lemming from the OC GOP. Her willingness to be the lone voice of dissent on important issues and the energy she displayed while serving the people of Costa Mesa has been admirable. She's a very special person.

OUR MILITARY
Finally, I'm thankful for those brave men and women of our all-volunteer military who have chosen to serve their country in dangerous places around the world. We live in strange times, where we're engaged in a war with an enemy who fights for no flag, but for terrorism. Our soldiers have no nation to conquer, no "Mt. Suribachi" on which to plant our flag. Instead, they defend our interests from fanatics in the bleakest of venues, where battles are fought in caves and on the streets of third world cities where the enemy uses IEDs. I'm thankful for our brave men and women who place their lives in harm's way every day.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU ALL

Byron de Arakal Applies For Planning Commission

GOOD NEWS!
There is good news for the residents of Costa Mesa this morning. Former Parks & Recreation Commissioner Byron de Arakal has filed an application for a position on the Planning Commission. His tenure on the Parks & Recreation Commission included a year as its Chairman.

SOLID COMMUNITY ROOTS
Byron is a 4th generation Californian and an 18 year Costa Mesa resident and the father of four children who have gone through the Newport-Mesa schools. The eldest three all have graduated and his youngest, Melanie, currently attends Corona del Mar High School.

STRONG BACKGROUND
Byron is a no-nonsense guy, known for his sharp mind and quick wit. He's not a developer, but understands that side of the table. As a public relations consultant he specializes in land use issues and entitlements and deals with California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) issues frequently.

EXCELLENT COMMUNICATOR
Some will recall that he has been a columnist for the Daily Pilot a couple different times and his strong communication skills would make an excellent addition to the Planning Commission - particularly since the configuration of that body is in such a state of flux. There could be as many as three vacancies before it's meeting in January.

RIGHT GUY, RIGHT TIME
As I said in the beginning, this is good new for our city at a time when we sorely need some. Byron will be among those considered for at least one Planning Commission vacancy at the first City Council meeting in 2011.

Election Results Official & FMW Files Lawsuit

OFFICIAL ELECTION RESULTS
The election results I provided to you in my previous post are now official. The Orange County Registrar of Voters has changed the indication on the web site from "unofficial" to "Official". You can read the results I provided on the 20th or go to the Registrar's site, HERE.



FACILITIES MANAGEMENT WEST LAWSUIT
Facilities Management West filed a lawsuit - a motion to intervene - and a hearing will be held Tuesday morning at 8:30 according to the article by Mona Shadia in the Daily Pilot today, HERE.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU ALL
I'm taking a couple days off to celebrate Thanksgiving so any comments submitted might be a little slow getting posted. Thanks to all of you who have participated here, especially during the past few hectic months of Orange County Fairgrounds drama and the election. We have much fun ahead, so stay tuned. Happy Turkey Day.

Final Vote Counts, Del Mar Fairgrounds & The Mouth

ALL VOTES COUNTED
According to the Orange County Registrar of Voters web site, all the votes have now been counted, but not yet certified. Assuming that the final numbers - there are "0" left to be counted - will be certified, here's how the races of local interest ended up.






As you can see, nothing has changed since the last numbers I gave you. Jim Fisler holds a 66 vote lead over Dan Worthington in one of the Mesa Consolidated Water District races and Mike Scheafer defeated Arlene Schafer by over 400 votes for the final seat on the Costa Mesa Sanitary District.

None of the percentages changed in the Costa Mesa City Council race. Jim Righeimer and Wendy Leece won the two available seats and Chris McEvoy tallied 10,846 votes (26.4%) to finish 3rd. There are more than a few people in the community that think his strong showing should qualify him to replace Katrina Foley if, and when, she resigns next month.

Costa Mesa Measure L, the 2% increase in the Transient Occupancy Tax was passed with 52% of the votes.

Newport Beach Measure V, the controversial charter amendment issue, won handily, with 61.5% of the voters voting Yes.

The races should be certified before the end of the month. I know from conversations with folks in the Registrar's office that their goal is to have them certified before Thanksgiving.

DEL MAR FAIRGROUNDS ALSO UP FOR GRABS
As the sale of the Orange County Fairgrounds continues to be filled with high drama I thought you'd like to know that we are not alone. The Del Mar Fairgrounds is in play - the City of Del Mar is trying to buy it from the State for $120,000 and every bit as much turmoil surrounds this deal as has been the case with the Orange County Fairgrounds. You can read all about it in an article from the North County Times, HERE.

"THE MOUTH" SPOUTS OFF AGAIN
Finally, at the risk of giving you an upset stomach just before Thanksgiving, I must address some misinformation being presented by our municipal horses fanny and racist laureate, The Mouth From Mesa North. In his pathetic blog today he addresses a letter of mine that appeared in the Daily Pilot in print today (online yesterday), making light of the fact that Jim Righeimer's brother-in-law, Mark Bucher, threatened me and members of the Costa Mesa Police Association with legal action if we mentioned three items in connection with his client/brother-in-law. You can read my letter HERE - fortunately, it's the very first one in a long string of letters in the paper so you don't have to go wading very far to read it. The Mouth, who tells us from time to time that he's a lawyer and a whole bunch of other things, pretends to understand this issue, even though he admits to not having seen the letter in question. Of course, ignorance of an issue has never stopped him from blathering on and on about it in the past, so we shouldn't be surprised when he does so now.

BUCHER'S THREAT
The fact is, Bucher threatened me in writing with legal action if I discussed bankruptcy, being drunk in public and foreclosure when writing about his client. I had written about the rumors of Righeimer's bankruptcy a couple years ago, following a long conversation with him. The upshot of that conversation was that I heard Righeimer out, believed what he said and had not written about it since. I had no intention of writing about him or anyone else being drunk in public, nor had I plans to write about any foreclosure that may or may not have occurred.

RIGHEIMER SPOKE ABOUT BANKRUPTCY
However, Righeimer, within a couple days of that letter being delivered, openly spoke about the bankruptcy issue himself. So, I figure all bets are off. If I knew anything factual about that or the other issues I felt completely comfortable about writing about them.

THE MOUTH SPREAD LIES ABOUT MCEVOY
The Mouth, and other Righeimer boosters, then proceeded to spread lies and innuendo about Chris McEvoy involving his driving record in which they consistently lied about the facts. The Mouth never lets truth be an impediment to his goals.

City Solicits Candidates for Council, Commission Slots

CLOCK IS TICKING ON APPLICATION PROCESS
Late this evening the City of Costa Mesa announced the solicitation of candidates for open positions on the three main governmental bodies - City Council, Planning Commission and Parks & Recreation Commission.


FOLEY - WILL SHE OR WON'T SHE?
The vacancy on the council will occur on December 14th, when councilwoman Katrina Foley resigns to take the seat on the Newport-Mesa Unified School District Board she won in the recent election, unseating incumbent Michael Collier. Foley has played coy recently and got into a heated discussion with Mayor Allan Mansoor at his last council meeting on Tuesday when he pushed her for a firm statement of her intentions. She sparred with him, but didn't give in. It has been widely assumed that the law on this issue will force her to abandon one seat or the other, but she implied that might not be the case. We don't know if she was being stubborn just to yank Mansoor's chain one final time, or if she is still undecided about her decision. Regardless, she will still be on the council on December 7th when Jim Righeimer is seated and Wendy Leece is reaffirmed and will participate in the selection of a new mayor and mayor pro tem.

MENSINGER OR ?...
Some folks around town assume that Righeimer crony and personal pal, planning commissioner Steve Mensinger, has the inside track on this seat. Others prominently mentioned are planning commissioners Colin McCarthy and Jim Fitzpatrick. Many people in the community think Foley's vacancy should be filled by Chris McEvoy, who finished a close 3rd in the recent election. Their reasoning is that the electorate has made its views known by casting nearly 11,000 votes - more than 26% - for McEvoy and, while not a "mandate", it is a clear statement by the people of this community and should be honored.

CANDIDATES - SEND LETTERS BY DEADLINE
Candidates for Foley's vacancy on the City Council should send a letter of interest, and a resume if available, by the deadline. (See Below)

3 SEATS ON PLANNING AND PARKS COMMISSIONS
There are at least 3 seats available on the Planning Commission and Parks & Recreation Commission. Interested parties are encouraged to complete an application, and include a resume if possible, for the council's consideration. The application form can be found at the City website, HERE.


WHERE TO SEND YOUR APPLICATIONS
All applications and correspondence should be sent to: Costa Mesa City Council, P.O. Box 1200, Costa Mesa, California 92628-1200 or bring it to City Hall, 77 Fair Drive, City Manager's Office by 5:00 p.m. Friday, December 17, 2010. Applicants are advised that their applications must be disclosed to the public upon request. For additional information contact the City Manager's office at 714-754-5328.

FINAL ELECTION RESULTS PENDING
A check of the Orange County Registrar of Voters site after 5:00 p.m. tonight shows there are still more than 400 votes to be counted county-wide. The numbers will be updated again at 5:00 tomorrow. Until all votes are counted and certified by the Registrar the results shown on the site are unofficial. No significant changes have occurred in local races in the past 24 hours. I'll post the final, official results when they are available.

Top Costa Mesa Cops Placed On Leave

ROEDER PLACES SHAWKEY AND SMITH ON LEAVE
The Daily Pilot, in an article by Joseph Serna, reported at 6:00 p.m. tonight that Costa Mesa City Manager Allan Roeder has placed Police Chief Christopher Shawkey and Captain Ron Smith on Administrative Leave - without further explanation. Captain Les Gogerty, the remaining senior officer on the force, will assume command on an interim basis. You can read that brief article HERE.

SHOCKING NEWS!
This is stunning news and, according to sources within the police department, completely unexpected. No indication has been given for the two most senior officers to be placed on leave at the same time, leaving us only to speculate on the potential reasons. It is unlikely that Roeder will address this at all because it's a personnel matter and subject to very strict rules about protection of individual rights. You will recall that this is the same line provided when Finance Director Marc Puckett departed mysteriously a couple years ago.

COMMAND STAFF DECIMATED
My initial reaction, once the epithets cleared the air, was shock, then concern for our city. This leaves us with no Fire Chief, no Police Chief (and only one senior command officer) and a City Manager who is only a couple months from retirement. And, the shriveled cherry on top of that dung sundae is the new City Council that will be sworn in by the first of the year.

ROEDER REQUESTS NO COMMENTS FROM PD
Roeder, in his message to the police force today, requested that no comments be made about this issue, so we will be left to speculate about just what kind of horrendous event would prompt the City Manager to place these men on administrative leave. Shawkey is fairly new to the department, coming to us from Phoenix. Ron Smith is an old hand in the department.

WHERE'S THE PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT?
There has been no official announcement to the public on this matter, which causes me some degree of concern. Whether Roeder can or will talk about it, the public has a right to know that the senior command staff of their police department has been placed on leave.



RANK AND FILE HAVE CONFIDENCE IN GOGERTY
Those sources within the police department that would speak about this issue also seemed concerned about the command vacuum being left, but simultaneously expressed confidence in Captain Gogerty's ability to handle the responsibilities placed on his shoulders tonight. That's good news from where I sit.

MORE TO FOLLOW...
I'll follow-up to see if there is any more information available and will, of course, be in touch with Roeder tomorrow.