It's Allan Roeder's Big Week

ROEDER'S SWAN SONG
This is a big week for retiring Costa Mesa City Manager Allan Roeder. As you probably know, he completes more than 36 years of dedicated service to our city on March 4th, when he walks off into the sunset after guiding Costa Mesa through the storm-tossed seas of redevelopment and extraordinary growth and through the shoals of egotistical, opportunistic and incompetent elected leaders.

RECEPTION AT CITY HALL TUESDAY
On Tuesday, from 5 - 6 p.m. there will be a reception for him in the City Hall lobby. All residents and other interested individuals who wish to pay their respects to him, and to City Attorney Kimberly Hall Barlow, who recently abruptly resigned recently, are welcome to attend. Parking will likely be at a premium, especially with the agenda recently posted for the Council Meeting that immediately follows the reception.

STAFF DINNER WEDNESDAY NIGHT
Wednesday there is a dinner at the Costa Mesa Country Club - site of many of Roeder's "fabled" rounds of golf - for the city staff to say good-bye to him. With the events of the past couple weeks, and particularly last Friday, this one will likely be filled with mixed emotions.





SEGERSTROM/CHAMBER BASH ON THURSDAY
Thursday the C. J. Segerstrom & Sons and Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce hosts a dinner at the Westin Hotel. Tickets are $90.00 per head. The event begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m., with dinner following from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. For information about availability of Event Sponsorship and Table Sponsorship contact Ed Fawcett at the Chamber at 714-855-9090 or email at efawcett@costamesachamber.com.

DARK CLOUDS OVER THE EVENTS
Under almost any other circumstances these events would be happy, rousing affairs in which grateful residents and staffers can cheer Allan Roeder for his years of loyal service to this city, from his days as an intern through his illustrious career in which he became widely acknowledged as THE BEST City Manager in Orange County - at least. However, the current City Council, led by Jim Righeimer, Steve Mensinger, Eric Bever and Gary Monahan have managed to not only rain on his parade, but dump bags of crap on it! Perhaps the biggest load was dumped Friday when it was announced that roughly a third of the city staff will receive notices that they will not have jobs in September. This comes after having had to reduce the staff 20% over the past two years. I suspect Allan Roeder is finding very little to celebrate these days.

THE EVENTS WILL GO ON...
Still, the events will go on and I hope you'll find a way to thank Roeder for his service to the city. I plan to attend at least one of them, but have already told him many times how much I've appreciated and admired the way he kept a steady hand on the tiller as council after council tried to run us over the falls.