What About Block Parties?
IT'S "COUNCIL MEETING DAY" - OH, BOY!
Well, today is the most recent City Council meeting here in Costa Mesa. I wrote a volume about the agenda last weekend so won't repeat myself here. You can scroll down and read it if you wish.
WAR ZONE PLANNING
That being said
, I must comment on an issue that is relevant to the misguided plan to sell fireworks for five days and permit them to be discharged for four - July 1 - July 4. I know I won't win that argument because too many of the council members are "boosters", eager to have the public fund their kid's play time by buying and discharging fireworks over the entire holiday weekend and turning our city into something akin to an Afghanistan battle field for that period.
WHAT ABOUT BLOCK PARTIES?
Nope, my concern this morning is the block parties that normally accompany the Independence Day celebrations. The City, via Interim Communications Director Bill Lobdell, issued a press
release yesterday announcing the availability of applications for block parties for July 4th. He referred us to the City web site for the applications, but they were not yet posted. So, I called him.
BLOCK PARTIES ONLY ON 4TH?
During my conversation I asked if block parties will be permitted, both literally and figuratively, on all four days that shooting off fireworks will be authorized. He said no... which I told him was curiously inconsistent.
WHO WILL ASK?
So, I hop
e one of you will jump up at the council meeting tonight and ask the question of the council. Seems like a reasonable question. Many people I know would MUCH prefer to have their neighborhood block parties on the weekend - Saturday or Sunday - instead of Monday
.
THE COST OF A "ME FIRST' MENTALITY
A major downside of permitting block parties the entire weekend,
of course, is the cost of public safety staff necessary to patrol the city during those events. This is the kind of thing that happens when city officials let their own personal interests drive the agenda instead of considering what is best for the city as a whole.
PRESS RELEASE AND APPLICATION ON CITY WEB SITE
The press release and the link to the application are now available on the City Home Page at http://www.ci.costa-mesa.ca.us.
Well, today is the most recent City Council meeting here in Costa Mesa. I wrote a volume about the agenda last weekend so won't repeat myself here. You can scroll down and read it if you wish.
WAR ZONE PLANNING
That being said
, I must comment on an issue that is relevant to the misguided plan to sell fireworks for five days and permit them to be discharged for four - July 1 - July 4. I know I won't win that argument because too many of the council members are "boosters", eager to have the public fund their kid's play time by buying and discharging fireworks over the entire holiday weekend and turning our city into something akin to an Afghanistan battle field for that period.WHAT ABOUT BLOCK PARTIES?
Nope, my concern this morning is the block parties that normally accompany the Independence Day celebrations. The City, via Interim Communications Director Bill Lobdell, issued a press
release yesterday announcing the availability of applications for block parties for July 4th. He referred us to the City web site for the applications, but they were not yet posted. So, I called him.BLOCK PARTIES ONLY ON 4TH?
During my conversation I asked if block parties will be permitted, both literally and figuratively, on all four days that shooting off fireworks will be authorized. He said no... which I told him was curiously inconsistent.
WHO WILL ASK?
So, I hop
e one of you will jump up at the council meeting tonight and ask the question of the council. Seems like a reasonable question. Many people I know would MUCH prefer to have their neighborhood block parties on the weekend - Saturday or Sunday - instead of Monday.
THE COST OF A "ME FIRST' MENTALITY
A major downside of permitting block parties the entire weekend,
of course, is the cost of public safety staff necessary to patrol the city during those events. This is the kind of thing that happens when city officials let their own personal interests drive the agenda instead of considering what is best for the city as a whole.PRESS RELEASE AND APPLICATION ON CITY WEB SITE
The press release and the link to the application are now available on the City Home Page at http://www.ci.costa-mesa.ca.us.
Look for this block on the home page.
Labels: Bill Lobdell, Block Parties, fireworks
posted by The Pot Stirrer at 5/17/2011 11:57:00 AM
2 Comments:
You would think that one of the City executives would have noticed this inconsistency between the block party policy and the new fireworks policy. Oh never mind, they are all interim managers, some of them much more familiar with Brea or Yorba Linda, which don't allow fireworks.
And apparently staff members are learning to keep their mouths shut in the new normal.
Costa Mesa Uber Alles!
Love that Jim Righeimer used Garden Grove and Santa Ana as the benchmark for Costa Mesa. Especially loved that Wendy zero'd in on that fact as she was battling 3 vs 1.
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