Another Busy Month Ahead
Well, Monday is the final day of April and I want someone to tell me where THAT month went! Holy Cow!
TUESDAY'S MEETING COULD BE ANOTHER LONG ONE
Tuesday we have our first of what will be MANY meetings of the Costa Mesa City Council in May. This one, the first of two regularly-scheduled meetings, has a pretty full agenda so we might see another long one. The last one wrapped up just before midnight, so I may take a pillow and blankie with me Tuesday. According to city sources there will likely be at least three more - maybe four - meetings this month because it's budget time and the City Staff is trying to figure out how to accomplish the wish list the council concocted with no study of the situation. Another time for that discussion.
Tuesday the council holds a closed session at 5:00 p.m. and the regular meeting at 6:00 p.m. You can read the agenda HERE. There are nine (9) items on the Consent Calendar - "routine" items that may be voted upon in one vote unless someone on the council or public decides they want to discuss one or more of them. Perhaps the biggest ticket item is #7, the Fairview Traffic Signal Synchronization Project - a coordinated effort between Costa Mesa, Santa Ana and CalTrans. Part of this item involves a budget adjustment of more than $650,000. You can read the staff report HERE.
Public Hearing #1 is a 4-unit, 4 story development on W. 20th street. The units actually have 3 stories plus a rooftop deck. You can read all about it HERE.
Public Hearing #2 is an ordinance modifying off-street parking requirements for establishments where food and beverages are served. This ordinance, if passed, will relax the requirements. It will be VERY interesting to hear the discussion on this one, since our city is full of small malls with one or more small food establishments that are severely underparked. You can read the staff report HERE.
The only Old Business item is the second reading and adoption of a new ordinance prohibiting sex offenders from entering parks and sports facilities in the city. This one's a no-brainer and should pass without any hassle at all.
There are six separate items on the roster under New Business, the first of which is a screening request for 40 so-called live/work units at 1527 Newport Boulevard, near the border with Newport Beach at Industrial Way. This would displace the existing 40-unit Anchor Trailer Park, some of which are unoccupied. I recall a few years ago when two trailer parks on the other side of Newport Boulevard were razed to make way for a medical office building and the turmoil that caused. Theoretically, the City has a procedure in place to handle displaced folks when trailer parks are converted to other uses. The staff report on this one is HERE.
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Next comes what is turning out to be an annual event - the re-hashing of our Fireworks Ordinance. Since the holiday falls on Wednesday this year, it's going to be interesting to see if anyone wants to sell the fireworks from the Friday before and authorize the discharge of them on other than the evening of July 4th. The staff report is HERE.
MOVING THE FISH FRY TO FAIRVIEW PARK
Next come three items related to the Lions Club annual Fish Fry. The first, HERE, is a request to move the event from Lions Park to Fairview Park and waive the special event permit and park use fees.
SELLING WINE AND BEER WITH YOUR FISH
The second, HERE, is a request to sell beer and wine at the Fish Fry. This one should be interesting.
TEARING DOWN AN "ATTRACTANT"
The third, HERE, deals with the demolition of the picnic shelter at Lions Park - an apparent magnet for homeless folks in our city. Lions Park has been the epicenter for homelessness in Costa Mesa.
Finally, the last item on the agenda is a request to send Jim Righeimer and Steve Mensinger on an economic development boondoggle, er, conference in Las Vegas in May. According to the staff report, HERE, they would be joined by several staffers to introduce and promote Costa Mesa to an international audience. Unfortunately, there is no provision requiring Mensinger and Righeimer to stay in Vegas after the conference. Seems like a missed opportunity to me.
All that, and the always exciting Council Members Comments, await
us Tuesday. I can hardly wait to hear Righeimer's latest rant.Labels: budget, fireworks, Fish Fry, Jim Righeimer, Sex Offenders, Steve Mensinger
posted by The Pot Stirrer at 4/29/2012 11:45:00 PM
27 Comments:
Riggy did go to Vegas after all.
A longtime Costa Mesan saw the mayor pro tem sitting at one of the bars at Caesar's and exclaimed to his wife- "Look Hon, there's that D-Bag Righeimer!"
To which the bartender said, "Hey! This isn't Skosh's, you can't diss our patrons that way."
The man says to the bartender, "You're right."
Then he turned to Riggy- "Sorry Jimbo, let me buy you a drink. What are you having?"
Righeimer:
"Vinegar and water.."
WHO IS PAYING FOR THIS TRIP TO LAS VEGAS? PEOPLE- Wake up!
I read with laughter and sorrow this weekends OC Register pieces on Costa Mesa.
Mensinger and his comments regarding going through the process to save the residents money. Remembering comments how the city held off hiring Firemen because of outrageous pensions. Remembering a Council Member on live TV calling out Helen Nenadal a 60K+ employee and telling her we can't afford your outrageous pension. Reading comments here and in the local rags how city employee pensions are bleeding the residents and city dry.
The entire time I kept thinking of the hiring of 2 employees to full time positions. Both positions around 150K at the outrageous unaffordable pension making their total comp around 190K. They did this sliding them in just weeks before the new pension reforms kicked in. Why not have waited just a few weeks and save the residents money? Show this is really about pension reform and you are truly leaders.
And where is the outrage by those crying pensions are harming them?Where is the outrage by the residents? Where is the outrage of the local Watchdog Teri Sporza? Where is her article condeming this action and how unsustainable these 2 pensions are? Where is her outrage this was done just weeks before they could have been added at a lower pension formula?
I guess WatchDOG is more about her appearance than it is her investigative reporting.
Considering the following facts:
- 96% of sex crimes are committed by first time offenders (not on the registry)
- the re-offense rates for SOs are extremely low (about 5%)
- most sex offenders do not have child victims
- most sex offenders have families and children of their own
- no other area that has passed similar bans has seen any reduction whatsoever in sex crimes
why do you feel the parks/sports facilities ban is a "no brainer"? child safety 101 says that stranger-danger is exceedingly rare. wouldn't a better use of time and money be spent on educating parents AND kids about the facts about sexual abuse?
and he turned it into wine! (which caused the usual suspects to whine)
Talking about Riggy's favorite drink vinegar and water,
ocgop4ever (colon) wrote:
"and he turned it into wine!"
Every 5th grade science student knows vinegar is what wine turns into when it goes bad.
This is the perfect metaphor for Righeimer and ocgop: Backward, the opposite of what SHOULD be done; in other words- Fire, Ready, Aim.
@Watchdog and Pony show
I've come on here several times asking the same question regarding new hires and pensions.
There will not be one person on here who supports council that could argue that point effectively. I really wish Barry who does comment on here frequently argue that point for council.
Bottom line is you CAN'T! How is someone going to argue how the employees are bleeding this city dry with "unsustainable pensions" then defend Righeimer's hires.
The only benefit would be if Righeimer and Mensinger stay in Vegas forever!
@Jokeman- hahaha!
As a person who grew up in the East, I object to you calling Riggy a "D-Bag." Some of my best friends are, and they're nothing like our little ranting boy.
Ready fire aim; hilarious, better than vinegar and water joke. wow, go to improv with this stuff. you see, Righeimer turned it into wine which is the miracle. with your awesome jokes you didn't see the humor there? oh well... when you hate, you are blind
3@50 with little paid by employee is what is unsustainable. management pays their portion and cannot retire with 3@50. that's the explanation.
@Shana Rowan
Curtis Regulus, a local transient, has six prior SO convictions since 2007 against woman and innocent children. He recently pleaded guilty to three more felonies against a 14 year girl. And upon his immediate release from prison, he went right back to his favorite benches at the DRC.
Unfortunately, CMPD could only arrest him when he entered the County library area b/c there is a gap in coverage w/ the current SO law. The City's more inclusive SO ordinance will keep Curtis permanently away from CM children & their mothers attending classes at the DRC thanks to Lt. Manley & Staff.
ocgop4ever -- What are you saying here? That Riggy is Jesus Christ? Is he the new messiah? You guys are soooo weird.
That creepy eye looks like a demonic turtle eye. I love the GOP, but you guys are just too weird.
Yeah, I got it, that's not a joke, it's blasphemy. It's offensive. Anyway, when you have to explain your "joke", it's not funny.
This Church lady withdraws her support.
Here goes the whole dumb fireworks talk again, and we'll have to hear from the phone-dropping chest number and all the great things that these stands do for high school athletics, blah, blah, blah.
He must get engorged for all this kind of sports talk and can' t wait to parade those kids up in front of the City Council and beg for the extra days to sell that crap.
Why doesn't Stevie come back here and help us?
http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?source=Patrick.net&ID=20922
Many people in Costa Mesa will help him move..
Are we really paying for them to attend the ICSC? Talk about a waste of money. I actually met Jim at the convention several years ago (he was promoting his development business), and I am sure he will only be working on city business while there?
Interesting, I wonder if GM will recuse himself since he is one who will benefit if this passes.
Drive by his bar and check out the "lack" of parking when there are special events there -
His guest park all over the residental streets taking up the parking that should go to the residents.
Geoff,
Is the picture accompanying "Westside Home Purchase Opportunity" a random picture or an actual sketch of the proposed project?
water to wine is the biblical story, not vinegar. the whole thing was a joke based on how it is usually the other way around: wine into vinegar. Righeimer is Righeimer not Jesus. Jeez....
Pahrump Nv. and Avi Nv. sell the good fireworks year round.!.! With the lack of officers and NO heli who cares about Menses little smoke bomb stands. The city wont pay the overtime to put more on patrol. What a joke! Im sure Steve and Jim will make a run to one of the aforementioned establishments to get their (and their friends) share.
Dont compare Riggy to a miracle worker, that is the JOKE.
Shana- very un PC to side with the sex offenders. Yeah, more education, blah, blah, blah. I say put a tattoo on their forehead. They did the crime, they cant erase the past. That 5% will ruin it for the 95%! I stand behind the CC on this.
Curious,
No, that's not a rendering of the actual development... didn't have a photo available of the actual plan. It's a stock photo of three story homes with flat roofs - which is what the proposed development will be. Thanks for asking.
ocgop as you know, but deceptively skirt... typical, the Fire Department has had their lay off notices rescinded. The target and talk was the General City Employee. I noticed you didn't address that issue because you cant.
Helen Nenadal $63,000 a year does not get to retire 3% @ 50. None of the General City employees do.
As it was stated they have instituted reform in their ranks with a 2nd tier approved almost 2 years ago. This 2 tier came into effect earlier this year just weeks after the city slid in, just under the gun, two full time positions at $150,000 a year. More than double Ms Nenadal's salary.
Do you know these 2 $150k positions get the full pension formula you and others seem to be screaming is unsustainable? The same pension Council pointed to Helen on live TV and said we can't afford your pension. Again she gets $63k less than half of one of those new $150K slaries. So the question again to you and others is why did they do that if the pensions of General Employees are sucking the city dry?
It just makes no sense and it also screams this might not be about pension after-all to not have waited to hire them at the reformed pension formula. Can you explain why would the city hire 2 of it's highest salaries at the unsustainable pension formula when they could have waited just a couple of weeks and saved the residents, the tax payers money? They knew the new pension formula was activating. Why would they do that?
Was there ever a PR or Pilot or Sforza(Dog Show) article announcing the hire of these 2 positions?
This transparency award winning city surely would have alerted it's tax paying residents they hired 2 positions for well over $100,000 and receiving the highest pension formula just before the new reform were being implemented. Of course the most transparent city would have done that.
Can someone please point me to those articles and the city's PR stating they just hired 2 unsustainable pensions moments before they could have saved the city money.
Was "Transparency Guru" Lobdell one of the 150K recipients?
Does his wife's work with the Daily Pilot help the Righeimer Gang?
Yes, both Lobdell and Joyce were the two 150K recipients. The only other one hired at that time was Francis and a press release was done for him. I wonder why there was all the secrecy about the hiring of the other two? Hmmm.
Wife? For Lobdell? I don't think so.
Is Greer Wylder who writes for the Daily Pilot married to Lobdell?
Would that affect that paper's coverage of Costa Mesa?
Lobdell and Wylder had four sons while married.
And, no, it wouldn't affect the Pilot's coverage of city news.
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