Big Changes Announced At Costa Mesa City Hall

HISTORIC CHANGES

In what will certainly go down in the history of this city as one of the most memorable days since the founding of the city - at least politics-wise - several announcements were made today.  Please read EVERY announcement, right to the end.

RIGHEIMER SAYS ADIOS
First, Mayor Jim Righeimer, apparently exhausted from all the criticism and abuse he's taken over

the past few years because of his bad ideas and even worse implementation plans, held a press conference to announce that he's had enough.  Righeimer will be abandoning his position on the City Council and will be moving back to Fountain Valley.  He said he hopes to spend more time with his family, making more money and working more closely with Representative Dana Rohrabacher and OC GOP Chairman Scott Baugh helping to refine their plans build a wall around Costa Mesa and Newport Beach to keep any more undesirable liberal folks from crossing the borders.

MENSINGER ON THE PAYROLL

At the same press conference Mayor Pro Tem Steve Mensinger, apparently wanting to be adequately
compensated for all the hours he spends prowling City Hall, accepted the position of Economic and Development Director - the job being vacated by Peter Naghavi.  He negotiated a hefty salary in the $200,000 range plus medical and pension benefits.  He mentioned that he will immediately recruit an Assistant Director, and expects Jim Fitzpatrick may be the perfect fit.  CEO Tom Hatch announced that he is excited about the challenge of working with two such fine men on his staff and looks forward to their first performance reviews at the end of 90 days.  Mensinger also announced that he will try to gain eligibility to play on the Estancia High School football team this fall, to try to recapture some of his misspent youth.

MONAHAN CONFIRMS SUSPICIONS

Separately, but also early this morning, long, long, long time councilman Gary Monahan confirmed the fact that he just doesn't have time to do the job as a city councilman, so he will officially only attend every third meeting for the next three years, when his current term expires.  He will continue to receive pay and benefits as though he was a serious council member, and thanked the voters of Costa Mesa for electing him last November again and invited everyone to his pub.
THE WOMEN TAKE CHARGE 
 In light of this news, council women Wendy Leece and Sandra Genis - who now make up the majority on the council and will undoubtedly be elected Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem respectively - announced their plans for an emergency ordinance to appoint former candidates John Stephens and Harold Weitzberg to fill Righeimer and Mensinger's positions, citing the urgency of the new Budget and the General Plan update as the reason for the haste.  They also announced plans to drop the lawsuit against the Costa Mesa employees and will seek a refund of part of the more than $1 million in fees charged by Jones Day in their feeble efforts on our behalf.  They also promised to bring a renewed spirit of harmony, teamwork and trust back to City Hall.

GOODBYE, CRONIES

They also announced their intent to disband the Finance Advisory Committee, citing its general uselessness.  They also plan to abandon plans for a Pension Advisory committee and, instead, will rely on solid staff work to help make their decisions. 

HELLO, MORE PUBLIC SAFETY FOLKS
They also authorized the immediate implementation of Interim Fire Chief Tom Arnold's new organizational plans for the department and the immediate recruitment for the staff necessary for that implementation.  They will also authorize Police Chief Tom Gazsi to immediately begin recruitment for an additional ten officers, taking the authorized strength to 141 sworn officers - a number much more in line with recommendations made by consultants and senior law enforcement officials in the recent past.

ABANDONING "COIN"
Leece and Genis also indicated they will immediately remove Mensinger's  COIN scheme from the Municipal Code, citing the unnecessary, costly and divisive delays it creates in negotiating contracts with employee groups.

THIS IS THE DATE...
All of these changes will become effective on this date, April 1, 2013.....  GOTCHA!