Fairview Park Committee Meets Tomorrow

WHO KNOWS WHAT'S NEXT...
In what might be the last meeting, at least for a very long time, the Costa Mesa Fairview Park Citizens Advisory Committee meets tomorrow evening, 6-8 p.m., in the Victoria Room of the Neighborhood Community Center, 1845 Park Avenue (Lions Park).  You can read the modified agenda HERE.

LOTS OF CHANGES
We've seen several changes on the committee.  Member Brett Eckles resigned after he was recently appointed to the Parks and Recreation Commission.  Since long-time chairman Dr. Richard Mehren abruptly resigned early this year at the end of the last meeting, Vice Chair Steve Smith will apparently run the show - at least until they get through the part of the agenda where a new Chairman is selected.  That should be interesting.  This image is of Mehren and Smith early-on in happier times.

AN UNFORTUNATE CHANGE IN THE AGENDA
Those who follow this committee will recognize that there is a aberration in the agenda.  Following the presentations by the staff - the three items listed below - the committee apparently WILL NOT vote on whether to include any or all of these items in their recommendations to the Parks and Recreation Commission. The goals of the committee were spelled out early in the process.  They are shown in the two images below:

You can read the original work plan, with timeline, HERE.

SO CLOSE....
After more than 20 months of hard, sometimes contentious, work the committee will not be permitted to complete their mission.  They've plowed through most of the original 35 items on their list, shown below.  Only the most controversial items - playing fields - remain.

What remains to be evaluated and, under the previous rules of procedure, discussed and voted upon, are these items:

OPEN SPACE MASTER PLAN
Now that the City has decided to hire a consultant to update the Master Plan of Parks and Open Spaces, the work done by this committee appropriately should be folded into that update as part of the Fairview Park Master Plan.

WHO WILL SHOW UP?
I'm not quite sure what kind of a turnout to anticipate Wednesday.  I hope another crowd shows up to hear the staff presentations and express their views.

APRIL FOOL'S DAY!
I cannot close this without observing that this meeting falls on April 1st.... it just seems SO appropriate.  See you tomorrow.

He's Back - And Still Wrong!

HAVE NOT MISSED HIM
I've hesitated to mention that old Dennis Popp, the pompous pontificator on the CM Conserve blog, has been in hibernation since January 23rd.  I had assumed that he'd used up all the words that had been rattling around in his cranium, so had gone into a state of suspended animation.  Or, better yet, he just flat gave up.  But, no... we're not that lucky... he's back...

POPP ON BANNING RANCH
Today old Dennis finally produced another blog entry, HERE, this one vilifying those folks who are trying to save Banning Ranch.  Those of you who disagree with him will get agitated when you read the entry.  I apologize in advance for your discomfort and the rise in your blood pressure.

THIS IS 'CONSERVATION'?
I was amused that, near the end of his piece, he tries to provide an example of a responsible conservation organization by using an outfit called Ducks Unlimited, HERE.  He talks about how the members of this organization raise money to buy lands themselves, blah, blah, blah.  What he neglects to mention is that this organization does all this "conservation" so they have more water fowl to KILL!  Yep, they buy and create habitats so they can go blast more flying critters out of the sky for "sport".

SHOULDA KEPT SLEEPIN'...
Methinks old Dennis should have stayed in hibernation.  I can hardly wait to see him huff and puff at the Fairview Park Citizens Advisory Committee meeting Wednesday night.  The guy is pathetic!

Underwhelming Turnout For Clean Streets Launch

NICE DAY -  FEW SHOWED UP
It was a bright, sunny afternoon with just the slightest touch of breeze, but the poorly-advertised short (15 minutes) ceremony at Brentwood Park this afternoon resulted in a sparse turnout to see the official launch of outsourced street sweeping contractor, Clean Streets.

LOTS OF STAFF, THOUGH
City CEO Tom Hatch led off with introductions of the many members of the City Staff present for this event.  I saw Assistant CEO Rick Francis, Public Services Director Ernesto Munoz, Maintenance Services Manager Bruce Hartley, Maintenance Superintendent Bruce Lindemann, Fire Chief Dan Stefano,  Development Services Director Gary Armstrong, Public Affairs Manager Dan Baker, Hatch's Executive Assistant, Kelly Shelton, City Clerk Brenda Green and Executive Secretary Sharon Rodelius.  I found myself wondering who was watching the store at City Hall. Costa Mesa Sanitary District Director Arlene Schafer was also present.  Dane Bora and Brad Long of Costa Mesa Television we on hand to record this event for future viewing.

MENSINGER FUMBLES THE BALL
Hatch then turned over the proceedings to Mayor Steve Mensinger, who made a few comments, then introduced the CEO and founder of Clean Streets, Jerry Costello, while ignoring Foley standing beside him.  Costello told us a little about his company - founded in 1973 and operated by his family ever since.  He expressed that this event - the recognition by the City of Costa Mesa - was the high point of his career.  He told the assembled group that he was proud of his company and the first class equipment they operate.  He also told us they pride themselves on being responsive to the community.

FINALLY FOLEY
Foley was finally given the opportunity to speak and praised the assembled staff and the hard work it took to put this new program together.

PHOTO OPS
There was then a ceremonial "street sweeping" by officials using new gold brooms, followed by the planting of a new magnolia tree by the same officials using gold shovels to commemorate this event.

NO EMPLOYEES TRANSFERRED TO CLEAN STREETS
I was told that no current city employees moved over to Clean Streets in this transition, but a couple of retired street sweeping staffers now work for them.  All the other staff members involved in street sweeping were transitioned to other jobs as it became clear that this outsourcing process would take place.

SPARSE TURNOUT TO SAY THE LEAST

Only a handful of residents turned out for this event.  I did see a few residents walking their dogs and, way, way down at the other end of the park a block away, I could see some children playing in the playground.  I saw former council candidate Lee Ramos and former Planning Commission Chairman and now medical marijuana shill Jim Fitzpatrick observing the proceedings and was told that a few residents stopped by before the event to engage the City Staff on the recent decision to basically abandon the second phase of the Brentwood Park Master Plan.

RIGHEIMER'S VINDICTIVE MOVE
You may recall that at the end of the March 17, 2015 City Council meeting Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer addressed this issue, HERE.   He was obviously angry at the residents near Brentwood Park because they objected to some of the more active uses planned for that stretch of green space - basketball courts and/or tennis courts.  He was very critical of them because they ended up with a defacto green belt - like that's something bad!  I thought at the time that it was a curious thing for a guy who lives on a golf course to say... but he does that kind of stuff all the time.  The upshot of his move two weeks ago was the loss of almost $300,000 in grant funding the city staff had captured for the project and the waste of $92,000 in design costs, of which $37,150 was reimbursed by the State.  You can drop Righeimer a note to thank him for that vindictive move, and ask him how HE likes living on a green belt.  I'm sure he'd appreciate hearing from you.  At least nobody showed up with pitchforks and torches today.

LET THEM EAT CAKE...
And, this kind of strange behavior is nothing new with the guys in charge.  You will recall that Mensinger, at the very last minute last year, yanked $600,000 from the library fund budget to pay for yanking out brand new landscaping in his part of town and replace it with drought-tolerant plantings.  Yep, it's important for THEIR part of town to look snazzy, but....

WHY DID WE HAVE THIS EVENT?
I did think it was curious to hold this event at this particular park at this particular time, since we have 30 parks from which to choose for this kind of non-event.  Maybe somebody thought it was time to rip that scab off again.  I wouldn't be surprised.  Then, again, it was strange to make such a big deal of an outsourcing contract at all.  No wonder Costello was surprised.

WHAT'S NEXT?
So, we now have contract street sweepers who tell us they are proud of their business and are responsive to residents needs.  Costello seemed like a nice enough guy, so let's hope this works out.  In the meantime, you can be assured that Righeimer and Mensinger are looking around for MORE stuff to outsource.  No job in the city is safe with these guys in charge.

Celebrating Outsourcing!

REALLY?
The City of Costa Mesa will "celebrate" the outsourcing of our street sweeping operations to Clean Streets by holding a "ribbon cutting" at Brentwood Park at 4:00 today.  You can read the city announcement HERE.

PROBABLY A GOOD COMPANY, BUT...

Nothing against the good folks at Clean Streets - they have an excellent reputation - but this is just another example of celebrating the decline of the perceived value of Costa Mesa city employees and the celebration of contractors - the hired guns who have no ties to our city, no institutional knowledge, no loyalty to the City or its residents, but who are replacing employees with too much frequency.

I GUESS I'LL BE THERE
So, I'll drag my old body, and camera, to Brentwood Park to watch city officials sing the praises of this latest move to reduce the city staff.  I'll hear the platitudes about what a great day this is for the City and watch them plant a tree to commemorate this day and probably see someone take one of those shiny, new street sweepers for a spin.  And I'll think about how this represents just one more step in the plan to outsource EVERYTHING in the city.  I won't be celebrating...

CMTV WILL COVER IT
Costa Mesa Television will be on hand to tape this event for later viewing on CMTV.

Marking Another Milestone...

PRIORITIZING...
OK, you're on your own this weekend.  For the next few days I belong exclusively to my sweet and very patient wife as we celebrate her birthday.  With this many years it takes several days to properly celebrate it.  I'll be back next week.

'TAINT FAIR...
This just doesn't seem fair, since each of MY birthdays that we celebrate mark a date when I'm clearly getting older, while she, on the other hand, just seems to get younger!  It's not fair, I say!

WHATEVER SHE WANTS...
So, we will celebrate her birthday this weekend with things SHE wants to do, which will almost certainly include seeing a chick flick or two and having more than one meal out.  Sadly, because of the extreme drought and attendant fire hazard, I was unable to get a fire permit for her cake, so this one will just have to do..  (Yes, that's going to cost me, for sure.)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWEET SUSIE,

AND MANY MORE, TOO...

Meeting Canceled, And More

NEVER MIND!

Remember that Pension Oversight Committee meeting I told you about that was scheduled for this afternoon?  Well, it was canceled yesterday, HERE.  So, all of you planning to attend now have some free time on your hands!



PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
Never fear, though. The Parks and Recreation Commission meeting, scheduled for tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. in City Council Chambers is still on the schedule.  You can read that agenda HERE.  If you attend you will watch Chairman Kim Pederson and the other commissioners discuss a tree removal request and hear about the plant palette for certain Mesa Verde street medians and Monument Entry Sign concepts.

FAIRVIEW PARK COMMITTEE MEETS NEXT WEEK
Next week, on Wednesday, April 1, 2015, (which seems somehow perfectly appropriate, considering the turmoil around this committee for the past few months) the Fairview Park Citizens Advisory Committee will meet for what may well be their last meeting for a long time.  You can read that agenda HERE.

MEHREN'S RESIGNATION AND MEETING CANCELLATIONS
You will likely recall that the Chairman, Dr. Richard Mehren, (shown here on the left with Vice Chair Steve Smith) resigned in protest at their last meeting, early in January.  Their February meeting was canceled because the staff needed more time to prepare the reports on the items to be discussed - the possibility of playing fields being installed in the Southeast Quadrant of the park.  The plug was also abruptly pulled on the March meeting.

ON THE AGENDA
Scheduled for discussion, finally, at the meeting next Wednesday are:
1 - Baseball/Softball Facilities
2 - Soccer/Football Fields
3 - Multi-use Fields

There will also be a discussion of a proposed East Fairview Channel Trail.

A LONG, TUMULTUOUS PATH
This committee, which has toiled for 20 months with a prodigious and ill-timed task, has seen the venue changed several times, the configuration of the group change due to the passing of long-time community activist David Stiller (replaced by Frank Davern) and the resignation of Dr. Mehren.  Former Daily Pilot columnist Smith is the Vice Chair and will apparently run this next meeting.  The ranks of the committee have been depleted by Mehren's departure and the appointment of member Brett Eckles to the Parks and Recreation Commission, where he now serves as Vice Chair.  He subsequently resigned his seat on this committee.

HEAR THE REPORTS, THEN WAIT...
The last direction given to staff by the City Council was that the committee should hear the final remaining staff reports, but should then delay any report of their own to the Parks and Recreation Commission until the completion at least the consultant-conducted community survey portion of the update of the Master Plan of Parks and Open Spaces is finished.  What has been missing since the beginning of this committee's work has been actual data about the field use in the city.  There has been plenty of anecdotal "wishes" presented to the committee by youth sports officials, but actual data has been virtually impossible to acquire - despite constant pleas for that information by at least one committee member.

AN UNFULFILLED ASSIGNMENT
So, next Wednesday may be the last time we see this group meet - with their long, long assignment incomplete.  I've attended most of the meetings and found the process to be sometimes quite painful, but they followed the format created in the beginning and have managed to slog their way to within sight of the finish line - expending thousands of staff hours along the way.  I understand the reasoning behind delaying their final report until that survey is complete, and hope they will be permitted to reconvene at a future date to finish the job they signed on for.

NO REPLACEMENT FOR ECKLES
There has been NO solicitation for replacements of Mehren nor Eckles on the committee.  That process could take at least a couple months.  That lack of activity might be a bellwether of how the future of this committee is viewed by the council majority.  We'll find out.

THE JOB SHOULD BE FINISHED!
I think this committee, which has spent the best part of two years of their lives on this assignment, should be permitted to finish the job.  I think they should hear the remaining reports from the staff and do as they've done in the past - vote on whether to present possible changes to the Parks and Recreation Commission.  Then, they should ask the staff to prepare a report based on all the work they've done over all these months outlining the very few changes the committee has agreed upon for possible inclusion in Fairview Park.  That report should be presented to the Parks and Recreation Commission for its consideration and possible inclusion in the update of the Master Plan of Parks and Open Spaces.  THEN the committee can be disbanded with the thanks of a grateful community for all their hard work.

Brough/Harper Co-author Rehab Home Bill

AB 838 INTRODUCED IN STATE ASSEMBLY
As mentioned by Costa Mesa Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer at a recent Costa Mesa City Council meeting, Assemblymen William Brough of the 73rd District and Matthew Harper of the 74th District have co-authored a bill, AB 838, which will modify Section 1505 of the State Health And Safety Code relating to recovery houses.  You can read the bill and the Legislative Counsel's Digest HERE.

WHAT DOES IT DO?
I spent some time on Tuesday chatting with members of the staff of both assemblymen at their local field offices and in Sacramento, trying to get a clear picture of what this bill is supposed to accomplish.  I think the aforementioned Legislative Counsel's Digest provides you with a good, concise description.

TIGHTENS UP EXISTING LAW
Basically, it changes the California Community Care Facilities Act by adding a new section to the law to more tightly define certain group homes and, as a result, allow local jurisdictions to enforce the new laws - a misdemeanor.

ANOTHER TOOL
If passed, this would provide one more hammer in the tool box of cities like Costa Mesa - which, according to reports, has more than 25% of rehab homes in Orange County - with which to control the proliferation of such facilities.

RIGHEIMER TO LOBBY SACRAMENTO
It is our understanding, based on what Righeimer said at that council meeting, that he will be traveling to Sacramento early next month to talk with folks about this bill.  Right now the bill is in the Human Services sub-committee, but has not been scheduled to be heard yet.  We presume Righeimer will be attempting to influence other Assembly members to move forward with this bill.