Ballot Measures & New Parks Commissioner On Council Agenda

MIGHT BE A SHORT ONE...
The Costa Mesa City Council will meet again on Tuesday, June 7, 2016 in City Council Chambers beginning at 5:45 p.m. for its regularly scheduled meeting.  You can read the agenda HERE.  There are two items on the Close Session agenda that will precede this meeting, one of which deals with labor negotiations with the Costa Mesa City Employee Association (CMCEA).

MAYOR'S AWARD
There will be a presentation of the Mayor's Award to Kirk McIntosh for the Daily Pilot Cup youth soccer tournament.

COMMENTS, COMMENTS AND THE CEO
Following the Public Comments segment, the Council Members reports and the CEO report the Consent Calendar will be considered.  These items, as you know, are considered "routine" and therefore will be considered in one vote unless someone pulls one for separate discussion.  If that's the case it will be trailed to the very end of the meeting, forcing folks to stay to the bitter end.

CONSENT CALENDAR
Here's a quick review of some of the fourteen (14) items on the Consent Calendar.

THE WARRANT - LOTS OF FUN
Item #2, Warrant 2558, HERE, gives us details about the disbursement of more than $3 million of our tax dollars.  Click on that link and scroll down to see how your money was spent.  Lots of consultants.  Lots of temporary employees to back fill the horrendous number of vacancies. 

ELECTION DETAILS
Item #11, HERE, are resolutions dealing with the technicalities of managing the municipal election on November 8, 2016.

PERMANENTLY CANCELING 2ND AUGUST MEETING
Item #14, HERE, is interesting.  This is a request to cancel the regular City Council meeting of August 16, 2016 and PERMANENTLY cancel the 2nd regular meeting of August each year to accommodate vacations of city staff.

BIA REAUTHORIZATION... WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO?
Public Hearing #1, HERE, is the Reauthorization and Annual Assessment Levy of the Business Improvement Area (BIA).  Now, don't get me wrong here.  I think this concept is great to generate business for Costa Mesa and it appears the BIA is doing well.  But, this staff report tells us it will receive $2.57 million in revenue and plan to budget expenditures on activities of $164,000 next fiscal year.  I find myself wondering where the rest of that money goes.  Just askin'....

NEW PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSIONER APPOINTMENT

New Business #1, HERE, should be interesting.  This is the appointment of a new Parks and Recreation Commissioner to replace Don Harper, who resigned earlier this year.  The term expires early next year, so this will be a short appointment.  There are a dozen applicants - you can read all their applications HERE.  As you scroll down the list of applicants a few familiar names jump out at you - folks who have participated on other committees and have been active in the community for years.  And others, with names not so familiar, certainly seem to have strong credentials to give them consideration for the position.  And then there are a couple others.

UH, HUH... REALLY?
First there is Krissie Bogner, who has a long resume outlining precisely nothing that qualifies her for the position except that she was responsible for making Wilson Park unusable to most residents because she's responsible for the restrooms being locked up.

THE LEAST QUALIFIED...
However, I fully expect the least qualified person - Julie Mercurio - to get the job.  Her "qualifications" read thus: "I would like to get more involved in the city.  I have two children and am dedicated to preserving our open space.  Thank you."  That's it!  No strong academic credentials like many of the others.  No long history of community volunteer work or other committee participation.  She has only two "qualifications" that I know about.  She's the heavy-handed moderator of the inaccurately named "Costa Mesa Public Square" Facebook page that pretends to welcome one and all, but doesn't.  That site, which offers inducement to folks to sign up and purports to have thousands of members, is the repository of some of the nastiest, most vile and mean-spirited comment threads I have ever seen.  And I only see a few because I've been barred from participating, so I depend on friends to provide me with screen grabs of threads.  No, her only real "qualification" is that she's a strong supporter of the current power elite and is running for City Council in November.  A slot on the Parks & Recreation Commission will give her visibility in the community.  Even though there at least a half-dozen highly qualified people who have applied, honestly, I kind of hope she IS appointed, because - even though she would likely be the least competent candidate - her appointment will officially anoint her as a "public official" in a job where her shortcomings will very quickly become evident - and I will just as quickly point them out to you.  So, please DO appoint her.. I can hardly wait!

PUTTING MARY JANE ON THE BALLOT - TWICE
New Business #2, HERE, is the series of actions necessary to place the two competing Medical Marijuana issues that qualified for the ballot last year on the November 8th ballot.  It's my understanding that the City Attorney is working hard to create another city-sponsored measure to compete with these two to be able to adequately managed how those businesses will operate in our city.  That's not on this agenda.

SMART GROWTH INITIATIVE
New Business #3, HERE, is a similar set of resolutions to place the so-called Smart Growth Initiative on the November 8th ballot.  The actual title of the ordinance is, "An Initiative To Require Voter Approval On Certain Development Projects".  The City Council has no choice on this one, just as it has no choice on the Medical Marijuana issues - it MUST place them on the ballot so the voters can make a choice.  It's my understanding that there is also a competing, city-sponsored, measure being hammered out by the legal department to offer the voters a choice.  It seems like an unnecessary expense - they can either vote Yes or No on this one.

FINGERS CROSSED FOR NO BLOODBATH
So, that's it for the agenda.  It's my understanding that the Public Comments segment may turn out to be very interesting, and not in a good way.  We'll have to see.