FILING CLOSES - LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

CANDIDATE FILING CLOSED FRIDAY, AUGUST 7TH
I know... I'm supposed to be retired, but this issue is just too darn important to remain mute.  This local election - November 3, 2020 - will be the second time Costa Mesa elects a mayor by direct election AND it will be the first time that council members will be selected directly by the voters in voting districts 1, 2 and 6.

AN ELECTION SEASON UNLIKE ANY OTHER
So, I thought it might be appropriate to give you my take as we begin this campaign season - one that will be unlike any other in City history.  Because of the COVID-19 pandemic it is highly unlikely that any kind of face-to-face candidate forums will be conducted.  I wonder if there will be creativity shown and Zoom-style forums be attempted?  Right now, my opinion is that the City should sponsor forums of some type.  Perhaps they could be conducted the same way council and commission meetings are done using CMTV as the platform and retained on the CMTV YouTube site.

MY OPINION, BASED ON INFORMATION AVAILABLE AND OBSERVATIONS
So, with only the information I have available to me via the completion of ballot statements and the ballot designations for each of those candidates who have qualified for the ballot - plus my own personal knowledge from observations of incumbent and former council members - I'm going to give you my take.  You can agree, disagree, or none of the above, but it's a place to start.  Incidentally, you can view each of the aforementioned official forms by going to the city page, HERE.

ONE RACE AT A TIME, IN ORDER
So, let's take each of the four races to be contested in order and I'll give you my opinion of each candidate.  I'll go in the order they appear on that page I linked to above to make it easier for you to bounce back and forth if you choose to do so.

MAYOR
KATRINA FOLEY
Disclosure:  Katrina Foley is a personal friend.  I've known her for two decades and have had a chance to watch her in many roles in which she served our community.  I have not always agreed with her, but I have always admired her intelligence, energy, organizational and oratorical skills and her unceasing willingness to serve our community.
She is the incumbent and the first directly-elected mayor in Costa Mesa history.  In her race two years ago she brought a wealth of experience as a council member (including a tour as mayor a year earlier), Planning Commissioner and Trustee on the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.  She has often been at odds with the OC GOP power brokers that have run the city in the recent past.  She had been chosen mayor by her peers on the council, then de-frocked a year before the last election and replaced by multi-term council member, former mayor (and current candidate) Sandra Genis, the woman who was a co-conspirator in Foley's ouster.  In the last election Foley crushed Genis, setting the tone for a sea change mandated by the voters in the way Costa Mesa is governed.  Awkwardly, Genis remained on the council and her term expires with this election.  Foley's performance and leadership during the triple-crises of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic collapse and the nation-wide plague of civil unrest, has been outstanding.  She and Mayor Pro Tem John Stephens set the pace for the council and staff, all of whom have done an exemplary job of managing these issues, even though often facing painful choices.  It will come as no surprise to learn that I will enthusiastically support Katrina Foley for mayor in this election.

AL MELONE
Melone, whom I refer to as "Dog Park Al Melone", is a perennial also-ran and brings nothing to the race except for a love of dogs.  He will suck up a few votes, but really shouldn't get any.

QUENTIN "Q" PULLEN
Pullen is a new guy on the political scene.  I had never heard of him until he pulled his papers.  Since then he has become a Facebook friend and I've learned a little bit about him.  He's a fitness trainer and former Marine.  If being on the City Council included feats of strength - tug-of-war, for example - he might be my guy.  But it does not, and he is not.  I've asked him just why he is running and he told me he wants "change", but was unable to come up with a single thing he wanted to change.  He seems like a well-intentioned good guy and, based on the huge banner he has in his garage gym, a supporter of Black Lives Matter.

SANDRA L. "SANDY" GENIS
Genis, as mentioned above, is a multi-term council member who's service to our city stretches back three decades.  She's a land planner by profession and has a long history of being on the right side of issues - until recently.  When she participated in the ouster of Foley as mayor - the first time in our history that a sitting mayor was voted out by her peers - it was a purely partisan move.  This makes her claim on her ballot statement of being a "non-partisan" candidate ring hollow.  I thought it was interesting that, even though she's been a fixture on the Costa Mesa political scene for 3 decades, she apparently felt it was necessary to tell us on her disclosure form that she was a "female".  Curious.  During her recent tour on the council, when she and Allan Mansoor have often represented a minority view, she has been an obstructionist on many important issues.  Her disjointed, long-winded near-filibuster rants during discussions of important issues have contributed to many meetings running very long.  She now seems unable, or unwilling, to concisely craft her opinion.  Although she still has a cadre of supporters in the city, she will not get any support from me.

WENDY BROOKS LEECE
Wendy Leece has also served our community on the City Council and as a Trustee on the NMUSD Board.  I was not a Wendy Leece fan many years ago, when she ran as a Republican ticket with Allan Mansoor.  A lot of water has gone under the bridge since then and she was misused, ignored and abused by the OC GOP over those years.  As far as I know she's still a Republican, but probably painfully so.  When I heard she was running I contacted her to find out why, since she has been a supporter of Foley in the past.  She told me she wanted to give the voters a choice.  When I pressed her about what kind a choice she meant, she implied a choice other than Foley and Genis.  Well, she gave me no clue about what she would change - except maybe she is unhappy with the current mask rules because it hampers her exercise of her religious services.  Anyhow, much as I like and admire Wendy for her service to our community, she will NOT get any support from me.

DISTRICT 1
JOHN B. STEPHENS
Another disclosure.  John Stephens is a friend.
Stephens is the current Mayor Pro Tem on our City Council.  He and Katrina Foley make a strong team and have provided leadership for the newer council members over the past couple years.  His district is a hotbed of supporters for the previous regime, so this race could be interesting.  He has demonstrated a steady hand during his tour on the council.  He, like Foley, is a lawyer by profession and those skills are demonstrated frequently as he helps navigate complex issues from the dais.  He is a smart guy with skill in building consensus - something essential during these very troubled times. If I could vote in District 1 John Stephens would certainly be my choice.  His skills and experience are far and away superior to his two challengers.

DON HARPER
Harper is a familiar name to some.  He has served the city as a Parks and Recreation Commissioner with no distinction and has also served on the Finance Committee and on youth sports groups.  He is tightly aligned with the former GOP regime and will certainly get support from those folks.  I watched him while he was on the Parks and Recreation Commission and seldom did he contribute anything to discussions on those issues.  Even if Stephens was not in this race he would not be my recommendation.

JASON KOMALA
He is also a new name - I'd never heard of him before he filed for this position.  He identifies himself as an ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE CONSULTANT - whatever that is.  He apparently works for Target Corporation.  We have little information about him.  We are unaware if he has had any kind of involvement in civic activities in our city in the past.

DISTRICT 2
BEN CHAPMAN
Chapman describes himself as a PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT with 11 years experience.  We do know he's the darling of the OC GOP.  I know very little about him, although I did see him and his husband, a former Episcopal Pastor, speak before the city council back when we actually had meetings at the Senior Center.  I expect he will get lots of support from the OC GOP in this race.  He would not be my choice if I could vote in this district.

LOREN GAMEROS
He, also, is a new guy on the political scene.  In contrast to Chapman, he describes himself as a "boots-on-the-ground" kind of guy with strong family values.  He's a 40 year resident of Costa Mesa with a very strong, lengthy background in labor organizations.  He also is now a Facebook friend, so I've learned a little bit about him - we apparently share a love for off-road activities. If I could vote in District 2 he would likely get my vote, but I'd like to see how he handles interaction in the form of forums, etc.  I have no way of measuring his knowledge of civic affairs yet.

GARY PARKIN
He's a retired engineer, active in the Costa Mesa Historical Preservation Committee and also served on the Senior Commission.  He occasionally speaks before the City Council on issues related to those activities.  He seems like a good guy, but, in my opinion, does not bring the strength, energy nor awareness of important issues to be taken seriously as a candidate.

DISTRICT 6
This race will have four candidates - two potential contenders failed to qualify today.
HENGAMEH ABRAHAM
This woman is also a brand new face in local politics.  She says she's a wife, mother of two children and a wellness coach.  I see nothing in her background to tell us that she has a clue about important municipal issues.  She may be a very nice woman, but she is the weakest candidate, by far, in this race.

JEFFREY HARLAN
Another disclosure: Jeff Harlan is my friend.
Harlan is currently the Vice Chair of the Planning Commission, a lawyer with a strong background in land use issues.  His experience on the City Council will be invaluable at a time when the State expects us to create housing opportunities out of whole cloth.  Over the years I've had a chance to watch him in action.  He's a very smart, very steady guy who makes good, thoughtful, well-reasoned comments every time he speaks.  He is far and away the best candidate in this race.  No other candidate comes close to bringing the skills he has to the council seat for District 6.  He will get my vote.

JEFF PETTIS
He is another person about whom not much is known.  He describes himself as a NURSE MANAGER and a Mental Health Board-Certified RN.  I would probably like him, but I can see nothing in his background that prepares him for a seat on the council, even though it appears he has a job for which we critically need good management.  He will not get my vote.

LEE RAMOS
Last, and in my opinion least, is this man.  He's a multi-time candidate who, in years past, apparently had trouble with his identity.  At one time his signs said "Vote for Lee", apparently going after our small Asian community vote.  He also attempted to use his Latino heritage to appeal to our burgeoning Latino population - and failed miserably.  In his ballot statement he fails to mention Sober Living issues as problems with which we should deal - perhaps because he has been snuggled up to those folks for years.  I've had a chance to watch him on the various commission and committee assignments he's held and came away completely unimpressed.  He seemed to be having difficulty crafting a cogent thought.  He has never been a good candidate for a City Council seat and, now that his neighbors - those who know him best - will have a chance to address him specifically as a representative for our neighborhood, I expect him to finish well down the ballot again.

THERE YOU GO... 
So, there you have it... The opinion, at the very beginning of this race, of an old guy with too much time on his hands, but who actually does still pay attention.  You can weigh these opinions for whatever you feel they are worth.  I do encourage you to click on that link above to read the statements by each candidate - the Ballot Statement and Disclosure Statement.  If you choose to comment, one way or the other, you will have to migrate back to my Facebook page to do so.  I no longer accept comments on this blog.  I get two votes this time around - for Mayor and for District 6. Fortunately for me, those races are easy calls.  I will vote for KATRINA FOLEY and JEFFREY HARLAN.

Candidate Forum Video Links

A SECOND BITE OF THE APPLE
Well, we've finished with all the City Council candidate forums for this cycle.  Now it's just about how many signs are placed and stolen and how much political stuff jams into your mailboxes.  So, if you're interested, I'm providing the links to all three of the candidate forums for your viewing pleasure.  I suspect you'll be able to form some pretty solid opinions about the individual candidates as you view them.

EASTSIDE COSTA MESA NEIGHBORS GROUP FORUM
Let's begin with the most recent forum - the Eastside Costa Mesa Neighbors' Group forum conducted on October 6th at the Neighborhood Community Center.  Terry Wall produced this recording for us to view.  Only three candidates, Sandy Genis, John Stephens and Jay Humphrey, showed up for this meeting but moderator Harold Weitzberg managed to drive right on through the planned agenda and get answers to most of the questions.  In my view, this was the most informative of the three.  Watch it HERE.

 MESA VERDE COMMUNITY, INC
Next we have the forum hosted by Mesa Verde Community, Inc on August 24th.  Four of the seven candidates showed up for this one.  Al Melone, plus the three listed above.  Terry Wall also produced this video, which you can view HERE.  Former Mayor Mary Hornbuckle was the moderator for this event.

FEET TO THE FIRE
Finally, the first forum, the Feet To The Fire Forum, which was held early in the cycle, on August 18th.  Columnist Barbara Venezia and former Daily Pilot Publisher Tom Johnson were the moderators of this event.  The crew from Newport Beach Television did the video recording because the Costa Mesa City Council refused to let Costa Mesa Television televise any candidate forums.  Al Melone attended in the audience, but did not participate.  Mayor Steve Mensinger, former mayor Allan Mansoor and Lee Ramos joined Genis, Stephens and Humphrey on the stage.  It gives you a chance to see those three men early in the election cycle.  You can watch this nearly 2 hour event HERE.

LET THEM KEEP ON TALKING!
I must say that it's very disappointing that some of the candidates chose to avoid some of the forums.  The voters deserve to see and hear their views and compare them to their competition.  Then, again, the slate of Mensinger, Mansoor and Ramos seem to be running a campaign based on lies and misrepresentations, so it's easy to understand why they wouldn't want to have their views stacked against the others.  We have less than a month to go before we cast our votes - plenty of time to sort out the lies from the truth.  Fortunately, the more "Team Costa Mesa" - Dave Ellis' trio of lie-spewers - talk the more they lie.

Mesa Verde Community, Inc. Candidate Forum Wednesday**

 ANOTHER CHANCE TO HEAR CANDIDATES VIEWS
Mesa Verde Community, Inc., will host the next Costa Mesa City Council Candidate Forum this Wednesday, August 24, 2016 at the Neighborhood Community Center, 1845 Park Avenue (Lions Park).  The festivities begin with a "meet and greet" opportunity with the candidates at 6:30 and the program begins promptly at 7:00 p.m.

HORNBUCKLE TO MODERATE
This event, the 16th such gathering hosted by this organization, will be moderated by Mary Hornbuckle, former councilwoman and mayor and presently Vice President of the Board of Trustees of the Coast Community College District.

SOME CANDIDATES CHOSE TO PASS ON THIS ONE
I'm told that all the council candidates have been invited, but only Sandy Genis, John Stephens, Jay Humphrey and Al Melone will attend.  Apparently Steve Mensinger, Allan Mansoor and Lee Ramos have chosen to give this event a pass.

THIS SHOULD BE A GOOD ONE
In years past Mesa Verde Community, Inc., has presented an excellent program - an opportunity to hear the view of the candidates and also to present your own questions to them.  It's a shame that our incumbent mayor, former mayor and Ramos, all of whom share similar views on important issues in the city, have chosen to avoid questions by residents who are eager to learn their solutions to the problems facing the city.

MORE QUESTIONS NEED TO BE ANSWERED
Last week all the candidates except Melone participated in the Feet To The Fire Forum.  Melone chose to pass on that one, but was in the auditorium as an observer.  Those of us who attended that event learned a lot about the candidates, but many of us had more questions about the eight ballot measures and more.  This forum provides an opportunity for those questions to be asked.

ATTEND AND REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER
Please attend this event, and remember who chose to duck it.  Only the future of the city is at stake.

**FIRST IMPRESSIONS VIDEO
It's my understanding, from information received following the original publishing of this post, that First Impressions Video will be taping this forum for later viewing via YouTube, Vimeo and any place else available.  More information on the availability later.

Spirited Discussions Marked Costa Mesa Feet To The Fire Forum

LIVELY DISCUSSIONS AND LARGER CROWD
Well, we could almost guarantee that the Costa Mesa Feet To The Fire Forum last night - the 11th in the series so far - would be just a little more spirited than the Newport Beach event the evening before.  It was.  And, it played to a crowd much larger than Wednesday night's gathering.  Last night I'm estimating the number of people in the audience to be around 175 or so.  Once again the heavy lifting on the reporting was done by another of those bright, young reporters from the Daily Pilot. Luke Money covered the event for the Daily Pilot.  You can read his article HERE. 

SCHMOOZE-FEST
The actual forum was preceded by a "meet and greet" opportunity outside the auditorium.  Here are a few random images from that hour-long opportunity to gather literature and schmooze with would-be politicians and others.

 (Daily Pilot reporter Luke Money surveys the crowd)

 (Mansoor and daughter surrounded by CMPSrs)

 (Barry Friedland taping an interview)

 (Legendary Mary Hornbuckle - moderator of next weeks Mesa Verde forum - chats with a Mensinger supporter)

 (Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer, who never met a camera he didn't like, is interviewed for Costa Mesa Brief)

(Steve Mensinger chats with Costa Mesa Public Square Queen Julie Mercurio)

(Alex Reich, candidate for a seat on the Mesa Water District Board, oversees signatures)

(Jim Fitzpatrick, would-be pot czar in Costa Mesa, attended with other CMPSrs)

 BARBARA LAID DOWN THE LAW
Again, Barbara Venezia and her co-moderator, Tom Johnson, did a good job of keeping the questions and answers moving.  Prior to the actual taping of the event Venezia laid down the ground rules - clapping and cheering was OK but shouting-out and interrupting the program was not.  And, she reminded us that OCC had security on hand to escort unruly audience members out of the venue if necessary.  I smiled.

SIX OF THE SEVEN CANDIDATES ATTENDED
The panel of candidates included Jay Humphrey, John Stephens, Sandy Genis, Lee Ramos, Allan Mansoor and Steve Mensinger.  I list them in that order since that's how they appeard on stage.  However, as it turned out, there was a natural adverserial relationship established early-on, pitting the first three against the other three.  Money didn't talk about that.  Oh, yes.. candidate Al Melone - the Dog Park guy - was invited to participate but opted out.  Instead, he sat near the back of the auditorium and watched with the rest of us.  It's a shame he chose to run again - votes have proven to be precious in the past two elections and his mere presence on the ballot will suck up a few.  Not many, but a few.

NOT QUITE AN EVEN MIX
And, the mix of fans in the audience was interesting.  Early in the forum Humphrey, Stephens and Genis seemed to evoke the most enthusiastic response from the audience.  Ramos, Mansoor and Mensinger certainly received applause from the crowd, but it wasn't as loud.  Later that faction ramped it up and, while their numbers seemed smaller, they made much more noise.  It was fun.  At one point, as the crowd cheered and clapped a response not favorable to his position, Mensinger remarked that it was just like a council meeting.  He doesn't like criticizm.

WIDE RANGE OF ISSUES - AND ATTACKS
As mentioned in Money's article, the range of issues discussed was broad, and they evoked some interesting reactions.  Mensinger, Mansoor and Ramos each chose to attack Genis and Humphrey on issues, trying to tie their former tenure on the council to decisions made that they said were problems.  Ramos was so ham-handed that he couldn't pull it off.  None of the attacks were successful.

STEVE, THE INTERRUPTER
Mensinger interrupted  Genis a couple times - just as he does on the dais.  She had to remind him he "was not the mayor" on the stage.  I smiled.  He just can't help himself.  As others have said, Donald Trump's presence in the political arena seems to have coarsened political discourse, even down here at the local level.

RAMOS, ER, DUH...
Some general impressions... Ramos just didn't seem to have it figured out.  His comments and answers to questions seemed lethargic and his points seemed almost irrelevant to the issues.

CAN'T GRASP MULTIPLE ISSUES
Mansoor apparently continues with his characteristic of getting one issue locked in his skull and attempts to tie everything else back to it.  Last night it was "motels".  Apparently, in his mind, there is no problem in the city that is not tied to motels.  He has not gotten any smarter since he last served on the council - except that he married a lovely woman who has given him two beautiful children, all of whom were in attendance last night.  It's going to be very interesting to see how he campaigns this time around.  From what I saw, he's tightly locked-in with the Costa Mesa Public Square mob, so we will see how that plays out.

STEVE BEING STEVE
Mensinger was just - how did his wife put it when he was first sworn-in? - "Just Steve being Steve".  He reminded us that, under the current regime, more than 60 miles of roads have been paved, lots of curbs and gutters have been replaced and alleys renovated.  When the discussion turned to police staffing, and the relationship with the police association, he came unglued.  He angrily denounced Humphrey for his criticizm of the lawsuit Mensinger and his pal, Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer (who was in the audience) filed against the police association.  It was a low spot in the program.

JAY WAS STEADY
Humphrey was steady with his responses and responded respectfully.

SANDY'S STILL SMART
Genis continues to demonstrate why she's such a strong, positive, intelligent force on the council.

STEPHENS WAS STRONG
Stephens probably looked the best of any of the candidates.  His experience as a lawyer has prepared him for the jousting.  He knows how to negotiate and would be a very valuable presence on the dais.

OPEN MOUTH, INSERT FOOT
During the discussion Ramos made the unfortunate reference to "your union pals" to Stephens.  He then did a backward tap dance, trying to extricate himself from that mess... not very effectively.

THE ISSUES
Issues discussed included the Smart Growth Initiative; Banning Ranch; marijuana; Prop. 57, the latest boneheaded plan coming out of Sacramento to put more convicted criminals back on the streets; Public Safety staffing; Staffing in general; Unfunded Pension Liability; rehab homes; ending daylight savings time.

NBTV AND KOCI WILL PROVIDE COVERAGE
I'm not going to try to regurgitate every word spoken in the 100 minutes of the meeting.  You'll be able to watch (and hear) it in context yourselves when Newport Beach Television finishes the production and provides it to Venezia for placement on YouTube and on her site, http://www.feet2thefireforum.com/.  And, KOCI, 101.5 FM will be broadcasting the audio feed soon.  When the specifics of the video and audio products are available I'll post about them.  And, Barry Friedland of Costa Mesa Brief was at the event and, I suspect, will produce his version for public consumption within the next day or so at his Costa Mesa Brief YouTube channel.  You will recall that earlier this year Costa Mesa Television was forbidden to cover any of the candidate forums, even though it has a long tradition of doing them, and doing them very well.  I guess Mensinger and Righeimer didn't want stupidity and falsehoods archived in city records for posterity.

STEVE MAKING IT UP AS HE GOES ALONG
During the discussion of police staffing Mensinger told us that we should be back up to authorized strength - either 136 or 140, depending on which number you want to believe - in "6 months to a year".  Well, right now they're down to just over 100 and, as Genis reminded us, even if we COULD hire 40 more cops quickly from the academies, we don't have enough training officers to manage that influx.  Mensinger was just blowing smoke.

FORGOT ABOUT HUY PHAM
Similarly, when talking about the staff shrinkage since he's been on the council - it's gone from around 605 employees to 440 - he said, "we didn't lay off a single person".  He conveniently forgot that as soon as he joined the council, he, Righeimer and Gary Monahan decided to lay off over 200 "miscellaneous" employees - and that fiasco resulted in a lawsuit and the death of Huy Pham, a young maintanence worker who leaped to his death from the City Hall roof.

THIS IS IT FOR STEVE...
Before the meeting Mensinger sought me out to inquire about my health, so we chatted a little.  He told me he's not attending the remaining two other scheduled candidate forums - next week with the Mesa Verde, Inc. organization and in October with the Eastside Neighbors group.  He cited a schedule conflict with the first and just said flat out that he won't go the Eastside event.  Instead, he plans to have a series of "coffees" to spread his message - including one right across the street from my house.  Well, that brightened up my day.  Maybe I can get the valet parking concession for all the Ferraris and Maseratis driven by his developer-buddies that will show up.

...AND APPARENTLY HIS PALS, TOO
Later I was told that neither Mensinger, Mansoor nor Ramos will attend the remaining forums.  If that's the case, what does that tell the voters of this city?  Are these men afraid to face voters and answer questions about their policies and plans?  If so, why?  If true, it sure does reek of political cowardice. I hope they change their minds.  The voters deserve to learn more about them and their views in a public forum.  I've heard a rumor about a proposed Costa Mesa Public Square forum, but it's only that - a rumor.  I'm not on their mailing list.

IT'S GONNA BE A LONG FEW MONTHS
So, off we go as the campaign season is officially launched.  We have seven candidates on the ballot and eight initiatives to sort out, too.  And, that doesn't count the bogus "advisory" measure the Mesa Water District is placing on the ballot to test the communities feeling about their proposed hostile takeover of the Costa Mesa Sanitary District nor the state-wide recreational marijuana issue.  Yikes!

 

Parks & Rec. Commission Votes For New Bark Park Rules

NEW PROGRAM RECEIVES UNANIMOUS APPROVAL
At the meeting of the Costa Mesa Parks and Recreation Commission Thursday, November 19, 2015, the commissioners voted to approve the staff recommendation about the future of the Costa Mesa Bark Park.  Read the staff report HERE.

EIGHT INTERESTED PARTIES SPOKE
Following a short presentation by Travis Karlen, Recreation Manager, and brief comments by the commissioners, eight (8) people stepped up to the podium to address this issue, most of whom had some concerns.

Costa Mesa resident Janice King, a Bark Park user, was concerned about the proposed rules "dividing" the city and about the technology to be employed.  She also thought a non-residents should have a different fee than residents.

Linda Quan also worried about the fee structure, who will monitor access, the constitutionality of the plan and the discrepancy between the current code which allows a resident to have 5 critters and the plan for the Dog Park which restricts each handler to three dogs.

Claudia, a Santa Ana resident, suggested corporate sponsors to help with the expenses of the park and was concerned about the fees being a burden on seniors.

Helena Roberts, a Newport Beach resident, suggested we follow Santa Ana's lead and go door-to-door to collect license fees.  She was also concerned about a "card system" having a negative impact on businesses.

Shirley McDaniel, a Costa Mesa resident and long-time functionary of the old Bark Park Foundation, said the change was not necessary and expressed that there is no restroom at the Bark Park.

Beth Refakes worried about the cost of the proposed key fob and the installation of the access control point.  She was also concerned about indemnification and diseases from dogs.  She expressed concern about disabling key fobs if persons leave the area or otherwise stop using the park.

Al Melone, who has run for City Council on the Bark Park issue in the past, suggested retaining the limitation on the number of dogs each user could bring and bemoaned the loss of the "old park", which was - in his words - 80-90% green grass and peaceful.  He told us he has used other parks since the city took over operations.

James Simmons, a Costa Mesa resident, uses the Dog Park 5-6 nights a week and opined that every animal using it be spayed or neutered to prevent bad behaviors.

NO ADDITIONAL COST
During the subsequent discussion, thanks to a question by Vice Chair Brett Eckles, we learned that, since EVERY dog using the park will be required to be licensed, there would be NO ADDITIONAL cost for the key fob used for park admittance.  The current license fee is $25.00 for animals spayed or neutered and $80.00 for those not.

RESTROOMS AND MONITORING OF THE PARK
Restrooms are available at the Skate Park and Tennis Center.  Karlen told the commission that Field Ambassadors, Park Rangers and the 20 hour-per-week Maintenance person would monitor park visitors and their behavior.

APPROVED, WITH DIRECTION
At the end, Commissioner Byron De Arakal moved to approve the staff report, including the 3-dog limitation.  His motion also called for the City Attorney to reconcile the incongruities between the new plan and current city code.  The age of dogs requiring licenses and park entrance is different, for example.  Read the staff report for all the details of the current condition of the park, improvements that have been made AND the terms of the changes passed on a 5-0 vote by the commission.  It will now be massaged by the staff to fine-tune it, then be presented to the City Council early next year.

ADULT FUTSAL APPROVED FOR DOWNTOWN ATHLETIC CENTER
Earlier in the meeting the Consent Calendar item regarding the operation of an Adult Sports Futsal program at the Downtown Athletic Center was pulled for discussion.  You can read that staff report HERE.  Basically, Futsal is, according to the staff report, a fast-paced form of soccer which can be played on a hard court surface.  The proposal is like those of other adult sports leagues, which is defined in the staff report.  Long time youth sports leader Mark Arblaster spoke on this issue favorably.  The commission voted to approve this concept, 5-0.

UH, OH - MORE CONTROVERSY INVOLVING SCOTT MAHAFFY
At the very beginning of the meeting, during Public Comments, a man named Bob Servin - self-described 25-year resident with 30 years as a coach and teacher in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District stepped into the well and handed papers to the commissioners, then told them about incidents with the Commissioner of the Friday Night Lights Flag Football program, Scott Mahaffy - behaviors that sounded like bullying to all in the audience and, apparently, to the commissioners, too.  Servin has a son playing in that program and he, Servin, is a coach of his team.

INVESTIGATION TO FOLLOW
Suffice it to say that there was enough concern about the behaviors described that de Arakal, holding up the papers and clearly very agitated, asked staff to immediately investigate the claims made by Servin.

A PATTERN?
Some will recall that Mahaffy is not a stranger to controversy - most recently involving Matt Leinart Flag Football program and the allocation of fields to that program.  It will be interesting to see how this shakes out.

POSITIVE REC. REPORT
Karlen ended the meeting with his report, which included affirmation of the creation of a new R.O.C.K.S. after school program at Rea School.

DONE FOR THE YEAR
The Parks and Recreation Commission will not meet in December due to the Christmas holidays. Their next meeting will be in January, 2016.  Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to them all.