Doing The Molasses Back Stroke Again

 HEARING THE "SKATERS WALTZ" IN THE BACKGROUND
Around and around they went last night, circumscribing pirouettes, big crossing arcs and tightly-focused spins like Olympic figure skaters until they eventually reached something resembling decisions.  Yes, it was another fascinating meeting of the Costa Mesa Charter Committee - their final one of the year.

ONE MORE TIME...
Facilitated by Dr. Kirk Bauermeister and Dr. Mike Decker, the committee charged by the City Council several months ago to come up with a Charter for the city that might have a better chance before the voters next November than Jim Righeimer's disastrous document did a year ago.

BETTER SLOW THAN SLOPPY, BUT...
To say the progress has been slow vastly understates the pace at which this group has been operating.  Don't get me wrong - better slow and steady than fast and sloppy, but sometimes those of us who attend these meetings want to scream out in frustration as the same conversations happen over and over and over and over again.  You get the idea, right?

DUMPING PROPERTY TAXES?
First item on the agenda, HERE, was member Hank Panian's proposal - in the interest of property tax equity - to phase out the collection of Property Taxes, HERE.  Panian - by far the senior member of the committee - was also a member of the very first attempt at converting Costa Mesa to a Charter City back in the 1970s.  He is a revered educator in our city and a highly respected volunteer in the community.  When he speaks, folks listen.  He was supposed to make his pitch at the last meeting, but it was pushed out until last night because the committee stretched things out at that one, too.

NO RESOLUTION - NEED MORE INFORMATION
I read Panian's report and thought this idea would go down in flames with very little discussion.  I was wrong.  The committee listened courteously and asked excellent questions of Panian and Interim Finance Director Steve Dunivent.  Eventually, after nearly forty-five minutes, it was agreed that the committee needed more specific information from the staff before proceeding.  That's kind of how the whole night went, as it turned out.

BUDGET RESERVES
Next up was the discussion of City Budget Reserves, HERE.  Dunivent opened by telling the committee that he was making a presentation to city staff on some new budget policies which would mean:
1) A specific requirement for 1% of the General Fund Revenues to be used to replenish Reserves and
2) Between 5 and 7.5% of General Fund Revenues must be used for Capital Projects.

WRONG, AGAIN!
When I heard that I thought the committee, with very little discussion, would probably wait until that proposal was fleshed out by the staff before tackling any overture for Charter language on the issue.  I was wrong - again.

OH, MY HEAD HURTS!
Nope, once again they waltz around with this issue to the point that my head was spinning, circling back on previous statements and positions for nearly an hour.  Eventually they decided to - wait for it - carry it over to the next meeting.  By this time I was joining attorney Yolanda Summerhill in seeking divine intervention, but it didn't come.

COUNCIL COMPENSATION - AGAIN
Next up was the issue of Council Compensation, HERE - which had been thoroughly flogged at the last meeting.  Again, I thought that, since this issue had been pretty well wrung-out previously, it might result in a rapid resolution last night.  Wrong, again!  In baseball I'd be "out" by now.

QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS AND MORE QUESTIONS!
Round and round the discussion went.  Is a council member an employee?  If so, must he be treated as such under labor laws?  We thought we agreed last time to pay them a flat stipend and let it take care of any medical/pension choices they might make!  Should a council member even have a pension?  On and on and on....  It was decided that there needed to be input from Human Resources on the personnel elements of this question.  Most committee members opined that council members shouldn't have pensions, but the issue is long from resolved.  I had to smile when committee member Tea Party Tom Pollitt - maybe the strongest advocate of Jim Righeimer's Charter on the committee - said in frustration, "Why don't we just use General Law?"  That's a refrain many observers have muttered to ourselves as this painful process has unfolded over the many months the committee has met.

UNFUNDED PENSION LIABILITY
Because of the lateness of the hour Bauermeister proposed shoving the Unfunded Pension Liability issue, HERE, off to the next meeting since the Pension Oversight Committee expects to have important recommendations at that time.  That also should have been simple, but member Gene Hutchins - for whom the Unfunded Pension Liability has become his own personal crusade - stretched out what could have been a one-word answer (yes), into another fifteen minute discussion of the issue, including using a bottle of water as a prop.

MEASURING PROGRESS CAREFULLY
So, three hours later and four agenda items put on pause until the next meeting.  That doesn't mean there wasn't some valuable discussion last night - there certainly was.  What it means to me, though, is that Bauermeister's expectation that the committee will actually have a viable document to present to the City Council by his target date of February 26, 2014 is extremely optimistic.  The committee is scheduled to meet four times between now and that date, including that meeting.  We'll have a much better handle on it following their next meeting on January 8, 2014.

AMIABLE ADVERSARIES
An observation: The committee, despite the circular path they take on almost every issue, has remained civil and generally followed the rules of decorum they established in the very beginning.  I've been impressed with the quality of some of the arguments, on both sides of issues.  Maybe "argument" is a little too strong.  "Debate" may be a better word.  There is a core group on the committee that is obviously well-prepared for this task and have the logical, analytical thought processes and oratorical skills to craft and deliver a coherent message.  Yes, there are clearly very divergent views among the members, but it's not unusual to have folks who appear to be polar opposites agree with each other on important issues.  I'm encouraged by that fact.

WAIT AND SEE...
Until they get down to the end - when the language of the final document is hammered out - I'm still not sure whether they will produce a document the voters will accept.  After all is said and done, the goal is to produce a document that will improve the governance of our city by trading state-mandated safeguards and controls we enjoy as a General Law city for more local control that the public will buy into.  With the recent legislation that took the Prevailing Wage issue off the table, the single-biggest reason for even considering a Charter form of government is now gone.  And, there is absolutely no assurance the council will agree with their proposal, either.  We'll see..

Of Spending, Not Saving

POTHOLES AND SURPLUS DOLLARS
The SECOND study session of the afternoon yesterday, Tuesday, was also held in Conference Room 1A, but played to a much smaller crowd than the earlier training session.  Funny, because this one had some very important issues to be discussed by the 60% of the council present - Mayor Jim Righeimer and councilman Gary Monahan were also absent from this one.  Mayor Pro Tem Steve Mensinger chaired this meeting and, although it began at 4:55 p.m. instead of 4:30 as scheduled, he observed that "we're right on time" - and he wasn't kidding.  Geez!

REPORTS
In my earlier report on this meeting I provided links to the staff report, HERE, and three attachments to it.   
Fiscal Year 2012/2013 Surplus Analysis HERE 
Recommended Uses of the FY 2012/13 Surplus HERE 
Unfunded Priority List for Capital Improvement Projects HERE  
Appendix A, the Fiscal Year Capital Improvement Program Budget HERE.

CALPERS REP. COMING TO TOWN

During Public Comments Jeff Arthur, Chairman of the Pension Oversight Committee, spoke to advise the council and other participants and observers that a representative from CalPERS will be speaking to his group at their meeting on Wednesday, November 20th.  These meetings are usually held in Conference Room 1A, too.  That meeting begins early - at 2:00 - an hour that almost guarantees a small turnout of those who might otherwise be able to make it.  I'll be there.

SPENDING AND SAVING
The purpose of this particular meeting was to discuss the current Capital Improvement Program and also to get a sense of how to manage the $7.1 million budget surplus carried over from the last fiscal year.

PENSION LIABILITY FUNDS
CEO Tom Hatch led off this meeting by mentioning that there is $500,000 in the budget surplus earmarked to pay toward Unfunded Pension Liabilities, plus $50,000 available for Unfunded Medical Liabilities AND similar amounts earmarked in the 2013/2014 approved budget.  Wendy Leece wondered why these funds had not been disbursed, since the council approved the budget.  Mention was made that the Pension Oversight Committee was to report to the council on this issue.  We all remember that the mayor, in one of his little rants from the dais, said he's not going to send one extra dollar to Sacramento, period!

BANKRUPTCY TO BUST THE EMPLOYEE ASSOCIATIONS
As I've said before, if that is true, and IF it is also true that our Unfunded Pension Liability is so large as to cause the city serious financial distress, perhaps that's exactly what Righeimer wants - for the city to be placed in the position to declare bankruptcy so he can bust the associations.  And, perhaps that's why he continues to throw money at so-called hard assets instead of providing adequate staffing for public safety and, now, in other areas that are in need of more staff time to provide expected services on a timely basis.

UNUSUAL MEETING
Hatch spoke of the Capital Improvement Budget and mentioned how unusual it is for a meeting of this type to occur at this time of the year.  In years past similar presentations were held during the Mid-Year Budget Review in January or February.

STAFFING LEVELS IN THE TANK
Speaking of staffing levels, Hatch told us that the city has gone from 611 employees in the recent past to only 410 on the payroll today.  The current authorized staffing level is 450, with 40 approved vacancies.  At a recent council meeting he reminded the council that, in order to meet their demands it would be necessary to fill positions in many areas across the board.

CODIFYING CIP AND RESERVES
Hatch told us he would be recommending that, beginning with the next budget cycle, the council earmark 5% of the budget for capital improvements and 1% to begin replenishing our reserves, which he told us were at around $70 million before the economy tanked and we began tapping them to stay in business.  Hatch told us that the reserves are now down to around $33 million. Mensinger indicated that number included our "$16 million emergency fund", which I believe is actually $14.125 million, but what's almost $2 million between friends, right?

CMPD STAFFING LEVELS PRECARIOUS
As a sidebar here, although it was not discussed at this meeting, It's my understanding that the Costa Mesa Police Department staffing level of sworn personnel now hovers at 105, well short of the meager authorized level of 125 and far, far from the levels recommended by consultants two years ago.  It is also my understanding that, if retirements occur as anticipated and considering the officers currently out due to on-the-job injuries, it is VERY likely that we will soon - maybe as early as January - fewer than 100 officers available for duty.  On Veterans Day there were only five (5) officers on patrol for our city of over 110,000 souls.

EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE SLIPS
In recent months I've seen what appears to be a drop off in response times by some city departments.  This certainly is due to the demands made upon them by the council and the public and press, as well.  With demands for public records taxing many departments and investigations ongoing, it doesn't surprise me at all if performance slips.  You can thank your council majority for creating such a toxic work environment that employees leave and we continue to have problems attracting replacements.

LITIGATION - A "COST OF DOING BUSINESS"
It's going to be a very interesting remainder of this fiscal year.  Expect legal fees to continue to spin the meter as the men in charge treat operating this city like they would operate a business - where litigation is just another cost of doing business.  It's disgusting!  And, did we mention that Jones Day, our nearly $500 per hour lawyers, is the firm navigating the City of Detroit into bankruptcy?

Meet The Mayor Tonight

TOWER ON 19TH
Just a reminder for you... Tonight you can "Meet The Mayor" at the latest of Costa Mesa Mayor Jim Righeimer's monthly gatherings at different venues around town.  Tonight your chance to meet and chat with the mayor is at the Tower on 19th (formerly Bethel Towers), 678 West 19th Street from 6-7:30 p.m.

BUDGET
This is a great opportunity for you to ask Righeimer questions that might be rattling around in your head.  For example, the preliminary budget shows a $12 million deficit.  You might ask Righeimer what his solution for this problem might be.

VEGAS RESULTS
Or, you might ask him how many solid leads were developed during the recent Las Vegas visit by Righeimer, Mayor Pro Tem Steve Mensinger, CEO Tom Hatch and other staffers.  What was our "return on investment" on that little trip?

RISING CRIME
Or, you might ask him about our rising crime rate, particularly in light of his decision to close down the A.B.L.E helicopter program and his unwillingness to staff the Costa Mesa Police Department back to levels appropriate for effective policing based on experts in the field.

FIRE DEPARTMENT RE-ORG
Or, you might ask him why Interim Fire Chief Tom Arnold's original reorganization proposal was modified to retain C.A.R.E Ambulance - one of his campaign contributors - despite evidence that Arnold's original plan would represent significant cost savings and better coverage?

SENIOR CENTER
Or, you might ask him about his attitude toward the Senior Center Corporation Board of Directors and the operations of the Senior Center.

CHARTER AGAIN?
Or, you might ask him why he insists on bringing back a Charter scheme after it was resoundingly defeated by the voters last year.



HOLD HIS FEET TO THE FIRE
Have fun...

52% of AB109 Early Releases Re-arrested In Sweep

SWEEP OF "REALIGNED" PRISONERS
This morning the Costa Mesa Police Department issued a press release detailing the results of a sweep conducted last week with the Orange County Probation Department aimed at those criminals released back into our community as a result of Assembly Bill 109 (state prison realignment).

MORE THAN HALF RE-ARRESTED
It came as no surprise to me that more than half of those located and audited - 11 out of 21 -  were re-arrested.

PERIODIC SWEEPS TO CONTINUE
According to police sources, sweeps such as this one will occur periodically to make sure those criminals released under the re-alignment program are fulfilling the terms of their early release and have not committed other crimes.  For our folks in the CMPD and other law enforcement agencies this must be a little like hitting a tennis ball against a backboard.  They hit it (catch the crooks) and it just comes right back at them (following re-alignment release).

FEWER COPS, MORE CRIMES
And, of course, there is the issue of having 20% fewer sworn police officers to deal with all criminals in our city...  That's OK with our current council majority, though.  As long as we get the streets paved they're happy as clams.  We'll find out at the Budget Study Session next Tuesday just where their priorities fall.  You can assume they'll find money for more playing fields and another $1million for CEO Tom Hatch's slush fund, but how much will they allocate to more police officers?

THE TEXT OF THE PRESS RELEASE

On Thursday, May 16, 2013, the Costa Mesa Police Department partnered with the Orange County Probation Department in a collaborative effort to conduct compliance checks on those offenders subject to Post-Release Community Supervision (PCS), per Assembly Bill 109 (state prison realignment).  These checks were designed to locate and audit the activity of those local criminal offenders residing within Costa Mesa whom are under the supervision of the Orange County Probation Department.

Officers contacted twenty-one PCS offenders and persons living locally in the Costa Mesa area.  The compliance checks resulted in eleven offenders being arrested for violations of the conditions of their Post-Release Community Supervision and/or new criminal law violations.   

The following persons were arrested:

1. Steven Gray, 30 years old, of Costa Mesa - Possession of controlled substances, possession of paraphernalia, violation of probation / PCS terms. 
2. Freddy Ramirez, 31 years old, of Costa Mesa - Possession of controlled substances, possession of paraphernalia, violation of PCS terms and warrants.   
3. Daniel Peckenpaugh, 24 years old, of Costa Mesa - Warrants.
4. Anna Giss, 31 years old, of Laguna Woods - Possession of drug paraphernalia and probation violations.
5. Justin Markin, 32 years old, of Laguna Woods - Probation violations.
6. Jamie Bergstrom, 30 years old, of Costa Mesa - Possession of drug paraphernalia, violation of PCS terms and warrant.
7. Ashley Lyons, 27 years old, of Costa Mesa - Possession of controlled substances and probation violations.
8. Krystal Martinez, 24 years old, of Costa Mesa - Violation of PCS terms.
9. Ryan Gobrogee, 29 years old, of Costa Mesa - Violation of PCS terms.
10. Ryan Walker, 24 years old, of Newport Beach – Misappropriation of access card.
11. 17 Year Old Juvenile of Costa Mesa - Possession of controlled substances.

The Costa Mesa Police Department will continue to collaborate with Orange County Probation to conduct similar, future compliance checks of PCS offenders living in the Costa Mesa community.  

As Predicted - Another Long Meeting

YAWN... ANOTHER LONG ONE 
OK, where do you start when discussing another long, long council meeting?  The one last night/this morning stretched from 6:00 p.m. Tuesday until 1:30 a.m. today.  And, as is usually the case, once the clock moves past midnight most councils - and this one in particular - simply do not perform at their best.  You can read the agenda HERE.  If you wish, the video feed of the council meeting is up and can be viewed HERE.  And you can read Thy Vo's coverage of the meeting in the Orange County Register HERE.

GOOD STUFF IN COSTA MESA
The meeting DID begin on a positive note, with presentations being made to a group of local Girl Scouts for their individual outstanding contributions to the community; to a representative of the Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction, which begins at the Orange County Fair and Event Center this Friday and runs through the weekend and the introduction of the new Commanding Officer of the 1/5 Marine Battalion from Camp Pendleton, Lt. Col. Terry Johnson.

GOOD MOVE, MAYOR
Mayor Eric Bever made a "command decision" of his own and decided to move New Business Item #1, the discussion of a resolution opposing Alternative #3 of the I-405 Improvement Project, to the front of the line, apparently in recognition of the large turnout of concerned residents on this issue.  Good move, Eric.  Unfortunately, it may have been his ONLY good move at this meeting.  So, that item was heard following Public Comments, Council Member Comments and the CEO Report.

 CRITICS MAKE THEIR POINTS
Following the Public Comments, where nearly a dozen speakers used their time to offer constructive criticism to the council - including observations that recent comments from the dais were sounding more and more like campaign stump speeches and that courtesy and decorum was lacking, Bever led off his comments by attempting to refute the claims by some speakers that crime in Costa Mesa is on the rise.    Astounding!

 RIGHEIMER PATS HIMSELF ON THE BACK
Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer used his time to puff himself up about the "great job" THIS council is doing improving infrastructure and "right-sizing" government.  And, in his own special way, he found a way to weave yet another insensitive comment into his presentation, paraphrasing the recently-deceased Rodney King, saying, "It would be nice if we could all just get along."

MENSINGER WAS, WELL, MENSINGER
Steve Mensinger used much of his time to practice his stump speech.  It needs a lot of work!

  HATCH CLARIFIES THE FITZPATRICK REPLACEMENT SCENARIO
During his report CEO Tom Hatch mentioned the recent OC Grand Jury Gold Honor Roll for Transparency that Costa Mesa received.  I mentioned this in an earlier post.  He also confirmed that applications are being taken until Friday, July 29th, for a replacement for Jim Fitzpatrick on the Planning Commission.  He also confirmed that the Planning Commission will review the applications and make a recommendation to the City Council, who will make the ultimate choice for a person to fill the remainder of Fitzpatrick's term - through January 2015.  There had been some confusion about just how long this appointment would be for and Hatch cleared that up.

I-405 IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
Finally, at 7:30, the discussion of the I-405 Improvement Project began.  The council had already sent strong signals that they were not happy with Alternative #3, which would create years of construction chaos in the north part of town and provide virtually NO benefit to Costa Mesa.  By this time more than 125 people were in the auditorium, at least half of whom were there only for this subject.

TCA SUPPORTS ALT. #3
During their comments some of the council members presented us with very memorable moments.  Bever, for example, compared the proposed toll lanes as a kind of "reverse wealth redistribution".  Gary Monahan, a member of the Transportation Corridor Authority, told the crowd that the TCA recently voted to support Alternative #3, with only Supervisor Bates voting with Monahan to oppose it.  He also told us that a member from Irvine chastised him for his vote.  Each council member who spoke encouraged the audience to send comments to CalTrans.  The deadline for public review has been extended until July 17th.  The OCTA Highways Committee will make a recommendation at the meeting at 10:30 a.m. on August 6th and the full OCTA Board will make its choice a week later.

MOST SPEAKERS OPPOSED #3
The first nineteen speakers on this issue were strongly opposed to Alternative #3, and a couple were also opposed to ANY of the choices because of the personal impact on their property.  Folks from Nevada Street, for example, were VERY concerned about the impact of the modification of the Ellis ramp that will apparently place a 20 foot high sound wall within 10 feet of their homes!  In a nutshell, nobody wants Alternative #3.

EXCEPT DON HANSEN...
The final speaker - the 20th - was Huntington Beach Mayor - and our representative on the OCTA Board - Don Hansen, who is rumored to be eyeballing John Moorlach's chair on the Board of Supervisors in 2014.  Bever gave Hansen nearly 15 minutes to plead his case to the council to NOT pass the resolution.  He asked the council to, instead, send a letter of concern to the OCTA Board along with any and all letters opposing any of the alternatives.  Hansen is also the Chairman of the Highways sub-committee that will first decide on alternatives.  He asked that the council consider the broader impact - that this is a regional issue.  His pleas fell on deaf ears.  Finally, Monahan made the motion to pass the resolution after addressing Hansen, telling him that he understands his view and, while he'd like to honor his request, he said, "I just can't" - and made the motion.  Did I mention that Monahan is running for re-election this year?  The vote was 5-0.  This is one of those rare issues that had total council and community support.  The vote was taken at 9:05, followed by a 20 minute break.

THE "BEGINNING" IN THE MIDDLE
At 9:25 the council finally began the front part of the agenda with the Consent Calendar and I knew we were in for another long, long night.  Among the highlights of those discussions was Item #7, the Request for Proposal for Municipal Facilities Maintenance.  Insufficient responses had been received to the original RFP so the staff wanted to carve it up and re-issue.  Jennifer Muir, Assistant General Manager of the Orange County Employees Association, who represents the interests of the Costa Mesa City Employees Association, told the council that if they proceeded they would be violating the terms of their policy 100-6.  Despite the recommendation of contract City Attorney Tom Duarte to hold off, the council chose to proceed on a 3-2 vote - with Bever and Wendy Leece voting no.  Bever, correctly, smelled another lawsuit.

ANOTHER RULE VIOLATION?
Item #9, a contract with several entities to provide Building Inspection and Fire Prevention services, was also opposed by Muir, citing a violation of the injunction.  The council voted 4-1 to proceed with the contracts.

HUNTINGTON BEACH CHOPPER CONTRACT EXTENDED
And, the council agreed to extend the arrangement with the City of Huntington Beach for helicopter services through June, 2015 for a total not exceeding $300,000 annually.

CDBG GRANTS
Finally, at 10:05, we reached the first Public Hearing to be discussed - Item #2 on the agenda (#1 had been withdrawn), the first of three discussions of the distribution of Community Development Block Grand funds.  Righeimer left the room because he's on the Board of Mercy House - one of the proposed recipients.  The discussion continued without him until a vote was taken to approve the recommendation on Mercy House a half-hour later.  He then returned for the remainder of the discussion.   The discussion was lively, with Monahan complaining at length about the lack, or near lack, of funding for organizations that served the disabled.  When the final vote was taken Bever offered a solution - he yanked the funding earmarked for the MIKA Development corporation - Crissy Brooks' excellent organization - and plugged it into one of those groups Monahan was complaining about.  Bingo!

WILL ALL GRANTS BE ELIMINATED?
Perhaps the most distressing issue was the apparent interest this council has on doing away with these grants completely!  Leece suggested a study session to evaluate this situation and Bever implied that he wouldn't be around to be involved in it, so the discussion should take place when the next council is seated next year.

WHERE'S COSTA MESA'S HEART?
Public Hearing #3 dealt with the demise of the Neighbors for Neighbors program.  During the discussion, Righeimer once again demonstrated his sensitive side when he questioned the value of spending "$60,000 in staff time to feel good".  It's clear from his tone, and that of Mensinger, that they are NOT in favor of this kind of community outreach if it involves spending federal dollars.  As Bever said, "borrowing money from China to paint a neighbor's house".  They went round and round on this philosophy... it doesn't look good for the future of these kinds of programs if they stay in control.  Just wait until they have a hand-crafted Charter in place!  Holy Cow!

THE BUDGET
At 11:30 p.m. the council finally got around to discussing the 2012/2013 Municipal Budget!  I knew we were in big trouble.

HATCH ON LAYOFFS
Hatch launched the discussion by briefly describing the amount of work by staff and the council in putting together this final document.  He addressed the layoffs of four individuals - the Information Technology Manager, two staffers from the Building Division and a staff member in the City Clerk's office - as an essential part of the equation.  Their departure - which was assured by the final vote - theoretically saves the City over $400,000.  Those individuals - all long-time employees - will receive 30 day layoff notices today.

  YOUNG WITH THE NUMBERS
Finance and Information Technology Director Bobby Young then took the baton and presented the details of the numbers.  As I mentioned in my earlier post, this budget represents a 15.37% increase over last year.  The Capital Budget is up almost 100%!  The details of the budget can be found HERE.

LEECE - NEED MORE COPS
Leece expressed great concern about rising crime with a diminished police force and suggested cuts elsewhere to provide the funding for an additional 6 officers, which would bring the authorized strength to 137 - the number consultants Management Partners recommended a year ago.  The remainder of the council pushed back, with Bever stating that public safety - police and fire - represent 60% of the General Fund budget and he was quite happy with that level.  Monahan suggested greater use of Reserve Officers and proposed the hourly rate for those staffers be increased to $33.00 per hour to enhance recruitment.

LEGAL FEES?
Leece also expressed concern for the mounting legal fees and the possibility of legal costs involved with the I-405 Improvement Project and other labor-related issues discussed earlier.  Hatch and Duarte suggested that the level budgeted is just fine.  I guess we'll find out.  If history is any guide, we're in a lot of trouble!

RIGHEIMER'S RANT
Perhaps the most interesting part of this discussion was Righeimer's rant.  He implied that the fire fighters should be happy to have a job and suggested that all the bargaining unit employees were greedy.  He complained that speakers talked of issues in current negotiations.  Of all his statements at this meeting, this one may have been the most distressing.  Addressing the fact that Costa Mesa City Employee Association President Helen Nenedal stepped to the podium and requested reconsideration for the layoffs of the four employees, he said the following:

 "Wake up!  Get out there and see what the real world's going through!  The problem with your association, the unions in this city is that you've been overreaching for so long there's nothing left to ask for and this council's finally saying No." 

If you want to watch the whole thing, go to that link at the top and, once there, use the "jump" feature to go to the budget presentation.

PASSED JUST BEFORE 1:00 A.M.
So, at 12:45 a.m. before a crowd of 25 people, on a 4-1 vote (Leece voting no) the council passed the budget as proposed, including the 4 layoffs.  I have this feeling that this next fiscal year is going to be a very, very long and painful time.

TWO RFPs
Next came the two RFPs - one for Graphic Design and one for Reprographics.  The first one proposes outsourcing the Graphic Design function to a local company that involves no layoffs and would save the City a few bucks - around $10,000.  One of the current two graphic designers plans to retire next month and the other will remain on staff for what Communication Director Bill Lobdell called a "hybrid" operation - with in-house and outsourced work being done.  Former City Attorney Kimberly Hall Barlow - special counsel for outsourcing issues - said the City will try to work out a deal with the CMCEA to make this work, since it technically violates the current injunction against outsourcing to private companies.  It was approved 4-1, with Leece voting no.  One of the funny moments during that discussion was Mensinger chiming in and wanting to read a segment of the staff report on this subject.  Only problem was, he was reading the wrong staff report.  Pay attention, Steve!  Or, as your pal, Righeimer says, "Wake Up!"

PRINTING OUTSOURCED TO COUNTY GROUP
The second item, Reprographics, will outsource the in-house printing function - the incumbent printer will soon retire - and get rid of the equipment.  The organization that will take over these operations is a county entity, Orange County Publishing Services.  It passed on a 4-1 vote, Leece voting no.  It will become effective immediately.


AUDITOR OUT!
The final item, Steve Mensinger's demand that we cancel our contract with auditor Mayer, Hoffman, McCann because of their involvement in the Bell scandal, commenced at 1:00 a.m. this morning!  Arrgghh!  And, as tired as I and the other two residents still in the auditorium may have been, the discussion and outcome was even more painful.    First, Bever chose NOT to have one of the owners of the company to address the council - a shabby move, for sure.  Then, when Wendy Leece invited him to speak, it was obvious that NONE of the council members had a clue what an auditing company actually does.  Righeimer was "astounded" that their representatives didn't see anything wrong at Bell.  Of course, what Righeimer was looking at was NOT part of the job the auditors were hired to do.  He just couldn't seem to grasp that concept.  Same with Mensinger.  After the representative from Mayer, Hoffman, McCann was grilled mercilessly, Mensinger still maintained that they should be cut loose and that an alternate firm retained, even though this will mean significantly more work for the Finance staff as they get a new firm up to speed.  After all that budget unpleasantness over the past three months, this was a real punch in the gut for Young and his staff.  It's not like he doesn't have enough on his plate now, especially with Rick Kirkbride, the IT Manager, turned loose last Thursday.

ON TO THE CHARTER...
On to the next drama - the ongoing battle of Jim Righeimer's Charter - which will continue early next month with the second and final public hearing.