How About Some Good News?

 LOOKS LIKE A VERY SHORT MEETING TUESDAY
Well, it looks like the Costa Mesa City Council meeting scheduled for Tuesday, September 18, 2012 may look very much like an episode of speed dating and go down in the record books for the shortest one on record!  At least, it certainly looks like it will be the shortest one during the tenure of this particular council.  I'm betting we'll be out of the Council Chambers before 6:30 - the meeting begins at 6:00.

NEARLY EMPTY AGENDA
You can read the agenda for the meeting, what there is of it, HERE.  You'll note that there are NO Public Hearings scheduled, NO Old Business items and only one New Business item - the suggestion to cancel the regularly-scheduled meeting that falls on Election Day, November 6, 2012.  This does not surprise me since 60% of the council is running for something this time around and Jim Righeimer is probably going to be busy planning his "Victory" party for His Charter.  And, you can read the staff report for the cancellation of the November 6th council meeting HERE.  I suspect this item will receive NO conversation and be passed on a 5-0 vote.

MORE LEGAL BILLS
So, let me observe for you a couple items on the Consent Calendar - those items that will be passed with one vote unless someone - council member or resident - pulls one for separate discussion.  One of the Warrants, #2437, includes a payment to Jones and Mayer - our contract City Attorney - in the amount of $117,146.73.  So, we continue to rack up their charges at a rate of over $1 million per year.  And that doesn't even count the bills from Jones Day and the other legal firms with whom we do business!

CONFLICT OF INTEREST CODE UPDATE
Another item on the Consent Calendar is titled, "A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Costa Mesa, California, revising the list of designated positions for the City's Conflict of Interest Code".  I have no problem with this item, per se.  I'm just curious why, among those positions listed to which these rules apply, the Director of Communication is not shown.  Perhaps just an oversight.  You can read the staff report HERE.

THEY DO HAVE A CLOSED SESSION, TOO
Lest you think your elected (and appointed) leaders are a bunch of slackers, getting paid for not doing much, they DO have a Closed Session meeting prior to the regular meeting at 5:00 at which they will discuss negotiations with the bargaining units and, hopefully, the finalization of the whole Benito Acosta affair.  I suspect we'll be seeing the issue of the deletion of the word "insolent" from our Municipal Code coming forward soon - that was the appeals court ruling in the case.

COSTA MESA SCORES HIGH IN RETAIL SALES REVENUE
On a really positive note, the City web site is presently carrying the following chart which shows that little old Costa Mesa is ranked 10th largest retail power among California cities.  According to the City web site, Costa Mesa generates, by far, the most retail revenue for a city its size.  One more reason to shop Costa Mesa and to be sure our friends along the Harbor Boulevard of Cars and at South Coast Plaza are happy and safe.  Yes, sir... we've got to keep those golden geese in good condition so they'll keep on tossing out those golden eggs - sales tax revenues! (click on chart to enlarge it)