Another Lawsuit Filed In Fairgrounds Sale

OCFPS FILES A LAWSUIT TO STOP SALE
The Orange County Fairgrounds Preservation Society today announced yet another lawsuit to try to block the sale of the Orange County Fair and Event Center. The following is a segment of the announcement distributed today.
LAST DITCH EFFORT
The OCFPS, headed by President Sandra Genis - a former mayor of the City of Costa Mesa - is making what may be described as a last ditch defense in this drama. As you can see, the OCFPS is joined by State Assemblyman Jose Solorio, State Senator Lou Correa and soon-to-be former Costa Mesa City Council member Katrina Foley.

HEARING ON OTHER LAWSUIT WEDNESDAY
The sale of the Fairgrounds has been in "Pause" mode until a hearing next Wednesday, December 15th. It's unclear from the information provided whether the OCFPS has joined that other lawsuit - it appears to be a stand-alone effort.

NO PEACE ON THIS ISSUE
Just when you thought you could kind of doze through the holidays without another reason to lose sleep over the Sale, here's yet another piece of wood on the fire, er, pyre (as in funeral pyre).

PUTTING THE BRAKES ON UNTIL JANUARY
This move by the OCFPS is clearly a strategic maneuver - an attempt to derail the sale or at least run it off to a siding until a new governor is seated in January. It does present some very interesting questions, including the whole issue of who actually owns the Fairgrounds.

STAY TUNED
So, stay tuned as this drama continues to unfold. Life is never boring in Costa Mesa...

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU ALL
I leave you with yet another little piece of holiday music to get you back into the old spirit. Sing it, Johnny...

Second Hand Fair Board Update

NO, I DIDN'T ATTEND, BUT...
I did not attend the Fair Board meeting today at which the emergency resolution was addressed. However, I do have a report for you, gleaned from information provided by those who attended.

FULL BOARD MET AND DELIBERATED
According to a couple sources, including CEO Steve Beazley, the full board met and heard a discussion of the documents uncovered by their lawyers as discussed in my earlier posts. They also heard public comments from a couple interested parties, including Sandra Genis - President of the Orange County Fairgrounds Preservation Society - and Costa Mesa activist Greg Ridge, who has been a persistent and vocal critic of all the plans to sell the Fairgrounds.

BOARD TO SEND LETTER TO THE GOVERNOR
According to Beazley, following direction given to him by the Board via a rare 7-0 vote, he will draft a letter to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger from the Board which will be submitted within the next couple days. This letter will transmit the legal summary from the Fair Board lawyers - although I suspect many folks in Sacramento have that document clutched to their breasts already today. The letter will also present the Fair Board's request to "revisit" their recent profit sharing proposal. This is in light of the new information about the actual owner of the Fairgrounds - the Fair Board.

INFORMATIONAL, NOT CONFRONTATIONAL
Beazley emphasized that the purpose of today's meeting was informational, not confrontational. They felt it was important to get this new information to the public - and in particular to potential bidders for the property - as quickly as possible.

STAKEHOLDERS PACKED THE HOUSE
Many interested parties were in the nearly packed house today, including Costa Mesa City Manager Allan Roeder and representatives from the city's potential partner in the Fairgrounds deal, Facilities Management West. When I contacted Roeder this afternoon he indicated that my take on the meeting was correct and offered the following comment: "The questions posed in the legal analysis merit a response from the State. That holds whether the sale involves the City or a sale through the current bid process. As legal counsel to the OCF stated this morning, these are questions at this point – not statements of fact. The Purchase & Sales Agreement proposed by the City and tentatively accepted by the State requires that they provide clear title to the property."

SOLORIO AND CORREA ALSO IN ATTENDANCE
Assemblyman Jose Solorio - sponsor of the enabling legislation for the Costa Mesa sale that is hung up in Sacramento - was also at the meeting, as was State Senator Lou Correa, who recently came out against the sale.




DGS ON FURLOUGH - NO OFFICIAL COMMENT YET
I contacted the State Department of General Services this afternoon to get their take on this new information. Unfortunately, nobody was available for official contact - they're on furlough! I did speak with a representative at his home who told me they were aware of the legal summary presented to the Fair Board - he read it on my blog - but no official opinion had yet been crafted by the DGS. He also confirmed that no bids have been received in Sacramento yet in response to the new RFP.

STILL SLIM HOPE FOR OUR DEAL
Since the only chance the City's deal has to be completed involves passage of the enabling legislation, and since the governor has called the legislature back to hammer out a budget - hopefully, this weekend - there is always a chance that the necessary bill will be attached to the budget. Personally, I'm not holding my breath because this new revelation by the Fair Board significantly complicates things. The whisper of a lawsuit keeps floating around in my head, regardless which "sale" process might go forward.

MORE FUN COMING
So, dear readers, stay tuned. This is better than any soap opera you can find on television. If this past week is any indication, next week will REALLY be fun.

They're Off And Running!

IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN
Well, the campaign season is officially in full swing now because the first candidate forum has been scheduled for this summer.

MESA VERDE FIRST
Our friends at Mesa Verde Inc. have firmed up a date and place for their candidate forum - as usual, they are the first.

AUGUST 18TH
According to their organizers, the event will be held on August 18th at the Mesa Verde United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, 1701 Baker Street in Costa Mesa. According to my sources, the "schmoozing" will begin at 5:30 and the actual forum starts at 6:30.

USUALLY THE BEST
It's been my experience that this forum is usually the best of the bunch because the candidates are all fresh, well-scrubbed and coiffed and eager to answer questions. And, our friends from Mesa Verde have good snacks.

More about this forum and others as I hear about them in the weeks to come.

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PARKS & REC. MEETING WEDNESDAY
It's a fairly slow week in our town. Wednesday evening Chairman Mike Brumbaugh will lead the Parks and Recreation Commission in their only summer meeting at 6:00 in the council chambers. This meeting may set an all time record for brevity unless tree removal requests drag on and on.


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MICKADEIT REPORTS CORREA AGAINST FAIR SALE
Orange County Register columnist Frank Mickadeit reports today that State Senator Lou Correa is unhappy about the Fairgrounds Sale deal - and not because of the Rule of Law City controversy. Nope, he thinks it's a bad idea for several reasons, which you can read at length HERE.