Measure AA Immediately Impacts Parks Commission Business

DIMINISHED COMMISSION AND SHORT AGENDA
The Costa Mesa Parks and Recreation Commission met Thursday night to discuss a small agenda.  Chairman Brett Eckles was absent, so Vice Chair Bob Graham conducted the meeting.  It didn't take long for Measure AA, the ballot measure that is passing overwhelmingly, to impact this meeting.

FIX THE ARROYO
Resident Kim Hendricks spoke during Public Comments addressed the problems at Fairview Park regarding the illegal filling of an arroyo, provided historical photos to illustrate the issue.  She asked that the arroyo be restored to it's natural state.

DE ARAKAL PRAISES MENSINGER AND MONAHAN
During Commissioner Comments Byron de Arakal addressed his admiration for both Steve Mensinger and Gary Monahan.  Regarding Mensinger he said, "Whether you like him or don't like him or you don't like the policies he's advancing or you do, there's nobody that's ever sat on this council that's cared more or worked harder than he has to improve the City of Costa Mesa."  He went on to further praise his work in youth sports and also thanked Mensinger's family.  He then went on to state that he, de Arakal, owed his career in public service to Monahan, who asked him to serve on the Parks and Recreation Commission back in 2003.  He said, "No one has achieved more for this city as a councilman or woman than Gary Monahan."  He closed by wishing Sandra Genis, John Stephens and Allan Mansoor all the best on the City Council.  As most of you who read these pages know, Byron de Arakal is my friend and the reason you're reading this.  We don't always agree on issues, but we can always talk about them.  In this case, while I appreciate his loyalty to his friends and views on Mensinger and Monahan, I think they were over the top when you consider the long list of outstanding municipal leaders this city has had in more than 60 years of existence.  Just sayin'...

MERCURIO PRAISES FRANCIS
Commissioner Julie Mercurio thanked Assistant CEO Rick Francis for his role in defusing some kind of a  unity  protest gathering scheduled at Wilson Park today, Friday.  She spoke about how "the community" - I'm thinking she was referring to the denizens of her Costa Mesa Public Square Facebook page - "reached out" to the organizers and made it clear that such an event wasn't appropriate for Wilson Park, so they decided to move it to Civic Center Park, across the street from the Police Headquarters.  This, apparently, is where Francis became involved following contact by "the community" with city officials.  She went on at length to explain his role in getting the event cancelled.

PEDERSON CONGRATULATES THE WINNERS, CRITICIZES CRITICS
Commissioner Kim Pederson also congratulated the successful candidates, then used his time to complain about critics of public officials.  He cautioned the public to drive safely over the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday.

GRAHAM GRATEFUL, TOO
Graham also congratulated the successful candidates and thanked the staff.

SHIFFER PARK CELL SITE CHANGES CONTINUED TO JANUARY
Commissioner Byron de Arakal moved to continue the item on the agenda regarding the modification of a Cell Site at Shiffer Park until their meeting in January, 2017.  That passed, 4-0.

TREE REMOVAL REQUEST DENIED, BUT...
Next up was the tree removal request at 360 Bucknell Drive.  This is the second consecutive meeting the applicant has requested this removal.  This had been pushed off so the staff could ascertain the property lines and setbacks at this location to determine if the City or the applicant owns that tree.  Turns out the City owns the tree.  After a short discussion it was moved to deny the removal request and direct the staff to work with the applicant to firm up pruning schedules and the possible application of a pre-emergent herbicide.

FAIRVIEW PARK ANNUAL REPORT, BUT WAIT - MEASURE AA
Before City Engineer Bart Mejia could present the remaining issue, the Fairview Park Annual Report, de Arakal advised the commission that he was going to move that this item be continued until at least January.  He launched into a long explanation about why - that Measure AA may impact plans for existing projects planned for the park, so he wanted the City Attorney to review and provide direction.   (See below)

SERIOUS BLUFF EROSION
Public Comments were heard before a motion could be presented.  Bill Bowman spoke to the commission about a problem he's having with the bluff erosion at his home above Talbert Nature Preserve and Fairview Park.  He spoke at length about the work he's had to do - lugging 46,000 buckets of dirt and sand bags to stabilize his slope for fear it would fail.  His area is part of the West Bluff restoration project, so it will be reviewed as that project proceeds, if it proceeds. (see below)

RESTORE THE DARN VERNAL POOLS!
Kim Hendricks again spoke, reminding the commission that residents want the vernal pools restored, wants the city staff to go after grants and that the residents have spoken loud and clear with Measure AA.

CONTINUE TO JANUARY AND MORE
Following discussions about these items de Arakal reiterated his motion.  Specifically, here's the complete text of his motion: "To continue this item to our January meeting.  That we recommend to the City Council that they ask the City Attorney to provide a legal opinion on which projects listed in the Fairview Park Annual Report dated November 10th, 2016 would fall under the provisions of Measure AA and report back to us at that January meeting on that legal opinion.  And then recommend to staff to reconvene the Fairview Park Citizens Advisory Committee as soon as possible.  Have them examine the work they've done to date and the work they need to do to complete their work with respect to the provisions of Measure AA and provide their report to the commission on their recommendations for Fairview Park Master Plan at our April, 2017 meeting." Julie Mercurio seconded it.  We're presuming that the legal opinion must precede any meetings by the committee and it's highly unlikely that the committee could be brought back together before the year-end holidays.  And, how many of them are left?  Will they have to add members.  Will Steve Smith be in charge?  So many questions...

CRITICIZING CRITICS
Before a vote could be taken Commissioner Pederson launched into a mini-rant, criticizing speakers before them - he was looking directly at Kim Hendricks at the time - who purport to speak for all residents of the city.

The vote was then taken and it passed, 4-0.

PARKS REPORTS
Bart Mejia and Tom Coughlin(sp?)then provided a report on parks and maintenance of them.

GOOD-BYE, NCC
Recreation Manager Justin Martin provided an overview of the recreation programs and upcoming events.  One thing he mentioned was that the Neighborhood Community Center will be closed the end of the year in preparation for the $30+million complete renovation of the Lions Park - new library, re-purposing the existing Donald Dungan Branch Library building as a community center and major landscaping changes.  He said all the existing users have been able to find meeting spaces elsewhere for the duration of the renovations.

ADJOURNED UNTIL JANUARY
The 70 minute meeting was adjourned to January, 2017.

Contemplating The Election

CONTEMPLATING
With two hours before the polls close here in Orange County and national media beginning their non-stop avalanche of news about the big election, I find myself with a few things on my mind about our local elections.

DON'T GET EXCITED ABOUT EARLY RETURNS
As you all know, in the last two council elections seats were captured with fewer than 200 votes - 155 votes blocked John Stephens and 47 blocked Jay Humphrey.  For this reason I doubt anyone will be calling the council election tonight.  It will likely take a couple days to get all the votes tallied and the celebrating will begin.

IMPACT OF ANTI-SOCIAL MEDIA?
I find myself wondering what impact, if any, social media - actually, the "anti-social media" - will have had on this election cycle locally.  The evolution of the Costa Mesa Public Square and other sites makes me curious about just what real impact they will have.  The CMPS is a closed site, so proponents of the existing power elite in Costa Mesa - the council majority and their sycophants and other appointees - jabber back and forth with each other on important issues but other residents with opposing viewpoints are blocked from participating.  That fact makes me question the value of the site.  They claim more than 8,000 members, but more than a few of those are outside Costa Mesa - outside the state, for that matter.  And, since some of the primary participants on that site are proven liars, I wonder how much you can trust the stuff being spewed there.

IMPACT OF PRECINCT WALKERS?
I wonder about the impact of the hundreds of volunteers who have walked the precincts for the past couple months in support of the slate of candidates opposing the Mensinger/Mansoor/Ramos slate - John Stephens, Sandy Genis and Jay Humphrey?  I wonder how the firefighters participation in those precinct walks will be interpreted?

IMPACT OF POLITICAL COWARDICE?
I wonder about the impact of the candidate forums this year.  How will the voters interpret the absence of the MMR candidates?  Will they presume they were afraid of being required to answer questions important to specific segments of the electorate?

IMPACT OF LYING?
I wonder about the impact of the decision by Judge Dunning that Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer, candidate Lee Ramos and three other residents who signed it actually produced misrepresentations and flat-out lies on the rebuttal argument to Measure Y, the Smart Growth Initiative?  Will the fact that they have been adjudged as liars impact the election?

IMPACT OF THE BOGUS, CONFUSING INITIATIVES?
I wonder about the impact of the placement of expensive, confusing, competing ballot measures to try to defeat Measure Y, Measure AA - the Preserve Fairview Park Initiative - and the two medical marijuana initiatives.  In theory, Measure X competes with Measures V and W, but it has no retail sales element.  I wonder how the electorate feels about paying $8,500 each for mailers to promote those issues?

I WONDER IF THE ELECTORATE WILL BE FOOLED BY MEASURE EE?
I wonder if the pubic will be snookered by Righeimer's hijacking of the vote-by-districts issue when he demanded, and got, Measure EE - the 6-districts and directly-elected mayor - placed on the ballot instead of the resident-preferred 5-district choice?  Will the the voters see through that scheme and vote Measure EE down and let a judge choose the districting map for us?

I WONDER IF THE ELECTORATE WILL BE FOOLED BY MESA WATER?
Will the voters see through the plan by the Mesa Water District Board to implement a hostile takeover by the financially solid Costa Mesa Sanitary District?  Despite all the money spent by Mesa Water - estimated by election day to be in excess of $400,000, including a couple misleading mailers - will the voters reject Measure TT?

WILL THE ELECTORATE RETURN PROVEN LEADERSHIP TO CMSD?
Will the electorate re-elect proven leadership for the Costa Mesa Sanitary District by returning Jim Ferryman and Art Perry to the board, or will they decide to select addiction providers Gary Monahan and our village idiot, defrocked board member, marijuana advocate and campaign cheater, Jim Fitzpatrick?

WILL THE VOTERS TOSS FISLER FOR REICH?
Will the voters toss out Mesa Water District Director Jim Fisler in favor of a really smart, dedicated breath of fresh air, Alex Reich?

CHECKING BEGINNING AT 8 P.M.
Tonight I will check the Registrar of Voters site, HERE, to see what the early results are and, depending on what happens, report on them.  However, history in Costa Mesa tells us that it may be a couple days before we know who was successful in winning seats on the City Council and which of the eight ballot measures will pass and fail.

COULD HAVE SAVED TIME
If my vote was the only one that was counted tonight Genis, Humphrey and Stephens would win, Measure Y and Measure AA would win and all the rest would fail.  We could have saved Neal Kelley a lot of time and trouble if we'd just go with my vote.

 

NO SINGING YET...
More later...  Since it's unlikely that the critical council races will be finally determined until later this week, those who know her can tell Jami Joanne Russell that she doesn't need to limber up her pipes until later.

Why Vote YES On Measure AA and NO on Measure BB

TRYING TO SAVE THE "JEWEL"
Measure AA on the Costa Mesa ballot was placed there by a dedicated group of volunteers obtaining more than 7,100 signatures of registered voters who joined those who wrote the initiative in their concerns about the future of Fairview Park - widely described as Costa Mesa's Jewel.

COUNCIL MAJORITY INTENT WAS CLEAR
The petition was circulated because of actions taken by the current City Council majority over the past nearly six years that implied a clear intention to turn this mostly natural park into something akin to a regional sports complex.

STACKED COMMITTEE
The Fairview Park Citizens Advisory Committee was created by the City Council and stacked with cronies who apparently followed the party line when creating a process to determine what should be considered for Fairview Park.  They crafted goals and a list of issues to consider.  The original 35-item list included things like hard-surface sports courts, playing fields and much, much more.  The meetings evolved from a couple dozen attendees to well over 100 in some of the later meetings.

DR. MEHREN RESIGNS IN DISGUST
The committee went about discussing the park, quadrant by quadrant, over many months.  The meetings were heavily-attended by concerned citizens and they saw the attempts by the stacked majority to manipulate the process.  Finally, in January of 2015 - not quite two years after the committee was created - the chairman of the group, Dr. Richard Mehren, described by many in the community as the "Father of Fairview Park", resigned in disgust and shortly thereafter the committee was placed on hiatus.

PETITIONS CIRCULATED AND QUALIFIED
Dr. Mehren and a group of dedicated volunteers, the Fairview Park Preservation Alliance, launched their petition drive and, earlier this year, submitted more than 7,100 signatures - more than enough to qualify for the ballot next Tuesday.  Their goal was to protect the park from what they perceived to be a focused effort by some in authority to violate the deed and add "facilities" of all kinds to the park venue.

COUNCIL CREATES CONFUSING MEASURE
The City Council majority, once again ignoring the will of the people and apparently unwilling to simply trust the voters and let this issue be decided in November with a Yes or No vote, cobbled together a bogus competing measure - Measure BB - to confuse the voters.  It implies that no sports fields would be permitted at Fairview Park, but is worded to permit many other kinds of facilities "normally expected in a park".  That left the gate wide open for development.  And, the City Council authorized the City to spend $8,500 on misleading mailers to support Measure BB.

THIS VIDEO TELLS THE STORY
The following video presentation does an excellent job of defining the issue and provides you all the reasons you need to vote YES on Measure AA and NO on Measure BB.

VOTE YES ON MEASURE AA - VOTE NO ON MEASURE BB