Busy Council Meeting Tuesday

ANOTHER BUSY EVENING TUESDAY
It looks like the next City Council meeting is going to be another full evening.  The agenda, HERE, is packed with items that will likely force some folks off their couches and into council chambers to hear - and perhaps speak - about the issues.

More or less in order, the Costa Mesa City Council will address the following items.

LEGAL FEES
In the Consent Calendar they will approve Warrant 2433, HERE, which includes a charge to contract City Attorney organization Jones and Mayer for $118,203.20.  The check was cut August 3rd, but we don't know whether this will be applied to this fiscal year or the last one.  If it's this year, we're starting off just like we finished the last one - spending at a rate that will exceed $1.4 million by July1, 2013.

SUCCESSOR AGENCY BUSINESS
Next up the council will convene as a joint meeting of the council and the successor agency to the Redevelopment Agency and will consider the successor agency budget, HERE, and the ROPS  payment schedule for monies due the successor agency, HERE and two attachments, HERE and  HERE.  This is necessary due to the State mandate that closed down all redevelopment agencies.  Another royal rip-off.

COPS/SLESF FUNDING
The first Public Hearing involves special funds for the Police Department, HERE.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS IN PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
The second Public Hearing is an ordinance regarding Telecommunication Facilities in the Public Right-of-way, HERE.  This issue was generated by the placement many months ago of such a facility about a block from my Eastside home.  As you can see from the photograph, it looks like a suppository on a stick.

CITYWIDE ALLEYWAY SURVEY
There is no Old Business presently scheduled, but several items under the New Business category.  The first is a proposal for a Citywide Alleyway Survey, HERE.
 

 CONTRACT FOR PARKS & LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE SERVICES
The second item under New Business, HERE, is the proposed contract with an outside vendor to provide Parks and Landscape Maintenance Services which, in theory, could result in annual savings of almost $1.4 million and just over $6.8 million over five years.   This contract is prohibited by the Temporary Injunction and MAY NOT be implemented until the current legal action is resolved.

TEWINKLE PARK ATHLETIC COMPLEX
The third item under New Business is the controversial project update, TeWinkle Park Athletic Complex Task Force, HERE.  I suspect this will generate much community interest.  The staff will make a presentation regarding the progress made by the Task Force and seek further direction from the council.   I've read the staff report and find many holes that remain unfilled.  This conversation should be interesting.  The item was demanded by Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer at the last council meeting - Gary Monahan, who started this whole thing, was mute.  In my opinion, we should just toss this item in the trash as a REALLY bad idea and put "professional Recreation Manager, Bob Knapp" - that's what Righeimer called him - to work finding ways to maximize the use of this facility without turning it over to an outside private concern.

NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT TASK FORCE
Next up is an update on the Neighborhood Improvement Task Force (NITF), HERE, by Assistant CEO Rick Francis.  This organization took over when the Homeless Task Force completed its mission earlier this year.  It consists of mainly government departments and has created five goals:
1 - Reduce Homelessness
2 - Improve Motel Standards
3 - Minimize Nuisances from Problem Properties
4 - Develop Citywide Policies and Ordinances to Improve Quality of Life
5 - Better Utilize Law Enforcement Resources to Protect the Public's Health and Safety.

A report on the Task Force's progress is included within the staff report.

CIVIC OPENNESS IN NEGOTIATIONS ORDINANCE (COIN)
The final item on the agenda Tuesday is a new ordinance - the Civic Openness In Negotiations Ordinance, (COIN), HERE.  If this passes I guess Costa Mesa will become a "coin-operated" city.  (Sorry - that one just cried out for that comment!)  I have no idea how this idea will be received by the various bargaining units within the city, but I imagine we may hear from their representatives Tuesday night.

ESTABLISHES A HIRED GUN NEGOTIATOR
One of the segments of this new ordinance, HERE, establishes the position of "principal representative" who will do the negotiating on behalf of the City.  According to Section 2-236, that person "1) shall not be an employee of the city, 2) shall not be a member of any retirement system providing a defined benefit to the member, and 3) shall have a demonstrated expertise in negotiating labor and employment agreements on behalf of municipalities."  Basically, this person will be a hired gun, perhaps Richard Kreisler - the lawyer we're spending thousands of dollars on now to perform this job.

NEW RULES AND FORMATS FOR REPORTING
It also establishes some new rules of the road for negotiations and the reporting of such negotiations to the Council and the public.  It also establishes a new, standardized reporting format, examples of which may be found HERE.  Until we hear the discussion on this item - including public comments - I'm not quite sure what to think about it.  On it's face it seems to be a good step in further Transparency.  We'll see.

MORE INFORMATION COMING
There has been a lot of stuff in the local media over the past couple days.  We'll get to that in a separate post.  So, this will give you something to chew on until Tuesday night.