City Council Meeting Preview

COULD BE ANOTHER ALL-NIGHTER - OR NOT

Tuesday, March 4, 2013, the Costa Mesa City Council will meet again beginning at 6:00 in Council Chambers at City Hall.   Due to the Public Hearings scheduled, there is no way to accurately predict the length of the meeting.   It is preceded by a Closed Session starting at 4:30 in Conference Room 5A, up in the 5th floor bunker.  The full agenda is HERE.

CLOSED SESSION
The Closed Session has only three (3) items on it, but two of them involves discussion with CEO Tom Hatch on labor negotiations with the Costa Mesa City Employees Association (CMCEA) and, separately, with the Costa Mesa Police Officers Association (CMPOA).  For that second one both Mayor Jim Righeimer and Mayor Pro Tem Steve Mensinger must recuse themselves because of the bogus lawsuit they've filed against the men and women of the CMPD.

CONSENT CALENDAR
On the agenda for the regular meeting the Consent Calendar contains some interesting items.  Item #3, Warrant 2510, HERE, shows the following interesting items.  None will likely be pulled for separate discussion (and trailed to the end of the meeting):

• Liebert Cassidy Whitmore - $5,135.05 for legal services for an Individual Disability Appeal and 60th Anniversary investigation.
• Management Partners - $7,812.00 for Interim Management Assistance.
• Government Staffing Services - $4,200.25 for Temporary Services for Project Management and  Street Superintendent.
• Michael Balliet - $7,820.00 for SRRE Consulting Services (whatever the heck that is!).
• FTOG - $3,600.00 for an Interim Buyer.
• Government Staffing Services (again) - $3,960.00 for Project Management, 1/5 - 2/7
• Norman Taub Associates - $12,267.94 for Human Resources Investigations
• Susan Sax Clifford - $450.00 for Psychological Evaluation for 4 PD candidates.

Item #6, HERE, is for Cooperative Agreements for Bicycle Corridor Improvement Programs between The City and the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA).  There are four (4) projects involved with a total cost of nearly $1.7 million.

Item #7, HERE, is for Professional Services Agreement with KOA Corporation for $63,501.38 for the design phase of a project involving traffic calming in the vicinity of fifteen (15) schools in Costa Mesa as part of the Federal Safe Route To School (SRTS) program.

Item #8, HERE, is a resolution for street closures for the 2014 Orange County Marathon on May 4, 2014.  It includes several attachments showing maps of the various races and affected streets and intersections.

MAKING IT EASIER FOR DEVELOPERS

Public Hearing #1 is the first reading of the Small Lot Subdivision Ordinance, HERE.  This new ordinance is developer-driven, since many recent projects required significant numbers of variances and deviations from our code.  It basically codifies what the Planning Commission and City Council have been doing to placate developers in recent months.  The staff report says, "The proposed ordinance is not intended to increase the density in any of the multiple family residential zones, modify the minimum requirement for parking spaces, or change the approval process for small subdivisions."  OK.. if you say so...

STARTING OVER
Public Hearing #2 is an appeal, HERE,  filed by an attorney for adjacent property owners, of the Planning Commission's decision to allow two additions to a home at 3384 Wimbledon Way.  This is a "de novo" hearing - which means they're starting from the beginning - so it might take awhile.

LIVE/WORK PROJECT ON PLACENTIA AVENUE
Public Hearing #3, HERE, is another de novo hearing on the Planning Commission's recent approval for a 36 live/work project at 2023, 2025 and 2027 Placentia Avenue.  This was requested by an adjacent property owner due to:
1. Potential traffic and safety issues related to the shared use of the main driveway.
2. Potential traffic and safety issues related to redevelopment of the site with a residential
use.
3. Lack of a definite plan for construction access
Again, this one might take awhile...

REWARD FOR VANDALISM OF CITY PROPERTY
Old Business #1, HERE,  is the second reading of the new ordinance adding rewards for acts of vandalism of city property, similar to the rewards program for Graffiti.  The rewards for the arrest and conviction of persons committing these crimes is, just as is the case for Graffiti vandals, up to $2,000.

REPEAL OF SEX OFFENDERS IN PARKS ORDINANCE
Old Business #2, HERE, is the second reading of the REPEAL of the city ordinance that prohibits Sex Offenders from City Parks and Sports Facilities.  This repeal comes as a result of recent court cases where similar ordinances in other cities have been found to be invalid because it preempted state law.

MIGHT BE AN INTERESTING NIGHT
There could be some lively discussion during Public Comments Tuesday evening, since there have been many controversial events since the last council meeting.  We'll see...

Another Busy Month Ahead

 WHERE DID APRIL GO?
Well, Monday is the final day of April and I want someone to tell me where THAT month went!  Holy Cow!

 
TUESDAY'S MEETING COULD BE ANOTHER LONG ONE
Tuesday we have our first of what will be MANY meetings of the Costa Mesa City Council in May.  This one, the first of two regularly-scheduled meetings, has a pretty full agenda so we might see another long one.  The last one wrapped up just before midnight, so I may take a pillow and blankie with me Tuesday.  According to city sources there will likely be at least three more - maybe four - meetings this month because it's budget time and the City Staff is trying to figure out how to accomplish the wish list the council concocted with no study of the situation.  Another time for that discussion.

GRANT MONEY FOR SIGNAL SYNCHRONIZATION
Tuesday the council holds a closed session at 5:00 p.m. and the regular meeting at 6:00 p.m.  You can read the agenda HERE.  There are nine (9) items on the Consent Calendar - "routine" items that may be voted upon in one vote unless someone on the council or public decides they want to discuss one or more of them.  Perhaps the biggest ticket item is #7,  the Fairview Traffic Signal Synchronization Project - a coordinated effort between Costa Mesa, Santa Ana and CalTrans.  Part of this item involves a budget adjustment of more than $650,000. You can read the staff report HERE.

WESTSIDE HOME PURCHASE OPPORTUNITIES
Public Hearing #1 is a 4-unit, 4 story development on W. 20th street.  The units actually have 3 stories plus a rooftop deck.  You can read all about it HERE.

RESTAURANT PARKING TO BE RELAXED?
Public Hearing #2 is an ordinance modifying off-street parking requirements for establishments where food and beverages are served.  This ordinance, if passed, will relax the requirements.  It will be VERY interesting to hear the discussion on this one, since our city is full of small malls with one or more small food establishments that are severely underparked.  You can read the staff report HERE.
 

SEX OFFENDER ORDINANCE
The only Old Business item is the second reading and adoption of a new ordinance prohibiting sex offenders from entering parks and sports facilities in the city.  This one's a no-brainer and should pass without any hassle at all.

ANOTHER TRAILER PARK TO BITE THE DUST
There are six separate items on the roster under New Business, the first of which is a screening request for 40 so-called live/work units at 1527 Newport Boulevard, near the border with Newport Beach at Industrial Way.  This would displace the existing 40-unit Anchor Trailer Park, some of which are unoccupied.  I recall a few years ago when two trailer parks on the other side of Newport Boulevard were razed to make way for a medical office building and the turmoil that caused.  Theoretically, the City has a procedure in place to handle displaced folks when trailer parks are converted to other uses.  The staff report on this one is HERE.

FIREWORKS FIREWORKS
Next comes what is turning out to be an annual event - the re-hashing of our Fireworks Ordinance.  Since the holiday falls on Wednesday this year, it's going to be interesting to see if anyone wants to sell the fireworks from the Friday before and authorize the discharge of them on other than the evening of July 4th.  The staff report is HERE.

MOVING THE FISH FRY TO FAIRVIEW PARK
Next come three items related to the Lions Club annual Fish Fry.  The first, HERE, is a request to move the event from Lions Park to Fairview Park and waive the special event permit and park use fees.

 SELLING WINE AND BEER WITH YOUR FISH
The second, HERE, is a request to sell beer and wine at the Fish Fry.  This one should be interesting. 

TEARING DOWN AN "ATTRACTANT"
The third, HERE, deals with the demolition of the picnic shelter at Lions Park - an apparent magnet for homeless folks in our city.  Lions Park has been the epicenter for homelessness in Costa Mesa.

RIGHEIMER AND MENSINGER TO VEGAS
Finally, the last item on the agenda is a request to send Jim Righeimer and Steve Mensinger on an economic development boondoggle, er, conference in Las Vegas in May.  According to the staff report, HERE, they would be joined by several staffers to introduce and promote Costa Mesa to an international audience.  Unfortunately, there is no provision requiring Mensinger and Righeimer to stay in Vegas after the conference.  Seems like a missed opportunity to me.

THAT, AND MORE...
All that, and the always exciting Council Members Comments, await us Tuesday.  I can hardly wait to hear Righeimer's latest rant.