Community Leader Frank Forbath Passes Away

AN ICON PASSES
It is with great sadness that I write tonight to let you know that the family of community activist Frank Forbath has advised me that he passed away this week at 90 years of age.  He was surrounded by his family, including Jean, his loving wife of 58 years, his seven children and most of his 15 grand children, when he died at home in the early afternoon on Wednesday, September 2nd from prostate cancer.  According to family sources, a proper obituary will appear in the Daily Pilot soon and no services have been scheduled at this time.  In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made in his name to:

National Far​m Workers Ministry, P.O Box 10645, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27605

AN INDELIBLE IMPRINT
Through their outstanding compassionate activism  - most notably through the creation of Share Our Selves 45 years ago -  Frank and his wife, Jean, have left an indelible imprint on our community and all of Orange County.  Despite his illness Frank continued to influence issues in the city - most recently speaking out against the current plans to demolish the Neighborhood Community Center and create a new library in its place.

AN OUTSTANDING CAREER
Frank Forbath was an engineer by training and profession.  He held a B.A degree in physics and math from UCLA and a Master's Degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University.  Frank served as a shipboard Naval Officer in World War II.  He held management positions in many of the iconic companies in Southern California, including Hughes Aircraft and Northrop and held engineering positions at the Instrument Division of American Optical and the RAND Corporation.  He has been the President of FJFCo and Harbor Scientific and holds several US and International patents.  And those were just his day jobs!

A FULL LIFE
Frank and Jean have lived in Costa Mesa for more than 53 years, raised seven successful, well-educated children,  have been loving grandparents to fifteen grandchildren and still found time to perform a level of community service that would be hard to match.  This short video clip will give you an idea of that dedication to the community.


CONDOLENCES
We at A Bubbling Cauldron extend our deepest condolences to the Forbath family, to the staff and those served by Share Our Selves, and to the community as well, on the loss of this fine man.  His was certainly a life well-lived and he will be missed.

Another Interesting Council Meeting On Tuesday

CLOSED SESSION FIRST - 4 LITIGATION ITEMS
The Costa Mesa City Council will meet for its final regular meeting on Tuesday, April 21, 2014, beginning at 5:45 in City Council Chambers at City Hall.  It will be preceded by a Closed Session at 5:00 which will cover four (4) bits of existing litigation, so a forty-five minute closed session may be optimistic.  You can read the agenda HERE.

HONORING KAREN MCGLINN
(Photo Courtesy of OC Register)
Follow the Costa Mesa Minute there will be a presentation of the Mayor's Award to Karen McGlinn, CEO of Share Our Selves (SOS).  Her husband, John, was recently appointed to the new Senior Commission.  There is no question about the good works SOS does in our community, but some view it as an "attractant" - that's the mayor's own word - and a source of the presence of "undesirables" in our community.  For example, when the agenda was posted, The Mouth From Mesa North went out of his way to post a very critical mini-essay about these kinds of businesses in town.

PUBLIC COMMENTS - ALWAYS AN ADVENTURE
We never know what the Public Comments segment will bring for the council's consideration.  The mayor had imposed restrictions on the number of folks to be heard early in the meeting, but he's been loosening his grip on this recently, to his credit.  We'll see how it goes this time.

THE WARRANT - LOTS OF BUCKS
The Consent Calendar has a couple interesting items among the eight (8) on the agenda.  As has been my practice in the recent past, I'll start by providing you with a few examples of entries listed on Item #3, Warrant 2534, HERE.  I've listed items I found to be of interest.  They are shown in the order they appear on the long list:

• Civil Source - $44,480.00 - Temp Support, various
• David Taussig & Associates, Inc. - $17,580.00 - Park Impact Fees, 2/28/15
• Johnson Favaro LLP - $40,925.50 - Library/NCC Architect Planning
• CSG Consultants, Inc - $1,870.10 - Bldg Plan Check/Inspect. 2/15
• City of Huntington Beach - $12,390.00 - Helicopter Svcs, 2/15
• FTOG, Inc. - $1,957.50 - Interim Buyer, 3/16-3/27/15
• Glenn Lukos & Associates, Inc - $6,932.44 - Fairview Park Biological Svcs, 1/10-2/20/15
• Government Staffing Services, Inc. - $7,689.70 - Temp Svcs, Various
• Keyser Marston Associates, Inc. - $5,530.00 - Consulting, Various
• Meyers Nave - $1,047.40 - Legal, Fairview Park
• Mobile Home Improvement - $11,335.00 - SFHR-1845 MonroviaSp82
• Stradling Yocca  Carlson & Rauth - $12,231.90 - Legal Svcs, Various and Many
• United Industries - $4,309.20 - Warehouse Stock - Latex Gloves
• Jones & Mayer - $24,708.49 - Legal (Dadey, Solid Landings BH)
• Government Staffing Services - $12,120.00 - Temp Svcs, Various
• Jones Day - $7,246.25 - Legal, CMCEA, 12/14
• Waxie Sanitary Supply - $4,391.88 - For Warehouse Floor Stock

CONSULTANTS, LEGAL FEES AND MORE
Now, that is by no means a complete list, but represent a few items of note because I think they are important - or because they amused me.  For example, we're still spending a load of money each month on temporary services, in the same positions, month after month.  We're still spending money on helicopter services to Huntington Beach.  We're still spending a load of dough on legal services in addition to Jones and Mayer.  On this Warrant alone there's well over $40,000.00 shown.  And, I chuckled when I saw more than $4,000 for latex gloves and another similar amount to Waxie for sanitary supplies.  Yikes!

JUGGLING JERRY, AND WHY?
Item #8 on the Consent Calendar, HERE, is a professional services agreement with Tri Planning Group.  This one is REALLY interesting, because it involves shifting the cost for Jerry Guarrancino (shown here receiving a proclamation from the Planning Commission in September) - who has been a consultant in various capacities for 16 months through Lilley Planning Group, but now this request is to retain his services through Tri Planning Group (TPG) - a company in which he has an ownership interest.  This contract is for $100,000, to cover 6 months!  And, buried down in the staff report is this comment, "Funds for this agreement will come from City-wide salary savings. During this time, the City Council will review and consider adding a full-time position to ensure that the needs of the community are met regarding group home oversight."  So, specifically WHICH salary savings pays for Jerry?  Hold that thought until later.  And, NOW we are finally going to consider hiring a full-time person to do this work - after all these months of very expensive consultant costs?  Oh, wait... new employee means more greedy pension costs.  Sorry, I forgot.

NO BOOZE FOR YOUZE...
The only Public Hearing on the agenda is an appeal of a conditional use permit for a convenience store at 2281 Newport Blvd. (Union 76).  The original item was approved, with conditions, by the Planning Commission earlier this year.  The applicant apparently doesn't like the fact that, despite the fact that one of the conditions denies the ability to sell alcoholic beverages, he disputes another condition that requires a buyer's notice to be recorded notifying any potential future buyer of that first restriction.  This is a so-called "de novo" hearing - which means the council can start from scratch and re-hear the entire project.  Ugh!  This one should be very interesting.

CORRECTING A PARKING MISTAKE
Old Business #1, HERE, is the second reading (again) of amendments to the city's Small Lot Ordinance.  The last time, earlier this month, language about parking was amended, so we're back to hear this one - again.  Read the staff report - it's short, but very enlightening about the impact of this ordinance on our city.

CONVERTING PRINT SHOP INTO A MEETING ROOM
Finally, New Business #1, HERE,  is the delayed presentation of a request for authorization of construction of a community meeting room and outdoor meeting space and remodel of the employee lounge on the first floor of City Hall.  This proposal converts the old Print Shop - presently being used as an elephant graveyard for surplus furniture - into much-needed meeting space in the building.  I've had a chance to take a peek at this space and it looks like it might be segmentable - able to be carved into several smaller meeting spots - instead of just being used permanently as one big space.  It is 1,625 square feet.  Plans include the capability of broadcasting from that venue, too.

NICER MEETING SPACES
The plans also include an outside sitting/meeting area and renovation of the employee lounge - a miserable little space behind council chambers than now doesn't even have vending machines in it!

DO THIS ONE FIRST!
This is a good idea.  In my view, since the major renovation of Council Chambers is supposed to begin kind of contiguously with this project, it would be a good idea to do THIS project first, then use this space to hold council meetings while the chambers renovation is being completed.  Otherwise, the City will be scrambling for adequate meeting space for council meetings - and likely would NOT be able to televise live from any other venue around town.  The availability of this new space solves that problem.  The space available could likely hold more than 100 people, making it usable for all but the most action-packed council meetings.  Most council meetings have well short of 100 attendees, including staff members.

EXACTLY WHICH "SALARY SAVINGS" PAYS FOR THIS?
The cost for the several elements involved in this project comes to $1.2 million and the recommendation is that those costs come from FY 2014-2015 salary savings.  Remember up top when I told you to hold that thought?  Well, I'd like to know just EXACTLY where these presumed salary savings are coming from!  Is this a result of poor budgeting, slow recruiting, bad management or all of the above?

NO MAS, NOW... SEE YOU TUESDAY
So, that's it for this entry.  See you at the council meeting Tuesday.  There's a lot more happening around town next week.  More on that later.