Mooney Demands Identity of Trail Violators - From Mensinger

REGISTER COMMENTARY DEMANDS ANSWERS
Those of you who subscribe to the Orange County Register probably have already seen the commentary published on those pages Saturday, December 27, 2013 written by Costa Mesa resident Charles Mooney titled, "Official owes public an end to trail mystery".  You can read it HERE, if you've paid the price to sneak behind their pay wall, that is.


DOES MENSINGER KNOW?
In a nutshell, Mooney aims an incriminating finger directly at Mayor Pro Tem Steve Mensinger on the issue of the illegal application of decomposed granite on a trail that encroached on federally-protected vernal pools, suggesting through the use of direct quotations by Mensinger, that he knows who installed the decomposed granite.

COSTS SHOULD BE REIMBURSED
Mooney also gives us a very brief summary of activity by federal officials regarding the trail and the vernal pools and suggests that the $14,000 the city is paying to have the offending materials removed should be reimbursed by those responsible for it.  And, we still don't know what kind of sanctions, if any, will be imposed on the City regarding our poor stewardship of Fairview Park - that shoe is waiting to drop.

MOONEY'S STATEMENT...
His final two paragraphs says the following:

"I can somewhat understand why the person or persons who installed the trail are afraid to confess and pay for the trail's removal.

However, it seems that Mayor Pro Tem Mensinger knows who installed the trail and, as a public official, has the responsibility to Costa Mesa taxpayers to identify those responsible."

IF MENSINGER KNOWS...
I agree with Mooney... if Mensinger does know who is responsible for the installation of the decomposed granite on the trail that may have harmed an endangered species - the San Diego Fairy Shrimp -  he is violating his responsibility as a sworn council member if he does not come forward with that information.  Of course, there's always the small chance that he might incriminate himself, in which case he is protected by law from doing so.  It's a very sticky wicket.  Perhaps the reward that was announced a few weeks ago will  produce verifiable leads so this mess can be cleared up once and for all.