Monday, November 08, 2010

Busy Time For Overpaid Planning Commissioners

JOINT STUDY SESSION TODAY WITH PARKS & REC. COMM.
The Costa Mesa Planning Commission, led by lame duck Chairman Jim Righeimer, is going to have a busy week, starting with today. First, at 5:00 p.m. in Conference 1A at City Hall, it will hold a Joint Study Session with the Parks & Recreation Commission, then immediately move to the Council Chambers for it's regularly-schedule Planning Commission meeting at 6:00.

HOMELESS, HOMES AND TREES
At the Study session Assistant City Manager Tom Hatch will make a presentation of the staff r
eport which is entitled: Update on Impacts from Homeless Issues within Lions Park. You can read that staff report HERE. Planning Commission Chair Jim Righeimer will discuss the recently-conceived Pilot Residential Neighborhood Enhancement Program. You can read the staff report HERE. Parks & Recreation Commission Chair Mike Brumbaugh will make a presentation on tree replacements.

CODE ENFORCEMENT, BANNERS AND FENCES
At the Planning Commission meeting, following a Code Enforcement Update, the commission will discuss an amended city ordinance on the use of Banners on Private Property and another dealing with an amendment to the city ordinance for Fences and Walls.




BIKE TRAIL CONNECTOR AND RECYCLING FACILITIES
Then, following a full platter of public hearings on individual sites, they will discuss the Bicycle Connection between Santa Ana River and Upper Newport Bay Trail Systems and a couple ite
ms dealing with Recycling and Collection Facilities.

JOINT MEE
TING WITH CITY COUNCIL TOMORROW ON SOBECA
Tuesday they will participate in a Joint Study Session with the City Council to discuss the future of the SoBeCa Urban Plan Objectives. That meeting will be held in Conference Room 1A beginning at 4:30 p.m.

SPECIAL MEETING ON THE 15TH

Then, next Monday, November 15th, the Planning Commission will hold a special
meeting to discuss five items. Those are the plans for Mesa Verde Center; Expansion of the Waldorf School; a Master Plan Amendment for the Wyndham Hotel on Avenue of the Arts; a conditional use for a property on Airway Ave. for a specialized physical therapy facility for spinal cord injuries and former mayor Peter Buffa will put on his dancing shoes again and present another pitch for his client, Triangle Square in which he will apparently ask for a change in he Master Plan to amend the Conditional Use Permit regarding shared parking and to permit a 54,000 square foot health club in the basement.

P
LANNING COMMISSIONERS ARE OVERPAID
Lest you feel sorry for the Planning Commissioners, please remember that they are the most highly compensated such group within our local cities. They receive $400 per month, regardless how many meetings they attend. Recently they've only had one regularly schedule meeting each month as opposed to two when business was booming. In September 2009 Wendy Leece proposed, based on a survey of local cities, that they receive $75 per meeting. Places like Newport Beach pay their planning commissioners $65 per month, regardless of the number of meetings! Nah, said the council! They just "received and filed" the suggestion and kept on paying them $400 per month and permitted them to only hold one meeting per month. Funny that this never came up in the discussion during the campaign, huh? Talk about a double standard!

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3 Comments:

Anonymous hair helmet said...

"Vicki, I readily admit to reading every entry of the CM Press, even has he piles post on top of post throughout the day. You've heard the phrase, "Know thy enemy"?"

You have a very interesting us vs. them mentality. Who is this weeks enemey?

11/08/2010 02:51:00 PM  
Anonymous Jolly Roger said...

Geoff, I get your point about the high pay, but it sounds like they have 3 meetings in only 8 days time--is $400 still too much for 3 meetings a month?

11/08/2010 03:35:00 PM  
Blogger The Pot Stirrer said...

hair helmet, are you volunteering. There actually no time limit on that honor, so the guy in question remains in that role.

Jolly Roger, they've had ONE meeting a month for a long time. Even before the business slowdown they only met twice a month. Surrounding cities pay their planning commissioners as little as $65.00 per month, regardless of number of meetings (Newport Beach). The closest to Costa Mesa is $300 per month. Most pay a per/meeting amount ranging from $50.00 to $75.00. Fountain Valley - $50, up to 3 meetings a month; Fullerton $75.00, twice a month; Garden Grove $0; Huntington Beach $50.00, up to 3 meetings per month; Irvine $300.00 regardless of number of meetings; Orange $60.00 per meeting regardless of number, Santa Ana $50.00 up to 3 meetings a month.

11/08/2010 04:06:00 PM  

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