Saturday, November 05, 2011

What's Going On At City Hall? *(AMENDED)

"TRANSPARENCY" IS A LITTLE BIT OPAQUE
Despite all this "transparency" stuff, it's getting harder and harder to figure out what's going on at Costa Mesa City Hall these days.

*NOTE: In response to my inquiry last week, CEO Tom Hatch informed me early Monday morning that the change in the Tuesday schedule was his idea. Apparently the issues he had planned to present were not quite ready due to the volume of work at City Hall. Rather than attempt to present incomplete data he chose to cancel the Study Session and only hold the Special Council meeting on labor issues - a Closed Session meeting.

ANTICIPATING A STUDY SESSION
In the Friday edition of the Costa Mesa
Minute, Christine Cordone told us that the council was going to have a Study Session Tuesday, November 8th at which revamped budget policies, the 5-year plan for capital improvements and, if it is finally ready, a discussion of the City's Worker's Comp program.

ADJUSTING MY NAP SCHEDULE

Well, I thou
ght those were three pretty interesting subjects and was juggling my schedule to attend. Christine also mentioned that the Study Session would be preceded by a closed session at 4:00 p.m., with the Study Session to follow at 5.


WRONG!

Then, out of the blue Friday afternoon we find out that the Study Session has been abruptly canceled and that the City Council
will hold a Special City Council meeting on the 8th, beginning at 4:30 p.m in City Council Chambers. The klinker here is that this meeting is a closed session - which means none of us will be permitted to attend. The agenda indicates it's a conference with CEO Tom Hatch in his role as lead labor negotiator. So, the council will meet in council chambers, take roll, read the item into the record, take public comments - how do you comment when you have no clue about the content of the item to be discussed? - then move into the closed session in a different venue - most likely Conference Room 1A.

WATCHING FOR HIRED GUNS
So, we're wondering just what happened to cause this dramatic change of plans. Do we suspect that hired gun, Richard Kreisler, will surface at the Special Meeting? I suppose it might be worth a trip to City Hall Tuesday afternoon to see if there are any limos on the premises.


A CURIOUSLY SLOW WEEK

So, unless we get another change of plans, the only "event"
that will be happening next week, besides the Battle of the Bell Friday night at Jim Scott Stadium on the grounds of Estancia High School, will be Wendy Leece's Westside Town Hall meeting at Pomona Elementary School on Wednesday, the 9th. I'll re-publish the flier for that event early in the week.

BUSY AS BEES THE NEXT WEEK, THOUGH
They will make up for it the following week, though, because there is a Planning Commission meeting scheduled for Monday, the 14th, a City Council meeting on Tuesday, the 15th and a Parks and Recreation Commission meeting on Wednesday, the 16th - the last one of the year for that group.



DID YOU FORGET?

I hope you remembered to set your clocks back last night before you hit the sack.

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9 Comments:

Anonymous Occupy Something said...

Why are we letting Irvine and Santa Ana take the lead on the Occupy movement?

We have so many good people in Costa Mesa. We should Occupy something.

What should we Occupy?

Where is our Leadership?

11/06/2011 09:37:00 AM  
Blogger The Pot Stirrer said...

Of course, the whole idea of the "Occupy" movement is no leadership... Duh!

11/06/2011 10:32:00 AM  
Anonymous Wiki leaks,council panics closes sessions said...

Meetings and closed sessions, Brown acts and transparency. What are the requirements for public notice, and when is a law violated. Where is the line to be crossed Where is Lobdell when he is needed. A gag order must be in affect. The truth is lost

11/06/2011 12:11:00 PM  
Anonymous unanimous said...

all being done according to Brown Act, relax. Notice the meeting, the general topic, call meeting to order,take public comments, go into closed session, come back out and say nothing to report or make a report. don't believe anything to the contrary genis says.

11/06/2011 01:27:00 PM  
Blogger Joe said...

Troll unanimous:
"..don't believe anything to the contrary genis says.."

Translation:

Boss Hog is scared of sane Republicans. Attack Genis and anyone else with knowledge of municipal government. Only El Gordo knows what's best.

11/06/2011 06:28:00 PM  
Anonymous Trolls Suck Whale Blubber said...

"Brown Act":
Whenever Righeimer and Mensinger speak.

11/06/2011 06:33:00 PM  
Anonymous Lions Park said...

Hey "Occupy Something",I am being occupied right now! C'mon down!

11/06/2011 08:10:00 PM  
Anonymous Shoo fly, don't bother me said...

Geoff West constantly believes nefarious actions are in play. Yet Geoff West is constantly proven wrong time and time again. But Geoff West will not stop. Genetic flaw?

Occupy Lions Park. That is as good as Occupy Geoff West's Head.

11/07/2011 05:07:00 PM  
Anonymous Come on Fly, Stand by Your Comments said...

A new troll has appeared aptly named "Shoo Fly Don't Bother Me" and gave us this gem...

"Geoff West constantly believes nefarious actions are in play. Yet Geoff West is constantly proven wrong time and time again. But Geoff West will not stop. Genetic flaw?"

I would be nice for discussion purposes if you could actually have some facts to back up your claim the Geoff is constantly proven wrong. I doubt you have any, but lets see. Come on don't be shy. Put some substance behind your comments.

11/08/2011 08:41:00 AM  

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