Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Long-Service Awards Tonight

MAY BE A SHORT ONE
One of the highlights of what may be a short and relatively benign Costa Mesa City Council meeting tonight will be the recognition of those employees who have reached major milestones in their respective careers with The City.



LOYAL LONG-SERVICE EMPLOYEES
While all employees who reach 5-year increment
milestones will be recognized in a ceremony on February 29th, tonight those folks who have reached 25 and 30 years levels will receive special recognition. Among those being recognized tonight will be Helen Nenadal and Billy Folsom, two dedicated employees who have been the tip of the spear in the battle against the dismantling of our city structure through the bogus outsourcing scheme conjured up by Mayor Gary Monahan and Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer in their private meetings last year.

KUDOS
Thanks to Helen and Billy - and all the rest of the loyal, hard-working city employees who have kept their collective noses to the grindstone during the past twelve months - for their unwavering service to the residents of this city in very, very troubling times. They deserve our gratitude for soldiering-on even though many were asked to create documents (RFPs) that may be used to cost them their jobs. Kudos to them all as they consistently go above and beyond the call of duty while being demonized, vilified and chided by some of the elected leaders of our city.

CROSS-DRESSING FRENZY AGAIN
The meeting, which begins at 6:00, will be preceded by a Closed Session at 5:00 in
which The City and the recently created Housing Authority will go through a cross-dressing exercise of some sort to discuss trying to salvage the Redevelopment Agency dollars. Then they will also convene in open session and go through a similar exercise to pass a resolution dealing with the Recognized Obligation Payment Schedule (TOPS) of the former Redevelopment Agency, which was dissolved as of February 1st. We're trying to keep as much of the money owed by the RDA as possible.

EARLY OR LATE, WE'LL BE THERE

As always, at the end of the meeting council members will have their opportunity to make comments and recommendations. It is at this part of the meeting - when most observers have departed - that interesting things historically happen. So, regardless whether the meeting ends at a 8:00 or 1:00 a.m., we'll be there to observe and report.

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10 Comments:

Anonymous Hollow Recgonition said...

What is ironic is that both Helen and Billy received layoff notices and continue to receive notices about every three months extending out the layoff date. If I was such a city employee, it would be really hard to accept the recognition knowing that the council majority could not wait to get rid of me.

2/21/2012 01:52:00 PM  
Blogger kwahlf said...

Congratulations to Billy and Helen!
They have persevered along with their fellow city workers this last year with four councilmen trying to get rid of them.
In spite of this, they continue to be the most professional, friendly and helpful group I have met.
We, the residents of Costa Mesa, are very fortunate to have them.

2/21/2012 05:15:00 PM  
Anonymous level the playing field said...

They should wear shirts emblazoned
"I am only here till
Sept 2011
November 2011
January 2012
March 2012
etc.
etc.
etc"
Tom Hatch (or whoever presents the recognition) should be embarrassed to give the award.

"Here is something to acknowledge your years of service to the City of Costa Mesa. Don't let the door hit you as we throw you out"

2/21/2012 05:35:00 PM  
Anonymous FYI said...

The council majority are not the only Costa Mesa taxpayers and residents who can't wait to get rid of those two.

Someone needs to show them the door ASAP.

2/21/2012 09:34:00 PM  
Anonymous Wyatt Earp said...

Hollow Recgnotion...I think most people would agree with you. The problem is that would play right into Rig's hands as he could point the finger at them as uncaring towards the city, or their famous "greedy union thugs". It is simply a can't win situation.

2/21/2012 10:03:00 PM  
Anonymous Not buying it said...

If the 6-month layoff provision put into the contract and signed by the association and union after meet and confers, negotiations and votes of the members is so horrific and onerous - GET RID OF IT.

Do you really think the City wants to keep issuing these notices? NO. OCEA is a savvy labor union, and these provisions are pure blackmail material. Required by OCEA when outsourcing investigated and then immediately attacked as ruthless an heartless the whole time the City goes through the process of comparing costs and services.

Guess who gets caught in the middle? The rank and file employees.

2/21/2012 10:25:00 PM  
Anonymous Sam Grady said...

FYI, You must be jealous that no one would recognize your years of service.

2/22/2012 07:47:00 AM  
Anonymous Wyatt Earp said...

Not buying it....The city has the ability to continue the RFP process during the lawsuit and/or continuing layoff notice situation. Can you name any RFP's that have come back showing any cost savings? I didn't think so. So, we are almost a year down the road and the public has not seen one shred of evidence to suggest outsourcing could save money for the city. In fact, history shows the city does some things in a more cost efficient manner, ie graffiti removal and street sweeping were shown to be more cost effective as a city service. What is not being bought is your bogus material.

2/22/2012 08:05:00 AM  
Anonymous Not buying it said...

Wyatt Earp,

My bogus material? What are you talking about? If the MOU provision wasn't there the City could have sent out RFPs without the human impact and drama, but OCEA needed that to win hearts and minds. Then they sued, costing hundreds of thousands, all the while saying that they would sit down and negotiate if the layoff notices were rescinded. Pur union theater. It is a callous, BS tactic that has hurt many people. Do you really support it?

2/22/2012 03:52:00 PM  
Anonymous Other Mike said...

Not buying-had the city first done analysis on the functions to be outsourced, then selected those functions that made the most sense based on cost analysis, then (and only then) shouts sue lay off notices, all would have been fine. That's the way any responsible organization does business.

So the theatre is being driven by the out of touch, and out of sequence manner in which council has conducted the city's business. I voted for them to trustees of the residents, not creators of a fiefdom. I will not make that mistake again.

2/27/2012 01:25:00 AM  

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