Do We Value Life in Costa Mesa?

Bear with me. Talking about all these proposed changes to the way the City delivers services has everyone thinking, which is a good thing for all of us.  We Costa Mesans are used to a certain level of  emergency services-(and many other services too)-we expect the police and firefighters to arrive in a certain amount of time. Life is at stake!


Often we've called because we are in a life threatening situation, even if it is a cat up a tree. In 1999 I called pd in the middle of the night because I believed a prowler was in my living room (when I lived on Meyer).  It was my eldest daughter who came home for some TLC from mom but she neglected to tell me she was going to spend the night on my living room couch. The police arrived right away and with their flashlights-- and behold there she was on the couch and I was very embarrassed! The officers assured me it was not a big deal. Thankful it was NOT a prowler!


Another time, there was a life threatening emergency with another daughter while I was not home. Someone called and the firefighters were here when I got home. Thankful again.


When I voted in August of 09 on the firefighter's contract, I voted to maintain close to the same level of emergency services to which we had been accustomed.  Going to minimum manning (fewer firefighters on the truck basically) saved us some big bucks,($3 million over 3 years), but it did increase our response times slightly.  But NOT signing the agreement, saying "NO" after weeks of negotiations, going to impasse, and possibly imposing an agreement would have definitely put our residents at risk of receiving a lesser quality of emergency services. And frankly, then, and now, I  am not willing to put our residents at a greater risk when a life being saved is at stake.


Same thing when I voted (agonized) last October to approve special agreements to save money.  I could not risk an all out battle-- this time with ALL of our employees--and be ground zero to solve a nationwide pension problem.  I knew our RESIDENTS' safety would be at stake.  We had been negotiating with all groups for MONTHS according to the rules that govern negotiations. We did have pension reform. Not signing the agreements would have lead to chaos, legal battles and more--morale issues and employees leaving the city.


Of course we need more pension reform. But it needs to be reasonable and fair and it did begin in Costa Mesa, contrary to what others are saying. Public employees know this and in the last two years Costa Mesa employees HAVE cooperated and are paying towards their retirements saving the city millions of dollars over several years. It's a start. One lone city cannot bear the burden for all cities without residents being affected.  Asking too much will only backfire and we will be the losers in the long run if we don't truly "count the cost" and understand the consequences of our actions before we vote to make certain changes or outsource anything.


 There are some who are indignant over public employee salaries, benefits and pensions. They are entitled to their opinions and I am entitled to disagree with their tactics and proposals.   But demonizing employees is unfair and only serves to inflame. Reform at all levels cannot happen immediately. I will continue to work with our employees on a plan that keeps us as safe as we can afford to be. We will balance our budget and stop using fund balance.


Finally, to say we want to take the money away from public safety and put it towards our infrastructure to balance our 11-12 budget is a red herring. Our streets are not falling apart.  Costa Mesa has a fact-based PLAN for street repair based on scientific analysis of concrete or asphalt.  In the meantime, if your street, or a street you see needs repair, please email me and it will be fixed!


Do we want to save LIVES?  What does that cost?


Are we willing to be PATIENT while it takes a little longer to repair our streets? (and wait for Measure M, gas tax or grant money). Everyone has to be patient while we work out of this. What's the hurry? 


Do we remake our city overnight and and wake up and decide we don't like the new Costa Mesa?


Do we want even want to remake our city?  That's really what this all about you know.  Curb appeal. A sanitized Costa Mesa.  No more RVs, granny units, but senior housing next to bars, LED at Triangle.


I vote for LIFE over street repair.  Every minute does matter and there is a cost to those seconds. I value our employees and I don't want them to go to other cities. Making rash decisions right now could cost a life and I don't want to live with that guilt on my watch.

Cities across the country are beginning to face the enormous cost of our employee pension systems.  We made progress last year in finding a common ground with a modest step forward to these same issues in Costa Mesa.  Mass union riots are not a path we want to go down.  We must continued to work together with our employee unions to find a cost reduction solution that works for Costa Mesa over the long term.

Not a Sexy Topic But Pension Reform is Hot

Cities, counties and states are wrestling with pension reform but it has to be accomplished within current public employee laws.  Governor Brown has yet to explain his plan.  Leaders in New Jersey acknowledge "vested"  benefits granted to employees cannot be taken away.  In NJ they are discussing other options and agree public employees need to step up and agree to pay more. No one city can take the lead on pension reform without that city having serious consequences in its recruiting and retaining the best employees. Here's another point of view--

http://online.wsj.com/video/opinion-journal-chris-christie-adversary/40482C0A-C034-4364-B716-9F0C66309E00.html

Here is a realistic Public Pension Reform Plan

http://video.foxnews.com/v/4499277/chris-christies-plan-for-garden-state/

NJ Gov. Chris Christie says you can't merge from defined benefit to 401 type defined contribution plan overnight.  Takes time unless you reform the current system first. I agree. We did accomplish pension reform in Costa Mesa last year with employees now paying a portion of their retirement costs each month saving the City about $250,000 a month and more than $6.5 over several years.

News item:  Tuesday night Mayor Pro Tem Righeimer and new Council Member Mensinger voted for the same employee agreement I voted for last fall.  Amazingly, the sky did not fall. Perhaps they too realized that the agreements we made with our employees were decent and had been negotiated fairly.  They certainly had an opportunity to vote against them. Perhaps they saw that voting for them was the right thing to do for the city and risking losses and lawsuits was not.  My point exactly.

Are we Costa Mesans too compassionate?

We voted last night to form a task force to study homelessness in our city.  There is no question that the time is now to do this.  Involving the providers--the magnets--as some call them--to help us figure out ways we can  help our own Costa Mesa "chronic" homeless population is the key.  A daunting task for sure--seems like we do more than our fair share. Some are critical of our City for being too compassionate.  There lies the difficulty--how do we measure "too much compassion?" No one has all the answers, but everyone is committed to finding them.

We welcome the good news

Tomorrow's 4:30 study session will have Bobby Young give Council Members the mid-year budget review.
On the whole, it is very good news. Property, TOT and sales taxes are up and combined with other savings we won't need to take drastic measures to balance the budget.

 The shortfall is $1.387,192 instead of $6 million.  Cuts we considered last year, but did not make, will be presented to the Council.  And we won't have to use our fund balance--those reserves set aside to use for "restricted" accounts. 


http://www.ci.costa-mesa.ca.us/council/study-session/2011-01-11/midystudysession_staffrpt_fy11.pdf

Where do we go from here?

I'm not one to get stuck dwelling on disappointments.  Last night's meeting and the selection of Steve Mensinger were no surprise to me.  This plan has been in the works for a long time. I am always open to new ideas on how to make our city better.  What bothers me the most is the disrespect and disdain shown for average Costa Mesans who have loved living here for many years. Also, I believe we need to respect our employees.  It's not their fault we have the financial challenges we have.  I take responsibility for our financial status. 

But I think this is a great opportunity for Costa Mesans who love their city to continue to be involved at City Hall.  Residents can come to the meetings, watch them on tv or the computer, write letters, send emails, and make calls to the Council voicing their opinions.

I met with all but three of the applicants for the Council, Planning Commission and Parks and Rec.  All of the applicants are passionate about their ideas and how they might contribute their time and talent to our city.  I encouraged them to apply for the Homeless Task force and other Committees when applications are available.  All residents can do this, not just the applicants who stepped up this time.

I will continue to stay strong and  be optimistic, civil and respectful.  I know the hearts of Costa Mesans are strong. I predict many new faces will be seen in the Council Chambers.   I know what makes our city great--it's the people--and our differences. It's the differences that glue us together.  I will keep working hard to see that those differences are respected and acknowledged.

32 per cent is a big deal

While I was sorting my 2010 receipts and paperwork today, (my annual chore on Jan. 1),throwing out outdated City Council paperwork too, I could help but think that our serious crime being down 32 per cent is REMARKABLE.  Part of the reason it is down is due to the fact we have not had any murders (however, I just got the report there was a fight at the Hilton this morning that ended in one person dying of knife wounds, that is sad) so our status for the second half of 2010 may not be as great.  It takes everyone working as a team to be successful.  Having an ICE agent in our jail for a few years could have been a deterrent to illegal alien criminals as well.  Who wants to go to Costa Mesa and commit a crime if they know they could end up being deported?  Have a happy rest of the New Year's Day! The weather was awesome!

Oh my--Where did the time go?

What a ride this year has been. 

I hope you had a blessed Christmas and have a safe and healthy 2011. 

High points:

The Fam-- Amy and Derek's wonderful wedding in Laguna. Everything was perfect.  I am so glad my son, Bret,  and his wife, Blithe, moved back to the US bringing my two grandchildren with them. Two years was such a long time!  Also, Emily, who turned 21 in March,  continues to excel at Gold's Gym, Pima College and now has started her Beachbodies business http://teambeachbody.com/eleece.  Megan is exploring her options for her own business too.

The City.  So thankful and humbled for the people who re-elected me. I promise to continue to do my homework, meet with residents and business owners and come to the meetings prepared to listen to the public and staff and vote accordingly.   I tried very hard to run a low budget, "anyone can do this in Costa Mesa" campaign.  I believe we can all work together. We have a wonderful city. We are diverse, eclectic, creative, traditional, opinionated, smart and strong-willed to name a few.  As I have met and talked this week with nearly all of the Council, Planning Commision and Parks and Recreation applicants, I appreciate our diversity, talents and love for Costa Mesa even more. We have many challenges, but we have many opportunities to use the talents we each bring to the "table."

I'm always open to meet at my favorite place or yours.  Just let me know!  wendyleece@gmail.com

Be safe tonight!

O.C. crime stats mixed as U.S. rate falls

O.C. crime stats mixed as U.S. rate falls

Costa Mesa got an early Christmas present--Costa Mesa saw 32 per cent drop in violent crime in first half of 2010.
We are down 17 officers and have other non sworn layoffs--thanks to all of our hard working employees who made this possible.

City of Costa Mesa, California

City of Costa Mesa, California

Marine Care Package Program

Please go to our Costa Mesa link for the flyer and more information about purchasing items to donate to our Marines.
Please drop off times in the City Hall Lobby.
The City of Costa Mesa and the 1st Battalion 5th Marines (1/5) Support Group have been working together to support 1/5’s “Sister Battalion” 3/5 Marines which are part of the 5th Marine Regiment with a home base at Camp San Mateo at Camp Pendleton. 3/5 Marines are currently deployed to Afghanistan taking the fight to the Taliban. As a result they have suffered heavy casualties. While the City has adopted 1/5, the Support Group has recently raised funds and sent Care-Pacs to the 3/5 Marines. The Support Group is encouraging the community to join them in raising funds and donating items for Care-Pacs for the 3/5 during the month of December. This will allow the Care-Pacs to arrive in early January to the Marines.

Please note that all items will need to be dropped off at City Hall no later than 1 pm December 29.

A collection box is located in the first floor lobby of City Hall. Thank you.

List of Items: Financial Contributions, Tooth paste and brushes, dental floss, chewing gum, disposable razors and shaving cream, foot powder, hand sanitizer, soap, shampoo, Q-tips, jerky, granola bars, vienna sausages, Spam, handi-wipes, instant coffee,sunflower seeds, canned nuts, lip balm, hand lotion, sun screen, sardines, smoked oysters and tuna. We don't want to take up space with items the troops won't use.

- Support Marines and their families by making a donation payable to: City of Costa Mesa

1/5 Fund. Donations made to the City of Costa Mesa exclusively for public purposes are considered to be tax deductible in accordance with IRC 170(s)(1), as long as the donor does not receive any substantial benefit in return for the contribution. Contact Dan Baker at (714) 754-5156 for questions or comments.

Transparency In Local Government:Protecting Your Community Against Corruption - Western City - December 2010 - Sacramento

Transparency In Local Government:Protecting Your Community Against Corruption - Western City - December 2010 - Sacramento

Dear Friends,
I have decided to get back to updating my blog now that the election is over. I find this article in the California League of Cities December issue of "Western City" to be timely and insightful. The revelations and shockwaves sent from the City of Bell cause us to pause and take stock of our responsibilities as public officials/servants.

From the article, "Engaging the Public in Commuity Decision-Making:" What steps can a public official take to create external support for public service ethics and decision-making grounded in the public's interests? An active and engaged community helps, which is why former Supereme Court Justice Lous Brandeis observed that 'the most important political office is that of private citizen.'"

I hope you will take the time to read this article and share it with other Costa Mesans. There are many practical ideas, much food for thought, in the article.

wl

Crime is Down is Costa Mesa-Great News!

From the July 23 edition of "From the Mesa" from the City Manager
PART 1 CRIME STATISTICS DOWN


"The police department reports that Part 1 Crimes through June of 2010 are down 12% from the same time period in 2009. Part 1 Crimes are the most serious offenses, including sexual assault, murder, robbery, burglary, theft, aggravated and simple assault and stolen vehicles. We measure these statistics each month and we will closely monitor them to see how the recent reduction in the workforce may affect them."(Chris Shawkey, Police Department)

A time to Remember

We drove up to the Century Plaza last night for the LA area ALS/Lou Gerhig's Disease Gala.  We don't always attend, but it would have been my mom's 86th birthday. My dear mother, Helen Brooks, had ALS and passed away in 2003.  It was a great event to raise awareness and money for a disease that has no cure and for which the cause is unknown.  The cure is out there--it just hasn't been discovered yet!

Our family loves history--and my mom was particularly interested in grave sites--I remember as a child going to Abraham Lincoln's tomb in Springfield, Ill., Louisa May Alcott's grave--and others---so today I am going to push my Sunday nap back a little and go to our Historical Society's Open House with speaker Michael Barry.  He will speak at 2 pm. about "Orange County's Dead and Famous."  Collections can be viewed from 1-3 p.m.  Hope to see you there.  (1870 Anaheim, Costa Mesa).

Costa Mesa has a rich heritage and our Costa Mesa Historical Society does a great  job of preserving it and sharing it with our residents.

Surprise!

Katrina, Gary and Allan Roeder will travel to Sacramento early tomorrow to meet with the Governor's representatives at 11 a.m. to present the offer from Facilities Management West to buy the Fairgrounds. Am I surprised? Yes. Between the two proposers, American Fairs and Festivals had the most details, but there must have been a deal breaker for the negotiating "Team" to get to this monumental decision.  We still have miles to go before we sleep (and promises to keep), but let's hope we get a favorable response from the officials in Sacramento. I can honestly say we have done our very best because that's just the kind of people we are in this great city.  We do our very best. If things don't go our way, we know we tried.
THANK YOU KATRINA, GARY, ALLAN R., BECKY & KATHY!

May 19, 2010

Costa Mesa, California – CITY OPENS NEGOTIATIONS FOR FAIRGOUNDS OPERATOR

The City of Costa Mesa announced late today that it had selected the firm of Facilities

Management West to enter into an exclusive negotiating agreement for operation of the

Orange County Fair and Event Center. News of the agreement was released by City Manager

Allan L. Roeder following marathon negotiating sessions between the City and the two top

rated proposers for operation of the site. The City is scheduled to meet Thursday with

Governor Schwarzenegger’s Office to review the status of the City’s efforts to select an

operator and arrange financing to acquire the 150 site from the State of California.

The City Manager noted that Facilities Management West has agreed to public ownership of

the property, fulfilling one of the key principles guiding the City’s effort to preserve the

fairgrounds. The exclusive negotiating agreement is one of many steps remaining in the

negotiations and subject to a final decision by the State to sell the property to the City.

***30***

Great Event for Kids!

It was great to see so many families and kids get a glimpse of history today. I enjoyed visiting the tents and listening to participants share their stories.

Civil War Re-enactment at Fairview Park

It was a great day in Costa Mesa! Took a break from thinking about the Budget and the Fairgrounds to watch the Civil War Re-enactment. Pictured here with Parks Commissioner Terry Shaw, nearby Swan Drive residents Susan and David Kinkade, Eloise Ott and friend Beth.

I was pleasantly surprised....

Gary, Katrina and Allan R. did a great job last week when they went to Sacramento to present the
Governor's aides with the City's proposal to purchase the Fairgrounds.  Actually, I was prepared for the worst since rumors circulated last week that other interests were competing with us.  But our team brought back good news that we have thirty days to finish the entire plan. 

The City will not take on ANY debt. Meetings with interested parties who will commit to generate the revenue to purchase the Fair, are expected to take place this week. 

I am not dismayed by Councilman Bever's decision to not go forward. That is his choice.   If it looks like it won't be in the City's best interest to structure a deal, then I believe the Council will have the good sense to not move forward.  The door is still open and we will go through it.  If the door closes--the Governor's people may not like the City's proposal---- we know we have done our very best to try to preserve our beloved OC Fairgrounds and we can go on with our lives knowing we tried.

What can I say about the Fair?

Not much. For those who have never been elected to public office, it is difficult to understand that the BROWN ACT is written on my forehead with invisible ink.  When I was on the school board, I was careful not to break it and now, more than ever, on the City Council, I am conscious of every word I speak about the City's work to purchase the Fairgrounds.

I am forced to speak in generalities and hesitate to say anything lest I be in violation of the sacred Ralph M Brown Act--the holy writ of public officials who must keep confidential all things done in closed session and not talk to more than one other council person about an upcoming vote.

 Thus, at this point, I can only say that our city manager Allan Roeder, Becky Bailey-Findley, a top numbers cruncher from Los Angeles, our city attorney and Gary and Katrina continue to work overtime to meet the April 21 deadline imposed on us by the Governor on which we have to present a substantial agreement.  I can't talk about the agreement of course, or what is in it, or anything else.

I can only say we continue to move forward, and for those who have labored with us for months, I hope this is encouraging news. The county supervisors,  and my dear friend Supervisor John M. W. Moorlach,  have opted for a different approach because they don't want to pay the Governor the $96,000,000 he wants to be paid. Stay tuned. At least I said something, but I admit, it isn't much.  You can thank Ralph Brown. Keep praying.

The Empty Tomb. He is Risen. He is Risen Indeed!

Not Fair!

It doesn't seem fair that after all the work we went through to persuade the Governor to stop the sale of the OC Fair that now we have to engage in negotiations with the State. But, as I have said to my kids hundreds of times--"Life's not fair".  Now comes the really hard part:  putting a deal together.

We have the best negotiating team of Allan Roeder and Becky Bailey-Findley to deal with DGS and other state officials.  We will persevere, be patient and prudent, and pray (if you are so inclined).  We accept Supervisor John Moorlach's wise words of caution as well.  The end result--the deal--has to be a win win for now and the future. The price has to be right. Yes, we are emotionally involved, but we can't let our emotions rule.