Inside City Hall

WHAT HAPPENED: The City Council agreed Monday to ask city staff to

draft a policy revision to allow a city organization to be exempt from

charges associated with using city facilities and equipment.

WHAT IT MEANS: If the council passes the ordinance at a future

meeting, the Service Organization Council, which began meeting years ago

at the request of city officials, will be able to meet at City Hall. The

city policy allows only nonprofit groups to use city facilities, but if

the revised ordinance is approved, any organization in which at least

half of the members are Costa Mesa residents will be allowed to use city

buildings at no charge on a first come, first served basis.

VOTE: 3-1, with Councilman Chris Steel dissenting and Councilman Gary

Monahan absent

WHAT HAPPENED: The council denied Mayor Libby Cowan’s proposal to

convert the mayor’s office into workstations for all five council

members.

The workstations would have included desks with filing drawers and a

telephone for each council member, as well as a small conference table

and chairs for meetings. Each council member would have also received a

city computer that he or she could have set up at the workstation or at

home during the terms.

WHAT IT MEANS: The project, which was not included in the 2000-01

budget, was expected to cost $19,070.

VOTE: The council took votes on two different office plans, and

deadlocked both times, with two members voting for the stations and two

voting against.

WHAT THEY SAID: “I think it’s demeaning for our elected leaders to

have to conduct business on their laps in some corner of the building,”

said Costa Mesa resident Tom Egan. “I mean, really, why not have them

meet in a park under a tree? It costs something to run a business or a

city, and appearances do mean something.”

WHAT HAPPENED: The council voted to allow Bart, a police service dog,

to retire and to be bought by his partner, retired Officer Paul Ellis.

VOTE: 4-0, with Monahan absent

NEXT MEETING

WHAT: Costa Mesa City Council meeting

WHERE: City Hall, 77 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Jan. 15

CALL: (714) 754-5028