Home Ranch funds are for schools now

Perhaps the Costa Mesa City Council should have put the cart

before the horse.

After all, it’s been a year and a half since the Segerstroms first

offered three Costa Mesa schools $2 million as part of the Home Ranch

development agreement and the schools still have nothing to spend.

In August 2001, the Segerstroms offered the money. Just three

months later, the City Council approved the Home Ranch project, a

decision that assured the $2 million would become reality.

In July 2002, just about a week before the city received the

money, the City Council said the schools would have to wait a while

before they would see the money, but that the council would try to

transfer it as soon as possible.

Not until November did the council invite public input on how the

foundation or foundations would be set up to determine what the money

would buy.

It seems the council dragged its feet far too long and continues

to do so. The public still hasn’t benefited from the $2 million in

school district money the council negotiated on its behalf.

Public input on a foundation should have began just after the

council approved the Home Ranch project in November 2001. By early

2002, a foundation could have been created. Yet, on Monday -- a year

later -- council members continued their indecisiveness on the

matter.

It’s really quite simple: Create one foundation for the three

schools to avoid dividing the city and force the foundation -- like

the City Council -- to abide by open meeting laws, since the money

involved belongs to the public.

And the last step: move on to other things and become more

efficient. Plan ahead if need be. Decisions are taking far too long

in Costa Mesa.