What’s the most important issue facing the...

What’s the most important issue facing the city?

The city of Costa Mesa is facing serious problems: the threat of

invasion by the Corona del Mar Freeway, the Santa Ana River Bridge

Crossings, the need to solve the problem of the Costa Mesa Freeway

crush in the Downtown, the air pollution by more than a half million

vehicles on our roads and freeways every day. One matter stands out.

The Westside of Costa Mesa is an area of increasing urban decay and

blight.

Slum conditions are the root cause of this blight.

In the early 1990s the city embarked on a robust program of code

enforcement in the Westside. Blight was visibly receding. Then the

enforcement petered out. This process should be revived and

vigorously applied to the Westside and to other slums within the

city.

What do you think of the city’s joint-use agreement with the

schools for use of playing fields?

This agreement, as written, is fair to all sides -- the athletic

programs at the school, nonprofit sports organizations as well as

other citizen users. Schedule priorities are set and fees [are]

established. Difficulties arise from the application of the

agreement.

Problems arise when persons do not read and understand what is in

the agreement and, on their own, imagine what the rules are. All

users should be required to certify that he or she has read,

understood and promises to abide by the provisions. This is not much

to ask of grown-ups who are supposedly setting a good example for our

youth.

Other problems arise in the lack of maintenance of the playing

fields; both the city and the schools have been lax in meeting their

obligations under the agreement and seem to seek to evade the

responsibilities agreed to.

What would be the most effective way to improve the Westside?

To improve the Westside, slum conditions and blight must be

addressed by vigorous enforcement of city codes and prosecutions of

slum land lords where appropriate.

With the reversal of slum conditions and the resultant social

problems, the free market can be expected to exert pressures for

individuals to improve their own property. Business persons can feel

safe and consider investment in existing and new enterprises. Walking

the streets can become safe and pleasant again.

Other proposals by the Westside Redevelopment Oversight Committee

deserve serious consideration -- but the root cause of blight must be

removed first.

Are city leaders doing a good job handling the budget and

pressures on it from the state?

There are two parts to this response: the performance of city

staff and that of the City Council.

There is no big mystery to the budget of this, or any other city

in California.

All the evidence indicates that the city finance department and

the city manager are qualified for their tasks and perform at a high

level. The actions of the policy makers, the council, are less

praiseworthy and, to many, indefensible.

The loss of future income from the real estate tax increment at

the 1901 Newport development puts an extra burden on taxpayers in

other areas of the city to provide the mandated services such as

Police, Fire, Parks, street maintenance, etc.

The “donation” of $600,000 in parking fees to the new concert hall

is indefensible. The percentage of Costa Mesans who attend symphonies

is too small and the Performing Arts Center has for years refused to

admit that is located in our city.

Add to those matters the foolishness of wasting anyone’s money on

the Santa Ana Bridges, the refusal to work with Caltrans for

meaningful solutions to the downtown traffic crush and similar

issues, and the conclusion must be that the council is in need of

more than one new face.