Council extends center’s closure

Elia Powers and Alicia Robinson

Once slated to be closed at the end of June, the Job Center now has

life through the end of the year.

In a decision that surprised many attending the Costa Mesa City

Council special meeting Tuesday, council members voted, 3-2, to again

extend operations of the center.

“I felt this was a reasonable compromise.... “ said Councilman

Eric Bever, who brought the motion to the council after a Westside

resident requested a rehearing. “It allows more time for the

community to rally around the cause, and it still sets a date for

action.”

The Westside resident, Mike Berry, on April 12 filed a request

that the council rehear the April 5 decision. He was concerned that

it didn’t provide a clear closing date for the center. He also said

that the discussion at the meeting violated city ordinances.

But Berry withdrew his request for rehearing at Tuesday’s meeting.

“I’m perfectly fine with the results of the vote,” Berry said. “We

now have a specific date set, and there’s still an opportunity to

help people.”

Concern from day workers and other Job Center supporters led the

council on April 5 to move the closing date back three months, to the

end of September. In the meantime, a task force of city staff members

and business and community leaders planned to look for other

locations, operators and funding sources for the center.

The Job Center, a place for day workers to connect with employers,

has been a bone of contention in the city since it opened in 1988.

Previous attempts to close it have failed, but with a long-awaited

overhaul of the Westside now in the works, the council opted in March

to close the center when the fiscal year ends June 30.

Council members Katrina Foley and Gary Monahan cast the dissenting

votes.

“I felt like the original motion [of April 5] had more flexibility

in it, instead of a drop-dead date,” said Foley, who requested the

initial rehearing of the March 15 vote to close the Job Center.

“Flexibility is needed in case there is a plan that’s in the works”

to find new ways to continue operating the center.

Although Foley voted against the motion, she said she was glad

that more time has been granted.

Monahan said repeatedly during the meeting that he was “adamant to

sticking to the Sept. 30 closing date.”

* ELIA POWERS is the enterprise and general assignment reporter.

He may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or by e-mail at

elia.powerslatimes.com.