Budget takes effect, but issues remain

Deirdre Newman

The Costa Mesa budget went into effect Tuesday, but some issues

remain that the City Council needs to iron out.

The council approved a $112-million budget on June 16 and, with

the exception of funding for the Orange County Human Relations

Committee, nothing was cut.

But the process wasn’t without controversy.

Some of the items council members disagreed on were: funding

recreational opportunities for children or using the money for code

enforcement and bike patrol; the Drug Abuse Resistance Education

program, which uses law enforcement personnel to work with children

to prevent drug use; and the Job Center.

CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS VS. CODE ENFORCEMENT

During the discussion in June, Councilman Allan Mansoor tried to

withdraw budget funding from two recreational opportunities for

children -- Mobile Recreation, a program that visits various

neighborhoods that don’t have a lot of access to open space, and a

day camp for children. Both efforts failed.

Mansoor said he is not against programs for children, but that

these particular ones should and could pay for themselves.

He wanted the $135,000 to be used for overtime code enforcement

and bike patrol to enhance the quality of life on the Westside.

“I think the quality of life should be just as high on the

Westside as it is in other parts of the city,” Mansoor said

Wednesday. “We have some crime that can be addressed by bike patrol,

and the vending trucks and push cart vendors can be addressed by code

enforcement. So I simply want to focus on the areas that need

attention the most.”

Some residents agreed with him.

“I would recommend increased patrol of 19th and 18th [streets],” said Wendy Leece in June. Leece is a Costa Mesa Parks and Recreation

Commissioner who has lived on the Westside for 30 years. “Whatever

adjustments are needed to make an increase in surveillance.”

In a letter to the editor, Mansoor took issue with Councilwoman

Libby Cowan’s proposal to reduce the city’s reserves by $1.25

million. Mansoor said he agrees improving infrastructure is

important, but suggested the city live within its means.

While she didn’t make a formal motion on the idea, Cowan did opine

that using that amount to repair the lake at TeWinkle Park was

appropriate. The lake has a filtering problem, leaks in the bottom of

the liner and issues with water fowl, Cowan said.

“I believe the lake at TeWinkle Park is a health and safety issue

and is a disaster waiting to happen and we must go in and repair it,”

Cowan said Wednesday.

The city has already budgeted $650,000 this year for fixing the

problems, but Cowan said she doesn’t feel that’s enough. The city has

a reserve of $14.25 million, Cowan said.

At the meeting in June, Cowan made a motion for the item to be

brought back to the council with staff ideas on how to fund it. In

talking with city officials, Cowan said she was told that with

interest rates so low, borrowing the money is the best option.

“I don’t see that as a misuse of money,” Cowan said. “I think it’s

a prudent use because it gives us the ability to do something

properly and correctly.”

DARE

Another contentious issue was DARE. Feelings toward this program,

administered by the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, ran the

gamut.

On one end, Mayor Gary Monahan and Councilman Mike Scheafer

defended the program. Mansoor wanted to review the funding and make

sure the money is being spent efficiently.

Councilwoman Libby Cowan suggested redirecting law enforcement

personnel and other funding from the program to the Westside patrol

effort, asking new Police Chief John Hensley to work out the details.

Steel supported this concept, but when Monahan made a substitute

motion that did not include redirecting funding, Steel dissented. He

recommended that the school district provide the funding.

“I think there’s maybe a better and cheaper way to get the same

information out to the schools without being restricted by DARE

requirements, because I want to free up some of that money,” Steel

said Thursday. “I’m not against education on drug abuse.”

JOB CENTER

The Job Center proved to be a lightning rod of controversy once

again.

Although before the June meeting, Mansoor had requested the issue

be put on an agenda, Steel made a motion to shut it down. The motion

did not receive any support. He also recommended putting a referendum

on the Job Center on the March 2004 ballot as purely an advisory

measure.

He said no one should be surprised by his strong opposition to the

center.

“I don’t know why [the city] would want to finance and endure

unintended consequences [of the center],” Steel said. “Let the

business community run and fund a Job Center.”

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers Costa Mesa and may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at deirdre.newman@latimes.com.