Top issues on this week’s public meeting agendas include placing a city charter for Costa Mesa on the June primary ballot and a possible ballot measure regarding Anaheim’s controversial hotel subsidies.
Costa Mesa’s City Council majority has been pursuing a charter — essentially a city constitution — largely to give city leaders more freedom in their outsourcing efforts. On Tuesday, the council is expected to vote to place the document on the June ballot.
The current draft charter would remove limitations on outsourcing, prohibit city workers’ union dues from being spent on political activities, require a citywide vote in order to increase workers’ retirement benefits and prevent the city from requiring payment of prevailing wages on construction projects unless they’re required by law or approved by the City Council.
And in Anaheim, city leaders will discuss a potential ballot measure concerning bed-tax incentives for hotel developers, an issue that has sparked a public outcry since the council majority’s January decision to grant $158 million in subsidies to a developer.
The discussion comes at the request of Mayor Pro Tem Lorri Galloway, who, along with Mayor Tom Tait, opposed the subsidy.
The city will also get an update on Ponderosa Library, which is still not open to the general public more than a year after its official opening. The city now intends on having “some level of public service hours” starting in July.
Here’s a sampling of items on this week’s agendas:
Costa Mesa City Council, Tuesday, March 6
• Placing a proposed city charter on the June 5 primary ballot at an estimated cost of $97,500 to $127,500.
• Discussion of hiring a consulting firm to provide annual performance audits of the city’s efficiency in providing services at a cost of up to $50,000 per year.
• Amending a contract with the state pension agency to reduce retirement benefits of future general employees to 2 percent at 60, in accordance with an October 2010 agreement with the general employees union.
• Approving a nearly $260,000 contract with Merrill & Associates for upgrading the city’s 12-year-old in-house phone system.
Closed Session
• Negotiations with labor unions representing general employees, firefighters, police officers, police and fire management and division managers.
• Existing litigation: Costa Mesa Employees Association v. City of Costa Mesa.
Anaheim City Council, Tuesday, March 6
• Discussion of placing an initiative measure on the ballot regarding the use of bed-tax subsidies as an incentive for hotel development.
• Update on the Ponderosa Library, which a year after its official opening the library is still not open to the general public. The city now intends to have “some level of public service hours” starting in July.
• Develop a proposal for taking over Yorba Linda’s police services, which are currently provided by the Brea Police Department.
• Extending the taxi franchise licenses and increasing the number of allowed cabs for three taxi cab companies.
• Purchasing $64,650 in upgrades to four 7-year-old portable chemical identification systems.
OC Board of Supervisors, Tuesday, March 6
• A $400,000 three-year contract with Pacific Advanced Civil Engineering, Inc. for on-call engineering services related to watershed planning and engineering projects.
• A $17,400-per-month lease agreement for 10,864 square feet of temporary office space for the Orange Count District Attorney’s office.
• A $2.5 million three-year contract with the California Department of Public Health for childhood lead poisoning prevention efforts.
Closed Session
• Existing litigation: Orange County Flood Control District v. Altfillisch Construction Co.; George Jaramillo v. County of Orange
Santa Ana City Council, Monday, March 5
• Amending agreements with two labor unions, Confidential Association of Santa Ana and Santa Ana Management Association, to defer scheduled salary increases and increase employee contribution to retirement benefits to 8 percent of wages. The agreement is expected to save the city $618,000 during the next three fiscal years.
• Increasing unrepresented executive managers’ contribution to retirement benefits to 8 percent of wages and police and fire chiefs’ contributions to 9 percent of wages. The expected saving is $168,000 during the next three fiscal years.
• Purchasing $268,000 of an unspecified number of Taser stun guns from ProForce Law Enforcement.
• Approving a $2.4-million contract with R.J. Noble Co. for residential street repair.
• Beginning research of potential grant funding for a new park at East McFadden Avenue and Orange Avenue.
• Public hearing on proposed city ordinance establishing a preference for contracting with local businesses.
Huntington Beach Council, Monday, March 5
• Increasing management employees’ portion of contributions to retirement benefits until June, saving the city an estimated $83,500.
• Granting an oil and gas pipeline franchise to DCOR LLC.
Closed Session
• Existing litigation: Citizens’ Association of Sunset Beach v. The City of Huntington Beach.