Top issues on this week’s public meeting agendas include Costa Mesa canceling layoff notices for its firefighters and cities approving bans on the sale of dogs and cats at retail stores.
After facing for more than a year the prospect of losing their jobs, members of Costa Mesa’s roughly 90-member fire department may have their layoff notices rescinded on Tuesday.
The City Council is set to take up the measure after exhausting its options to outsource the services to another agency. It rejected a proposal from the Orange County Fire Authority and didn’t receive any offers on a follow-up call for bids.
The fire department is also now showing interest in reorganizing itself to improve service while cutting costs, according to the city.
Tuesday’s decision would mark a milestone in the city’s overall outsourcing battle.
Elsewhere in the county, the cities of Huntington Beach, San Clemente and Laguna Beach are set to approve bans this week on the sale of dogs and cats at retail stores. The move comes amid increased attention on the treatment of pets at so-called “puppy mills,” where animals are said to often be kept in cramped and unsanitary cages.
Irvine banned such sales last October.
Here’s a sample of items on this week’s agendas:
Costa Mesa City Council, Tuesday, April 17, at 6:00 p.m.
- Canceling layoff notices for the city’s fire department after rejecting an outsourcing proposal from the OC Fire Authority, receiving no other offers and learning of an interest by the city’s fire department to reorganize itself.
- Approving a call for proposals for an internal city performance auditor to evaluate the efficiency of city functions at a cost of $100,000 per year.
- Approve contract with the Liebert Cassidy Whitmore law firm at up to $300 per hour per attorney for “employment relations matters,” including labor negotiations and lawsuits.
- Decision on Target store request to remain open an extra hour until 11 p.m. every day but Sunday. Neighbors have complained about Target’s efforts to change its agreement and point to the retailer’s 1½-year violation of the current store hours agreement.
Closed Session
- Existing lawsuits: Costa Mesa Employees Association v. City of Costa Mesa; Julie Folcik vs. Orange County Registrar of Voters.
- Anticipated litigation: one unspecified case.
- Labor negotiations with Costa Mesa City Employee Association, Costa Mesa Firefighters Association, Costa Mesa Police Officers Association and Costa Mesa Police Management Association, Costa Mesa Fire Fighters Management Association and Costa Mesa Division Managers Association.
Anaheim City Council, Tuesday, April 17, at 5:00 p.m.
- Changing city policy so that a majority of City Council members can block a fellow Council member’s proposal to place a topic on the next meeting’s agenda. The mayor could still place items on the agenda if requested to the city manager outside a council meeting.
- Considering a request by Councilwoman Kris Murray to strip Councilwoman Lori Galloway of her position as mayor pro tem four months into her one-year term.
- Approving $15.9-million contract with Environmental Construction to construct a plaza at the Anaheim Convention Center.
- Approving a $503,000 agreement with Psomas to design improvements to the intersection of Anaheim Boulevard and Ball Road.
Closed Session
- Appointment of city manager.
- Existing lawsuits: Brian Collett v. The City of Anaheim, et al.; City of Anaheim v. Eric Vernon Kaul, et al.
OC Board of Supervisors, Tuesday, April 17, at 9:30 a.m.
- Selecting the Dana Point Marina Co. as the new manager of the county-owned Dana Point Harbor at a proposed average cost of $1.4 million per year for five years.
- Discussion of hiring a recruiting firm for $25,000 to search for a new auditor-controller after Shaun Skelly’s withdrawal as the chosen candidate.
- Approve $7.4-million contract with Sukut Construction for “groundwater protection composite liner project” at Prima Deshecha Landfill.
Closed Session
- Existing lawsuits: California Department of Finance and Dr. Jack Scott, Chancellor of the California Community Colleges v. Jan Grimes, in her official capacity as Interim Orange County Auditor-Controller; Anthony Carrillo v. County of Orange.
- Performance evaluation of county executive officer.
- Property negotiations over Tri-City Park in Placentia with the Tri-City Park Authority and the cities of Placentia, Fullerton and Brea.
- Labor negotiations with Association of County Law Enforcement Management, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Alliance of Orange County Workers, International Union of Operating Engineers, Orange County Attorneys Association, Orange County Employees Association and Orange County Managers Association.
Santa Ana City Council, Monday, April 16, at 6:00 p.m.
- Accepting $157,378 in interest-free financing from Southern California Edison to install energy efficient LED lighting on Main Street and Edinger Avenue.
Closed Session
- Existing litigation: Robert Braun v. City of Santa Ana; Peebler et al v. City of Santa Ana; Brett Lozano v. City of Santa Ana; Saddleback Inn LLC v. City of Santa Ana.
- Discussing appointment of city manager
Huntington Beach City Council, Monday, April 16, at 6:00 p.m.
- Enacting a ban on the sale of dogs and cats at retail stores.
Closed Session
- Existing lawsuits: Walker v. City of Huntington Beach; City of Huntington Beach v. Joshua Hayes, et al.
- Labor negotiations with Management Employees’ Association.
San Clemente City Council, Tuesday, April 17, at 6:00 p.m.
- Approving a ban on the sale of dogs and cats at retail stores.
Closed Session
- Property negotiations with Dave Donaldson over sale of the Irons in the Fire Restaurant.
- Anticipated litigation: two unspecified cases.
Laguna Beach City Council, Tuesday, April 17, at 6:00 p.m.
- Approving a ban on the sale of dogs and cats at retail stores.
- Approving a ban on the sale of helium balloons to reduce beach litter.