Top issues on this week’s public meeting agendas include the last set of budget adoptions for the new fiscal year beginning in July and county funding of the OC Human Relations Council.

Orange County’s cities are finishing up the regular budget season this week, with six set to adopt their final budgets in the coming days. Cities are required to approve budgets by the beginning of the fiscal year, which comes July 1 in every Orange County city but Huntington Beach and Garden Grove.

Orange, Stanton, Buena Park, Villa Park, Laguna Woods and Westminster will adopt budgets this week with opportunities for last-minute comments from the public before the final decisions are made.

Also this week, the Orange City Council will consider an end-of-year request to spend $804,000 from the city’s unreserved general fund to pay for unexpected firefighter overtime costs and other expenses tied to raises given firefighters as part of their 2011 labor agreement. Without the expense, the city’s total unreserved balance is expected to be $10.5 million at the end of the week.

Council leaders will also discuss an effort by Councilman Fred Whitaker to place the motto “In God We Trust” in a prominent location in the council chamber.

Here’s a sampling of items on this week’s agendas:

Orange City Council, Tuesday, June 26, at 4:30 p.m.

  • Adoption of $195-million city budget for fiscal year 2013.
  • End-of-year request to transfer $804,000 from city’s general fund to pay for firefighter overtime costs and other expenses tied to a March 2011 raise in the firefighters labor agreement.
  • Approval of $1.4-million contract with Jacobs Engineering Group for preparing environmental documentation for the Meats Avenue Interchange of the 55 freeway.
  • Discussion of request by Councilman Fred Whitaker to place the motto “In God We Trust” in a prominent location in the council chamber.
  • Consideration of rate increase request by trash hauler CR&R.

Closed Session

  • Labor negotiations with all employee associations.
  • Discussion and action on unspecified “other matters” not announced until the council meeting itself.

Orange County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday, June 26, at 9:30 a.m.

  • Approval of seven-year transportation “capital improvement program” to secure Measure M2 funding.
  • Renewing employment contract with Steve Connolly as executive director of the Sheriff’s Department watchdog agency, the Office of Independent Review.
  • Approving contracts or contract amendments for Sheriff’s Department policing services in 12 cities and the Orange County Transportation Authority, as well as crime lab services for Garden Grove.
  • Approval of $418,000 contract to upgrade aircraft noise monitoring software at John Wayne Airport.
  • Approval of $302,000 in funding for the OC Human Relations Council.
  • Approving fiscal year 2013 final budget.

Closed Session

  • Existing litigation: County of Orange v. Air California; Mark Shearer v. County of Orange and Shawn Fernandez; County of Orange v. Eastcom Corp.
  • Property lease/purchase negotiations over county-owned property in the Santa Ana Civic Center; 801 W. Civic Center Drive in Santa Ana; 405 W. Fifth Street in Santa Ana; and 200 Santa Ana Blvd. in Santa Ana.
  • Performance evaluation of county CEO Tom Mauk.
  • Labor negotiations with Association of County Law Enforcement Management; American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs; Alliance of Orange County Workers; International Union of Operating Engineers; Orange County Attorneys Association; Orange County Employees Association; and Orange County Managers Association.

Newport Beach City Council, Tuesday, June 26, at 7 p.m.

  • Approving purchase of $2.6 million in furniture for the new City Hall complex.
  • Approving $1.5 million in insurance coverage for excess general liability, excess workers compensation and property.
  • Public hearings on renewing the Marine Avenue, Balboa Village, Corona del Mar, and Newport Beach Restaurant Association business improvement districts.
  • Approval of labor agreement with Newport Beach Police Association.

Closed Session

  • Labor negotiations with all labor groups.

Irvine City Council, Tuesday, June 26, at 4 p.m.

Closed Session

  • Discussion of a potential lawsuit against the city by Five Point Communities, developer of the Great Park neighborhoods.

Garden Grove City Council, Tuesday, June 26, at 6:30 p.m.

  • Approval of $9.8-million Garden Grove Sanitary District budget for fiscal year 2013.
  • Approval of $32.1-million water services budget for fiscal year 2013.

Closed Session

  • Anticipated litigation: two unspecified cases.

Stanton City Council Adjourned Meeting, Tuesday, June 26, at 5 p.m.

  • Study session on proposed fiscal year 2013 budget.

Stanton City Council Regular Meeting, Tuesday, June 26, at 6:30 p.m.

  • Public hearing and adoption of $22.9-million city budget for fiscal year 2013.
  • Amending law enforcement contract with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
  • Consideration of rate increase request by trash hauler CR&R.

Buena Park City Council, Tuesday, June 26, at 5 p.m.

Villa Park City Council, Tuesday, June 26, at 7 p.m.

  • Adoption of city budget for fiscal year 2013. Meeting agenda not posted online as of Monday morning.

Laguna Woods City Council, Wednesday, June 27, at 2 p.m.

  • Adoption of city budget for fiscal year 2013.
  • Approval of contracts for law enforcement; animal control; plan checking; household hazardous waste; trash and recycling; and closed captioning services.

Westminster City Council, Wednesday, June 27, at 7 p.m.

  • Adoption of $119-million city budget for fiscal year 2013, with a $3.7-million reduction to the general fund balance.

Rancho Santa Margarita City Council, Wednesday, June 27, at 7 p.m.

Closed Session

  • Initiation of litigation: one unspecified case
— NICK GERDA

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