Topping this week’s public meeting agendas in Orange County is a possible confrontation with longtime Santa Ana Mayor Santa Ana over placing a cap on his allowable time in office.
The mayor in Santa Ana now may serve an unlimited number of two-year terms. Pulido is nearing the end of his ninth term as mayor, and he announced at the annual state of the city speech last month that he plans to run for reelection.
A push to effectively oust Pulido would signal another shift in the seven-member council’s behind-the-scenes maneuvering. While the overriding assumption has been that Pulido pulls all the important levers at City Hall, the political dynamic in recent years has been defined by gamesmanship and shifting alliances.
Also on that agenda is funding for Downtown Inc., which has been the center of a prolonged battle over a special property tax that funds the downtown booster organization. Council members are set to consider authorizing the Orange County auditor-aontroller to levy the tax for the next fiscal year.
A group of property owners have been fighting the tax for more than a year, arguing that it was imposed undemocratically and that they receive no benefit from it. The property owners were armed with new ammunition after a recently released Orange County grand jury report concurred with their sentiments and declared that the tax district was formed illegally.
But whether the council may even consider the levy could depend on whether Councilman Carlos Bustamante, facing 12 felony charges for alleged sexual assault crimes, will attend the council meeting. Council members did not have a quorum and were thus unable to consider the issue at the last council meeting.
Here’s a list of highlights from other public meetings this week:
Orange County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday, July 17, at 9:30 a.m.
- Second reading of an ordinance banning certain individuals from owning vicious dogs.
- Follow-up review from the performance audit director on the progress of planning since a critical 2009 audit.
- Instituting service fees for payment of taxes with credit cards and debit cards.
- Raising ambulance rates.
Orange County Transportation Authority Executive Committee, Monday, July 16, at 9 a.m.
- Reviewing the results of focus group surveys on plans to widen I-405.
Santa Ana City Council, Monday, July 16, at 5:45 p.m.
- Discussion of possible ballot measure regarding term limits for the mayor and City Council members.
- Authorizing the Orange County auditor-controller to levy by Aug. 10 the special tax that funds Downtown Inc.
- Refer to the ethics committee discussion of a possible ballot measure to form an ethics oversight committee and other charter and ethics matters.
- Temporary deferral of development impact fees.
- Agreement with Corbiz LLC to preserve a historic property at 217 N. Broadway.
Closed Session
- A lawsuit filed by Max Madrid against the city clerk to allow Councilwoman Claudia Alvarez to run for a fourth term.
Costa Mesa City Council, Tuesday, July 17, at 6 p.m.
- A possible ballot measure for a business license tax increase for the November election.
- Requiring the consent of two council members to review, rehear or appeal decisions by city staff, committees and the City Council. Such reviews now can be ordered by one council member.
- Deciding which city services need auditing.
- Bicycle parking regulations.
- Increasing pay for reserve police officers by $5.91 per hour.
- An agreement to mitigate traffic impacts resulting from the Newport Banning Ranch mixed-use project.
Closed Session
- A request for a special leave of absence for one unspecified employee.
Huntington Beach City Council, Monday, July 16, at 6 p.m.
- A 4 p.m. study session to review the manager’s proposed 2012-13 fiscal year budget.
- A city charter amendment allowing the use of fireworks within the city.
- A $25,000 reward for information leading to the felony conviction of two suspects who allegedly attempted to murder two police officers.
- Recommending that the Orange County Transportation Authority widen I-405 without adding toll lanes.
- A November ballot measure to increase hotel room-tax rates from 10 percent to 12.5 percent.
- Relocating historic buildings scheduled to be destroyed on Nichols Lane at Warner Avenue.
- Reconsidering a construction project to save trees that would be uprooted.
- Placing a cap on the retirement property tax rate for fiscal year 2012-13 to pay for pre-1978 employee retirement benefits.
Westminster special City Council closed session in the council conference room, Monday, July 16, at 4 p.m.
- Evaluating and possibly firing the city manager.
Westminster special City Council closed session in the council conference room, Thursday, July 19 at 4 p.m.
- Considering dismissal of an unspecified city employee.
Fullerton City Council, Tuesday, July 17, at 6:30 p.m.
- The 2012-13 fiscal year budget.
- A November ballot measure to repeal the fireworks ban.
- Acquiring a business condominium to go forward with a road grade separation project.
- The 2012-13 fiscal year agreement with the Orange County Office on Aging.
Tustin City Council, Tuesday, July 17, at 7 p.m.
- Designating an author for the ballot argument for a measure that would eliminate council members’ salaries and benefits.
- Amending a development agreement for the Tustin Legacy Project to allow for a land swap between the developer and the U.S. Army.
- Placing the Tustin Legacy Fire Station Project out to bid.
- A consultant agreement with Clean City Inc. to provide property management services.