The new year’s first big week of public meetings kicks off Monday with the swearing-in of new county Supervisor Todd Spitzer and re-elected Supervisor Janet Nguyen and continues Tuesday with the Irvine City Council’s new Republican majority taking on the Great Park.
The supervisor swearing-in ceremony on the front lawn of the Old Orange County Courthouse is expected to bring a new — and potentially fleeting — sense of unity and cohesion to the top levels of the county Hall of Administration.
Spitzer enters office as the board tackles replacing a host of top-level executives inside the county bureaucracy, including a replacement for ousted county CEO Tom Mauk, who left last year in the wake of the sex crimes scandal involving Public Works executive Carlos Bustamante.
And Tuesday is projected to be a day of reckoning for the Great Park, with the new Irvine City Council majority expected to order an audit of the park’s contracts, cancel the park’s public relations and lobbying contracts and trim the park’s board of directors.
The changes come with a new City Council majority that is skeptical of how the park’s $200 million in expenses have been overseen.
Here’s a sample of what’s on public agendas this week:
Orange County Board of Supervisors, Monday, Jan. 7, at 10 a.m.
- Administration of the oath of office to supervisors Janet Nguyen and Todd Spitzer on the front lawn of the Old Orange County Courthouse.
Orange County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday, Jan. 8, at 8:30 a.m.
- Approve 2013 investment policy statement and amended Treasury Oversight Committee bylaws and rules of procedures.
- Select of new board chairman and vice chairman.
Closed session
- Discussion of California Department of Finance v. Jan Grimes lawsuit.
- Discussion of appointing a new county CEO to be held at the headquarters complex of First American Financial Corp., 1 First American Way, Building. 5, Santa Ana.
Santa Ana City Council, Monday, Jan. 7, at 5 p.m.
- An exclusive negotiating agreement with the Station District developer for property at the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center and amendment with economic consulting services contract with Keyser Marston Associates.
- Approval of loan documents so the nonprofit Cambodian Family can refinance its building.
- Appointing Councilman Sal Tinajero to the Orange County Fire Authority board of directors, with Councilwoman Angelica Amezcua as the alternate.
- Condemning property to make way for the Grand Avenue widening project.
Irvine City Council, Tuesday, Jan. 8, at 5 p.m.
- Cutting the Orange County Great Park board of directors’ membership to include only the five-member City Council and setting a special board meeting to elect a new chair and vice chair of the board.
- Terminating the Forde & Mollrich public relations contract and the Townsend Public Affairs lobbying contracts.
- Ordering a compliance and forensic audit of the the park’s contracts and allocating up to $250,000 for the services.
- Appointing City Council delegates to the Orange County Fire Authority, county Vector Control District, Southern California Association of Governments and Irvine Ranch Water District.
- Dissolve the Irvine Green Ribbon Environmental Committee and discontinue further appointments to the Discovery Science Center board of directors.
Laguna Hills City Council, Tuesday, Jan. 8, at 7 p.m.
- Submit an application or a $60,000 Community Development Block Grant for improvements to the Florence Sylvester Senior Center.
Laguna Niguel City Council, Monday, Jan. 7, at 2 p.m.
- Confirm council member Jerry Slusiewicz’s appointment to the county Vector Control District.
- Approve a request for a waiver to allow alcohol at the retirement reception at Laguna Niguel City Hall for City Manager Tim Casey.
Mission Viejo City Council, Monday, Jan. 7, at 6 p.m.
Closed session
- Confer on two unspecified, anticipated litigation cases.
Rancho Santa Margarita City Council, Wednesday, Jan. 9, at 7 p.m.
- Receive investment report for November 2012.
San Clemente City Council, Tuesday, Jan. 8, at 6 p.m.
- Approve a two-year lease agreement for the North Beach Passenger Service Bike-Train Facility.
- Approve and begin construction for improvements to the Ole Hanson Beach Club with a $2.5-million budget.
You can reach Nick Gerda at ngerda@gmail.com, and follow him on Twitter: @nicholasgerda.