COSTA MESA

The City Council recently unanimously approved an amended ordinance related to appeal procedures. Mayor Gary Monahan had proposed that the council revise its appeal procedure in an effort to streamline the process, which is sometimes time-consuming and costly for developers.

The new ordinance gives council members who want to review decisions by staff or lesser governing bodies an option to call a matter up before the council rather than the Planning Commission. For example, if a council member is calling up a zoning administrator’s decision for review, rather than have it go to the Planning Commission and then to the council, the council member has the option of having the item go directly to the council.