Westside residents will debate CHOC Health Center proposal

The Daily Pilot falls far short of its usual accurate and

objective reporting in the article about Newport-Mesa Unified School

District’s out of sequence meeting Tuesday (“Trustees Waver on Rea

Health Center,” Thursday).

First of all, there was no wavering on the part of the board. The

three trustees who voted to approve the contract with Children’s

Hospital of Orange County voiced unwavering support from the

beginning. The lone trustee who voted “no” also made clear his

concerns related to the contract, as presented, from his first

statement on the matter.

Secondly, the vote was not 4 to 1 but 3 to 1 with one abstention.

There were only five trustees present, and Martha Fluor abstained

because she is a CHOC Foundation board member. With only three of six

possible votes, the board did not “decide to bring the issue back

when the full board convenes in August”; it really had no choice.

Four votes would be required to pass.

It was a very contentious meeting with vigorous objections from

citizens on the Westside, the stakeholders who stand to be impacted

most by a health center that came in under the radar, with no notice

to residents of related increase of traffic and with no input from

the resident community.

The Westside residents have carried the burden of nonprofits for

the rest of the Costa Mesa and Newport Beach communities long enough.

There are already many charities and clinics on the Westside.

Many citizens are of the opinion that the concentration of the

various nonprofits is a detriment to the quality of life on the

Westside.

Concerns were expressed that others from outside the school

district would be attracted to the clinic. And although the district

superintendent and board members assured that outsiders would be

referred to the clinic nearest their residence, CHOC Vice President

of Business Services Teresa Conk said patients would be served

regardless of their ability to pay and would not have to reside near

the clinics.

And incidentally, the health center will encompass 4,800 square

feet, with eight exam rooms and numerous other rooms for community

education, case management, “related services,” etc., and will serve

“all children 0 to 17 and chronically ill children 0 to 21,” not “6-

to 17-year-olds” as reported by the Pilot.

The monetary compensation to the district? Twelve dollars per

year, that’s right $12 per year.

Not that long ago, the school district asked citizens to pass a

bond for badly needed repairs and maintenance of aging and unsafe

school sites, which we generously did.

One has to wonder why, in view of that, and the possibility of

unavoidable budget cuts looming on the horizon, the district did not

see fit to at least ask for fair market value for the lease of

district property. Now that the proposal is out there, it is likely

to be even more hotly contested when it next comes before the board.

* ILA JOHNSON is a Costa Mesa resident.