ON THE AGENDA Here are some of...

ON THE AGENDA

Here are some of the issues the council will consider today:

APPOINTMENT OF CITY COUNCIL MEMBER

The council will continue the selection process it started on

April 21, when it narrowed the field of hopefuls to replace former

Mayor Karen Robinson from 26 to two. While Eric Bever and Mike

Scheafer are the remaining candidates, the council is not obligated

to choose between them. If it can’t break a deadlock, the council can

reconsider previous applicants, said City Manager Allan Roeder.

Whoever is appointed will be immediately sworn in and then the full

council will chose a mayor -- if they succeed in choosing a

colleague.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Anything might go. “I haven’t the foggiest idea [what will

happen],” said Councilman Gary Monahan. “Honestly, I don’t know

what’s going to happen.”

REHEARING OF 1901 NEWPORT CONDOS

Councilman Allan Mansoor and the Costa Mesa Citizens for

Responsible Growth both appealed the City Council’s approval of a

161-unit development at 1901 Newport Blvd., mainly based on concerns

about the project’s density.

WHAT TO EXPECT

The majority of the council does not seem prone to change its

mind.

“I think it’s a great project,” Monahan said. “I’m 100%

comfortable with the [environmental report]. I’m looking forward to

the condos being built.”

WESTSIDE BLUFFS REZONING UPDATE

The goal of the project is to transition the mainly industrial

land-use pattern south of West 18th Street and west of Monrovia

Avenue to a residential neighborhood. The council has made it a

community objective to analyze the rezoning.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Staff has two concerns with the project -- since only one firm

responded to a bid for the work, there’s no opportunity to compare

the proposal with others based on things like cost. Also, the bid

price exceeded staff’s original cost estimates of $100,000 to

$150,000 by about $10,000 to $15,000, depending on including one

optional task.

“That’s pretty interesting because there was only one response,”

Monahan said. “I think there’s going to be some questions. I think we

need to move on the study... I think it’s something of high interest

in the community and needs to be studied.”

-- Deirdre Newman