INSIDE CITY HALL Here are a few...

INSIDE CITY HALL

Here are a few of the items the council considered Monday.

TARGET GREATLANDS LIQUOR LICENSE

Target Corp. petitioned the city to be allowed to sell beer and

wine at its Target Greatlands store at 3030 Harbor Blvd. at the Costa

Mesa Square shopping center. The alcoholic beverages would be sold

for off-site consumption.

The council would need to transfer a license granted to Target by

the state’s Alcohol Beverage Control, so the retailer could sell beer

and wine.

If the council grants Target the license transfer, it would result

in an “undue concentration” of alcohol licensees in the immediate

area.

Henry’s Marketplace, in the same center, also holds a license to

sell beer and wine. Four other businesses in the immediate area off

Harbor and Fairview also hold similar licenses.

Target officials say beer and wine sales would only account for

between 3% and 5% of total store sales.

WHAT HAPPENED

The council approved the transfer for the license, with Councilman

Chris Steel dissenting.

WHAT IT MEANS

Target will be able to sell beer and wine.

SHOPPING CART RETRIEVAL SERVICES

This item was pulled off the consent calendar for discussion. The

contract would authorize the city to execute a contract in the amount

of $40,000 for shopping cart retrieval services from a special

projects account within the general fund.

The council approved a new law to regulate abandoned shopping

carts in July. Implementing the new cart retrieval program requires

the collection of abandoned carts not retrieved by their owners.

Based on the bid received, contract services appear to be less

expensive.

WHAT HAPPENED

The council approved the contract, with Councilmen Allan Mansoor

and Chris Steel dissenting.

WHAT IT MEANS

The city will spend $40,000 for the contract, although the money

was not appropriated in the 2003-04 fiscal year budget.

WHAT WAS SAID

“I can’t support this because I think business owners should be

responsible and people who take [the carts] should be held

accountable,” Mansoor said.

RESIDENTIAL EXPANSION AROUND FAIRVIEW PARK

The council was scheduled to discuss allowing property owners

adjacent to Fairview Park to extend their property lines.

The city could sell, lease or authorize the use of the portion of

Fairview Park north of the Fairview storm channel, west of Placentia

Avenue and south of Swan Drive.

WHAT HAPPENED

The council continued the item.

WHAT IT MEANS

The council will consider the residential expansion at a later

date.

HOME RANCH DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT

The development agreement was adopted by the council in December

2001. The purpose of this annual review is to determine if the

applicant and the city have made good faith efforts to comply with

the provisions and conditions of the development agreement.

Typically, this review focuses on the community benefits provided by

the owner.

Two changes have also been proposed. One deals with use of funds

paid for circulation improvements and the other addresses use of

funds originally designated for relocation and renovation of the

Huscroft House.

WHAT HAPPENED

The council continued the item.

WHAT IT MEANS

The council will consider the item at a later date.

-- Compiled by

Deirdre Newman