A good deal of change in Costa Mesa

Sometimes, a little change can make a big difference. And that

certainly seems to be the case with Costa Mesa’s revamped rules on

how the city regulates special events that are happening in town.

The most obvious case in point was Saturday, which marked the

third year that the city hosted the Orange County Dyke March -- a

lesbian-pride parade. But unlike last year, which was marked by

dissent and lawsuits filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, the

lead-in to this year’s parade was quiet and easy.

“There was just no drama, no problem at all,” Terry Stone,

executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center

of Orange County, said of getting the permits required to hold the

march.

Under the new and improved regulations, the finance department

processes the applications for special-event permits, and any appeals

are handled by the City Council. The new law is also content-neutral,

meaning the city can’t discriminate based on an event’s content of

speech when considering whether to grant permits. That change is a

definite improvement in a city that is defined, to a great extent, by

its diverse, eclectic population.

So far, these changes have proven to be steps in the right

direction. And while it is unfortunate it took a lawsuit to get the

city started on this path, the end result is one city leaders and

city staff can be proud of reaching. Residents should embrace it, as

well.