TEMPORARY-LIGHTING POLICY The commission decided it would...

TEMPORARY-LIGHTING POLICY

The commission decided it would not rehear a request for

temporary, portable lights at Kaiser Elementary School that was

approved in September with conditions.

It also directed staff members to discard a temporary-lights

policy, adopted in May, that established guidelines spelling out the

process for athletic-field users to request temporary, portable

lights. The commission directed staff members to work with

commissioners, interested residents and the sports groups to develop

a better policy, commissioner Byron de Arakal said.

Commissioner Wendy Leece dissented.

WHAT IT MEANS

Staff members will come up with a new policy.

WHAT WAS SAID

“It’s not working; it’s completely broken,” de Arakal said.

MORE PARKS

The commission unanimously approved recommending that the City

Council consider assigning staff time and resources this fiscal year

to study eight of 10 surplus parcels to see if they would be feasible

as active parks.

The eight parcels recommended by the commission -- owned by other

public agencies -- include a parcel on the corner of Harbor Boulevard

and Fair Drive, which the state has started efforts to dispose of,

and a parcel on Newport Boulevard used as a National Guard Armory,

which the Navy has started talking about moving to Irvine.

The commission also recommended that the council consider

allocating funds in next year’s budget to develop preliminary park

plans.

WHAT IT MEANS

It will now be up to the council to decide if it wants to follow

up on the commission’s recommendation.

WHAT WAS SAID

“I’m grateful to the commission for taking this proactive effort

to see if we can get some final determination on these parcels,” de

Arakal said.