Forum focuses on city business

One of the election season’s biggest City Council candidates’ forums will focus on how Costa Mesa’s nine hopefuls weigh in on issues that affect the city’s business climate.

Wednesday’s forum, hosted by the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce, Churm Media and the Daily Pilot, will not just delve into taxes and fees that affect businesses directly, but also transportation and development issues that can affect retailers, travel businesses and others.

The 55 Freeway figured prominently in the last debate, hosted by the Eastside Neighbors’ Group. The freeway generates traffic and noise in the surrounding neighborhoods, which locals say makes it difficult to live there sometimes.

But the design and implementation of any project to deal with congestion would have serious consequences for businesses in Costa Mesa’s downtown district, too, said Chamber of Commerce President Ed Fawcett.

“The neighbors have their quality-of-life issues, and the businesses have their own quality-of-business-life issues,” Fawcett said.

Talk of development in the city is also expected to take center stage along with discussions of fee and tax policy, organizers said. The economic downturn is expected to take a huge toll on city revenues in the coming years, and city officials are preparing for the worst.

Proposed measures to make up for lost revenues in the past have included increases in some city fees and taxes, which could affect businesses.

The forum Wednesday will be moderated by Steve Churm, publisher of OC Metro Magazine, and the questions will be written and asked by Chamber of Commerce board Chairwoman Ann Stawicki and Daily Pilot Editor Tony Dodero.

Unlike any of the previous debates, this forum will give candidates a chance to ask questions of one another. After giving 45-second responses to a set of standardized questions that everyone will field, the candidates will have a chance to ask one other candidate a question, Dodero said.

That candidate will have one minute to respond.

The forum will take place at City Hall and will be aired live on CMTV Channel 24 at 6 p.m.

ALAN BLANK may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or at alan.blank@latimes.com.