CM PRESS # 618

COMMERCIAL VENDING VEHICLES CONTINUE TO DISTURB MESA NORTH

Costa Mesa Municipal Code Title 10, Chapter XXI regulates such vehicles. LINK

Among the most obvious violations are the illegal use of sound making devices to attract attention Sec. 10-373, and illegally operating in the city beyond the permitted hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sec. 10-370.

However, most of these vehicles are in violation of at least a half dozen of our ordinances every time we've seen them...which is just about every day.
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LAST NIGHT'S PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING

As promised, the CM PRESS spoke at Public Comments and also as promised we asked the Commissioners--who are appointed by the City Council--to tell the Council that some (including us) believe the Council needs to make a course correction and not in-source the PR guys and by not reorganizing City Hall in such a way that it costs us more than before a reorganization.

We also told the Commission that in our opinion the Council has wasted opportunities by appointing some do-nothings to both the Planning Commission and the Parks and Recreation Commission.

On this last point, some readers may not be aware that Costa Mesa has only two commissions. 

Each commission has five members. These members are appointed by the City Council. The most powerful commission and the one that is the primary farm team for future City Council candidates is the Planning Commission. 

The Parks and Recreation Commission handles more mundane matters such as tree removal requests and thus has less of an impact on Costa Mesa than the Planning Commission.  But, it's still important and is a stepping stone for higher office. Wendy Leece, for example, was on the Parks and Recreation Commission before the City Council.

Those ten commission seats give the City Council a chance to bring solid activists into government with the Council, and it behooves the Council to make sure they appoint the right people--people who share their vision of Costa Mesa and who will act, not just on the dais, but every day, to bring that vision to fruition. 

Unfortunately, there are some people on both commissions who do nothing but jump in front of cameras and who just show up at meetings to rubber stamp whatever is put in front of them.

In other words, these  do-nothings don't take the initiative and don't use the high profile positions that they are paid (yes, they are paid) to hold to improve Costa Mesa. They are dead wood.  They are lumps on a log.  They are wasting good seats.
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RESULTS OF MONDAY'S DUI CHECKPOINT AND COURT STING

The Costa Mesa Police Department conducted a DUI/Drivers License Checkpoint on Monday, September 12, 2011,  on Bristol Street at Randolph Avenue.
Checkpoint Results

786 Vehicles went through the checkpoint

621 Drivers were screened

2 Drivers arrested for DUI

2 Drivers arrested for outstanding warrants

27 Driver’s license investigations

21 Citations issued

14 Vehicles towed

Earlier in the day officers also conducted an undercover court sting operation at Harbor Justice Center targeting DUI, suspended, and unlicensed drivers. One person drove up to a uniformed officer and asked to have a correction ticket signed off. The officer noticed the ticket was for a broken windshield, which was fixed and not having a driver’s license, which was not. The unlicensed driver received an additional ticket. Another person drove to the court from Arizona to contest a DUI arrest here, only to be stopped by the same officer that arrested her before. She also received another appearance date.
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