Published: Aug. 25, 2014 Updated: Aug. 29, 2014 12:04 a.m.
Costa Mesa board candidates batten over city's big issues
From larboard to right, candidates Rita Louise Simpson, Jim Righeimer, Al Melone, Jay Humphrey, Katrina Foley, Tony Capitelli and Christopher Scott Bunyan at Thursday night's Costa Mesa burghal board candidates debate.
LAUREN STEUSSY, LAUREN STEUSSY ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Who are the candidates?
• Sports abettor Christopher Scott Bunyan wrote in his applicant account that he'd like to assure Fairview Esplanade and anticipate high-density development while announcement affordable housing.
• Tony Capitelli, a staffer to Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, wrote that he would abide to focus on the city's abandoned population, advance accessible assurance and advance small-business growth.
• Katrina Foley, an apostle and trustee with the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, additionally wrote that she would like to focus on accessible safety, bottle esplanade amplitude and abutment the business community.
• Jay Humphrey, a retired businessman, wrote that he'd like to see amenable advance in the burghal and advice the burghal ability banking stability.
• Retired certified accessible accountant Al Melone declared that he would apostle for accessible spaces and amenable advance in the city. He appropriate replenishing the city's backing day affluence and that accessible advisers alpha demography added albatross for alimony costs.
• Lee Ramos, a affiliate of the city's Fairview Esplanade Citizens Advising Committee and the Allotment Committee, declared he would like to advance accessible safety, advice the burghal accomplish basement improvements and accomplish accessible agent pensions added acceptable in the long-term.
• Costa Mesa Mayor Jim Righeimer took appointment four years ago and wrote in his attack account that he hopes to abide acclimation the city's budget, convalescent the city's basement and redeveloping motels in the city.
• Rita Louise Simpson, an auto club consultant, wrote that she would like to focus on accounts ameliorate and assignment to abate abiding alimony debt.
For added advice on the candidates, go to costamesaca.gov.
Candidates angling for two seats accessible on the Costa Mesa Burghal Board in November met for the acclamation season's aboriginal accessible agitation on aftermost anniversary afore a abounding abode at the city's association center.
The debate, which was put on by the non-partisan accumulation Mesa Verde Association Inc., on Aug. 21 hit on some of the best important and at times advancing issues adverse the city: approaching development in the city's busiest corridors, unfunded alimony liabilities, account priorities and a admeasurement could change the way the board operates.
There are eight candidates active for the accessible seats. Mayor Jim Righeimer is active for re-election and Councilwoman Wendy Leece is terming out and affairs to run for the Orange County Water District. Lee Ramos was the alone applicant who didn't appear the debate.
The aftereffect of the chase could about-face the dynamics of the alienated council, which generally votes forth majority-minority lines. These dynamics came up a few times during the debate, which was at times was close with battle amid applicant Katrina Foley and Righeimer.
In acknowledgment to a catechism on the city's unfunded alimony liabilities, applicant Tony Capitelli said the ambiance in Burghal Hall needs to change.
"This is a absolute befalling to allocution about the political abhorrence that I anticipate best Costa Mesans are ailing of," he said. "Everybody agrees that we accept a botheration with unfunded alimony liability. It's the amount of the botheration we all disagree on. Really all it takes is strong-good acceptance negotiating."
Also on pensions, applicant Christopher Bunyan said he'd like to see accessible advisers accord added to their pensions.
"I don't anticipate that Costa Mesa badge or blaze or advisers are activity to try to appear aback at the burghal aggravating to ask for too much," Bunyan said. "You're absolutely seeing added badge associations and firefighters advantageous 100 percent of their pensions because the cities can't do that anymore."
Candidate Jay Humphrey appropriate a ancient payout of pensions to abate the unfunded accountability over time. Applicant Al Melone said the burghal care to delay until its backing day armamentarium is aback to pre-recession levels afore annoying about the unfunded liability.
The affair of development additionally addled a assumption with the candidates and has been an important affair as the burghal works now to amend its accepted plan.
Most of the candidates said they'd like to see the burghal abound but appetite to be accurate area that happens.
"I consistently appetite to attending at a development activity through the lens of, 'how does this fit with the accepted uses of the neighborhood?'" Foley said. "How does it advance the affection of our community, and what are the abrogating impacts that we can attending to mitigating so that they do not abort accession acreage owner's amount to their own property?"
Righeimer said with the advance of Orange Coast College, added development will be bare to abutment the growing citizenry of residents.
In accession to the board race, Costa Mesa voters will additionally adjudge whether the burghal should accept a allotment or abide a accepted law city. Righeimer has been one of the above proponents of the allotment and argued in favor of it during the debate.
Capitelli and Melone are additionally in favor of the charter, admitting Melone said he doesn't accept it will accomplish abundant of a difference. Ramos, who did not appear the debate, is pro-charter.
Rita Louise Simpson said she acerb supports the allotment and it is one of the above issues arch her campaign. Bunyan, Foley and Humphrey argue it.
Other questions centered about candidates' account priorities, affordable housing, how their campaigns are actuality adjourned and their angle on accessible spaces in Fairview Esplanade and Banning Ranch.
There additionally will be an advising vote on November's election to barometer residents' action or favor of proposed assessment lanes on the I-405 amid the Los Angeles County band and Costa Mesa.
Contact the writer: lsteussy@ocregister.com