City Council to decide on annexation attempt

Andrew Glazer

COSTA MESA -- The City Council will decide tonight whether to move

forward in an attempt to annex two unincorporated islands along Bristol

Street.

The resolution, which the council could approve without a hearing, would

seal a tax-sharing agreement with the county, according to a report

prepared by planning staff. The county would only agree to release the

two commercial areas -- one near Newport Boulevard, the other on Santa

Ana Avenue -- with the agreement.

If the council approved the agreement and the Local Agency Formation

Commission greenlighted the annexation, the city would collect 60% of the

two areas’ property tax revenues. The city could attempt to renegotiate

the agreement. But the county would probably stand strong, according to

the report.

The agreement also would provide the city with 70% of property tax

revenues from two other unincorporated areas it has considered annexing

since 1996, the report said. The city would receive that revenue

regardless of whether it was successful in annexing the two additional

areas, which include Heinz Kaiser Intermediate School and Back Bay High

School.

The council also is scheduled to continue a discussion, held over from

its last meeting, about whether the Costa Mesa Police Department should

join a regional anti-drug force. The department would redeploy one of its

six narcotics officers to the Southern California Drug Task Force offices

in Los Angeles.

The task force is made up of 30 drug-fighting entities, including the

Drug Enforcement Administration and The U.S. Department of Justice.

Lt. Ron Smith of the Costa Mesa Police Department said having a Costa

Mesa representative in the task force would provide the city with greater

drug-fighting intelligence and resources.

“Joining it will increase the number of crooks you’re going to catch and

drugs you’re going to seize,” Smith said last week.

The City Council will meet at 6:30 p.m. tonight at City Hall, 77 Fair

Drive.