HOME RANCH EDUCATIONAL FUND City leaders...

HOME RANCH EDUCATIONAL FUND

City leaders will review various details regarding the

dissemination of $2 million in educational funds the city received as

part of the Home Ranch development agreement.

The Home Ranch development agreement, adopted last year, calls for

the Segerstrom family -- the dynasty family that owns the development

site -- to give $2 million in a lump sum to Costa Mesa high school

and middle school students when the first building permits for the

project are drawn. Costa Mesa High School, which serves grades six

through 12, will receive $1 million, and Estancia High and TeWinkle

Middle schools will split the other $1 million.

During a July study session, council members expressed

disappointment in the Segerstroms’ preliminary ideas to distribute

the promised money to the schools, saying their input was not sought

in the process and, therefore, the plan was lacking key points. The

council decided more work was needed to determine how the money

should be spent and who would be chosen to spend it before the city

turned over the funds to the schools’ foundations.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

Expect the council to push for open meeting and public record

requirements regarding any foundation decisions. Other than that,

there are varied opinions on who should spend the money and how they

should spend it.

SEPT. 11 MEMORIAL

Councilwoman Libby Cowan is asking her colleagues to consider a

community memorial service commemorating the one-year anniversary of

the east coast attacks to honor and pay respect to those who lost

their lives.

Many similar events are being planned for Sept. 11 around the

country and while the city is anticipating President George W. Bush

will call for nation-wide observance, officials would still like to

coordinate a local memorial.

According to a staff report, Cowan is suggesting the memorial

involve school-aged children and police and fire department color

guard and that the city set aside $2,000 to promote the event.

The City Manager’s Office has suggested approval of the memorial

and encourages rapid action, given the short amount of time left to

plan, the report said.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

The council is expected to wholeheartedly endorse the community

memorial.

MOBILE HOME FINALE

Final details of the new law regarding motor home parking on city

streets will come before the council tonight for formal approval.

The new ordinance, which prohibits the parking of recreational

vehicles on any public street for more than 48 hours without prior

approval, was given preliminary approval last month after a lively

nine-month debate. Motor home owners battled city officials, who

previously attempted to ban oversized vehicles from streets with only

a 24-hour exception, and succeeded by pressuring them for a

compromise.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

Council members are expected to give the law final approval.

DYKE MARCH

Leaders of a county lesbian organization were scheduled to come

before the City Council tonight to request that fees for a pride

march be waived.

The Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center of Orange County

filed an application permit with the city for a special event permit

to hold the Orange County Dyke March and rally at, and around, Lion’s

Park. The march is designed to promote social change and pride in the

lesbian community, according to a staff report.

Organizers of the march have met with various city leaders to

discuss details of the event and as of press time Friday were still

negotiating an acceptable parade route. March officials previously

asked that fees, which total about $4,000, be waived but now say they

are more concerned with agreeing upon a visible route.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

Council members are expected to deny any request to waive fees but

compromise with march coordinators about a workable route.