Saving on water bill may cost homeowner

A Costa Mesa man named Kevin Doane made it perfectly clear to the City Council that he was not going to pay a $400 citation the city issued him for allowing what was once a lawn in his front yard to dry out, die and turn into a dirt patch.

“No. 1, I will not pay that — ever — and you can do whatever you want to do,” the brusque, bearded man told the council Tuesday night.

Although he acknowledges that he’s violating a city ordinance that requires homeowners to landscape their front yards, he says he was encouraged to do so by Councilwoman Wendy Leece, who constantly tells residents from the dais to cut their water usage because of the impending drought.

Leece declined to comment immediately, saying she plans to investigate the matter first.

He brought with him a copy of his previous month’s water bill, which he proudly held up and said was 40% lower than it has historically been.

“I get challenged to do something. Every single meeting Wendy has said 15%, 15%, 15% and she brings up her daughter saying don’t wash the cars you know, pull back … OK. So I’ve done that,” he said in a frustrated voice.

“I’m not going to water my yard. I’m not going to put in grass. I’m not going to do any of that although you maintain that I need to because my citation says that I have to keep it green. If I have to keep doing this and getting pushed, I will get some spray paint and paint my yard green. This is where I’m going to go with this. Or I’ll get some really ugly green rock and put rock on my dirt, which my neighbors have all said, ‘Please, Kevin, don’t do that,’” he continued in a tremulous voice.

Doane’s not an environmentalist. He stopped watering his lawn to save money.

The career contractor lost his job selling construction materials two months ago when the Anaheim-based company that employed him laid him off along with 20% of the workforce because of the slow down in the building industry.

Although his wife is employed, Doane has been looking around for ways to cut costs.

His water bill has dropped from more than $100 a few months ago to $59.

Neighbors in his State Street tract, near TeWinkle Middle School, have mixed feelings about the barren swath of dirt. It’s undeniably well kept, as he is quick to mention, but doesn’t exactly fit in with the surrounding houses, which all have lawns.

Nonetheless, “it’s not like I have a trash heap or parked cars around here,” Doane said.

Some say the dirt is unsightly; others don’t care.

“I think it’s pretty unattractive, but look at the rest of my street right now,” said Kerry Stone, pointing out an old trailer at another house. “Some type of landscaping would be nice, though.”

Guerdan Taylor, an older man who lives across the street, is sympathetic to Doane’s situation.

“They piss and moan about water shortage. The guy doesn’t have a job right now. It’s clean dirt,” Taylor said.

Regardless of the situation, Chief of Code Enforcement Jim Golfos was not happy about how Doane handled it. The city is flexible and works with people who have financial hardships, according to Golfos.

“If half of what he said was true he had several avenues that he could have pursued but he just arched his back and said I’m not paying for any of this stuff,” Golfos said.

Doane said he disregarded the citations — first for $150 then for $400 on second notice — because he had a bad experience with code enforcement when he tried to fight a prior citation for leaving a stucco wall he was working on in a half-finished state.

He added that he doesn’t usually like to go to City Council meetings and put himself in the public eye because his emotions often get the best of him. His wife is even more adamant in her objections, he said.

Doane has been searching for another job that matches his skills, but as the market continues to decline he says it’s not easy for a man older than 50, who owns a home and has a family, to find something that pays well enough. He scours the Internet daily.

Meanwhile, as an explanation to all of the gawkers who pass by the house and occasionally photograph it, he is thinking about putting up a sign that reads, “It’s about the water, stupid.”

ALAN BLANK may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or at [email protected].