RONALD J. CHANNELS ON:

CHANNELS ON:

* NEW CODE REGULATIONS:

The Costa Mesa City Council approved a number of code revisions

earlier this year in response to residents’ complaints about property

maintenance. The city distributed a flier last month detailing the

changes, which include prohibitions for dead or dying landscaping, and is

enforcing the new rules.

Channels said he is frustrated by the new codes.

“It shouldn’t have come to that,” he said. “Constitutionally, I don’t

think they can do that to a man -- tell him he can’t have a chip of paint

on his house. A person has property rights. It’s much better to do this

through a volunteer program. A committee goes around on a voluntary basis

to properties in need of repair, and we offer to help them.”

* WEST SIDE SPECIFIC PLAN:

Since 1998, the city has targeted the West Side for intense

revitalization. The aging area has for years lacked economic vitality and

has become rundown.

The newly revised plan to improve the West Side includes making the

neighborhood more pedestrian-friendly, replacing some existing apartments

with townhomes or smaller home developments, and cleaning up businesses.

Channels said he favors cleaning up the West Side and is opposed to

adding low-income, high-density housing.

“I believe we have to supply some low-income housing but only to a

limited extent,” he said. “Low-density housing is expensive and difficult

to maintain, and it’s just a temporary step for somebody, a stepping

stone to a better life in the future. We’ve got enough affordable housing

now, and we’ve got to start cleaning up what we’ve got.”

Channels said he would like to raise $10 million for the city so it

can buy property, improve it and sell it, so the money can be returned to

the city and used again for the same purpose.

“I’d like to see $1-million homes in the city,” he said.

“Million-dollar homes bring people who are more influential and who can

do more for the city.”

* 17TH STREET IMPROVEMENT PLAN:

The city has proposed widening 17th Street from four to six lanes and

making improvements on the street to reduce traffic, but residents and

merchants say adding lanes would devastate business and ruin the

character and viability of the street.

The plan also includes bus turnouts and turn lanes.

Channels said he opposes the widening.

“I haven’t talked to anyone who wants this done,” he said. “The city

wants to widen the street because it is short of funds and needs money to

pay salaries and meet financial commitments. Widening the street

generates revenue because grants are available if it is widened. I

absolutely wouldn’t widen it.”

* CITY BUDGET:

Channels said the city should stabilize its salary expenses, which

have been steadily increasing, because expenditures have exceeded revenue

for the last nine of 10 fiscal years.

“If any of us personally spent more money than we make nine years out

of 10, we’d be broke,” he said. “As a city, we have problems. Either we

have to cut the cost of running the city, or we have to bring in more

revenue. Bringing in more revenue means more development, and that means

more traffic and everything else. I’d rather we cut our costs than

increase development, but I will vote based on the will of the voters.”

* TRAFFIC PROBLEMS:

Channels said he favors rapid transit.

“I think we’ve done about as much as we can do with traffic other than

widening the streets, which would mean more development and more

traffic,” he said. “Traffic is not a problem for me because I live two

blocks away from work, and if I have to go anywhere like Santa Ana, I

take my Harley and white line. If I want to go anywhere further, I have

an airplane and I just fly there. I sympathize with the people who do

have to deal with traffic, though.”