Costa Mesa needs to rethink its grants

Recently, there has been much discussion about redevelopment and how

to improve the Westside. If redevelopment is put on hold, or used

partially or not at all, it begs a question: What will we do in its

place? I will be presenting some options such as reduced fees to

provide incentive for improvement and mixed-use zoning options, to

name just two. But what can be done right now? Even with

redevelopment, the first thing to happen on the Westside should be

major infrastructure repair. For the Westside those issues are

drainage, putting utilities underground and street repair.

We have major flooding issues there that need to be addressed. The

city is now preparing a report called the master plan of drainage to

give us guidelines on what needs to be done. The next question is:

How are we going to pay for it?

Redevelopment will provide some funds, but not for quite some

time. That leaves grant funding and our own general fund. The cost of

the project will be extremely expensive and will require numerous

funding sources. One additional source of funding is Community

Development Block Grants. This year, we have received almost $1.7

million. That’s a lot of potential for improvement.

Of the total amount, 15% may be used for public service grants,

and a maximum of 20% may be used for administration. We have been

neglecting the Westside for too long, and it shows in our streets and

related infrastructure. Of the 15% in public service funds, our City

Council used to require that 51% be used for homeless services. We

now require that 40% be used for this service.

Our seniors must share the remaining 60% with youth and disabled

categories. In other words, our seniors are getting about half as

much as homeless programs.

This year as part of our report we got a breakdown regarding crime

at facilities that receive your federal tax dollars. Many of the

locations had pages of numerous calls for police services such as

parole violations, disturbances, suspicious activity, grand theft,

city code violations, keeping the peace, vandalism/graffiti,

burglary, petty theft, drunkenness in public, warrant arrests,

medical aid, disobeying court orders, drug offenses, forgery, towed

vehicles, fire, runaways, sexual battery, vehicle burglary,

trespassing, assault, unlicensed driver, injury accident, assault

with a deadly weapon, robbery, towed vehicles, child neglect/abuse,

narcotics possession, missing person, annoying phone calls,

disorderly conduct, driving under the influence, traffic violations,

recovered stolen vehicles, etc.

This is an incredible cost in terms of law enforcement for you,

the taxpayer.

Many of these locations had numerous instances of these types of

incidents. I don’t believe our seniors are committing these crimes.

We should make funding for seniors and infrastructure a bigger

priority in our community.

It is not mandatory that we spend your tax dollars on public

service grants. I suggest that concerned people in the community get

the reports on this and read it for themselves.

Some of the scoring systems that the Redevelopment and Residential

Rehabilitation Committee uses also need to be reviewed before the

next funding period begins. As an example, one group asked for

$14,000 and had a score of 66.5. It received $13,000.

Compare that to the Costa Mesa Senior Corp., which asked for

$15,000 and also had a score of 66.5. It only received $5,000.

Another example is one group that asked for $15,000 and had a score

of 67.8. It got $13,000.

Compare that to Senior Meals and Services, which asked for $13,195

and had a higher score of 89.3. It got $10,000.

It is time for this council to develop a new consolidated plan as

required by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that

will more accurately comply with one of the national directives of

HUD: the elimination of slum and blight. Public service organizations

are best run by the private sector with private funds. This way, they

more accurately reflect the needs of the community from within and

with better oversight and accountability.

* ALLAN MANSOOR is a Costa Mesa City Councilman.