THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE:Council approves pedestrian, bike trail

EDITOR’S NOTE: Alicia Robinson is on assignment. Amanda Pennington wrote this week’s blog.

The Costa Mesa City Council unanimously decided to go ahead with plans for a pedestrian and bicycle trail that would connect areas of north Costa Mesa to the trail in the Upper Newport Bay.

Councilwoman Katrina Foley, who proposed the council discuss having a multipurpose trail, said the decision marked a victory for residents, and a somewhat rare moment of cohesiveness for a council that tends to default to a 3-2 vote on many major issues. Eventually people may get to walk or ride bikes along a paved trail that is now a gravel and dirt maintenance road along the Paularino and Santa Ana/Delhi flood control channels.

“I am thrilled,” Foley said. “This is exactly what Costa Mesa needs…. It’s great to get unanimous support for it too. I think we all agree that improving the bike trails and walking trails in our city is a top priority.”

The decision also gives the city a chance to possibly make those channels more sightly and more safe for the residents who live along it. Some stretches of channel have graffiti on the walls, which Transportation Services Manager Peter Naghavi told the council could be cleaned. The trails might even deter some criminal activity.

“You won’t have people hiding in the flood channel and doing covert acts there,” Foley said.

At this point Naghavi said his office needs to come up with plans for public outreach, especially for residents who live in single and multifamily homes along the channels. He expects to go back to the council with studies, cost estimates and plans of action by February.

The proposed route would start just north of the Paularino channel, east of Fairview and travel to Mendoza Drive all the way to Bear Street near St. Clair Street, which will then lead the biker to the Delhi Channel. From there the trail will hop on to Bristol Street, under the Costa Mesa (55) Freeway, back to a maintenance road along Bristol Street and then connect to Santa Ana Avenue, where there’s a bike and equestrian trail.

Cows coming to town

The Costa Mesa City Council again banded together to approve the route for a cattle drive scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon July 27, to be paid for and put on by the Orange County Fair and Exposition Center during this year’s fair festivities.

Every councilmember was in high spirits, joking that they could come to the meeting before the cattle drive in full cowboy gear.

“I’d like to request we have a horse provided for our cowboy mayor,” Bever joked at the meeting.

After the presentation by city staff, Mansoor joked “I think it’s going to be neat, I just hope nobody has a cow over it.”

The council members seemed excited about the potential attention the cattle drive could bring to the city, in addition to the buzz it’s sure to generate with residents, Foley said.

The cattle drive will force some temporary street closures and there will be a camp set up at Fairview Park for 72 hours before the event. The route will close Placentia Avenue from Fairview Park to Victoria Street; Victoria Street to Harbor Boulevard; and Harbor Boulevard to Fair Drive.

“This is a great opportunity for kids…. Where are kids from an urban city going to see something like this?” Cindy Brenneman of Mesa Verde said at Tuesday’s meeting. “I think it’s phenomenal.”

Harman 1, Senate 1

There was some good news and bad news for state Sen. Tom Harman last week.

It’s always nice to hear good news first, right? The Senate on May 31 approved Harman’s resolution that would declare the third week of September as Child Awareness Week.

It served to acknowledge a similar resolution initiated by the Festival of Children Foundation that was passed by the Senate in November.

The bad news? A bill he proposed to the Senate Appropriations Committee that would have waived license and renewal fees for military personnel who apply for a license through the Department of Consumer Affair was canned May 31.

But being in the Republican Senate minority, Harman has unfortunately grown accustomed to being rejected by the majority. Harman said he understands that his ideology often conflicts with the Democratic majority.

“Unfortunately, due to the dynamics in the Legislature, ideological bills are typically shelved and rejected by the majority,” he wrote in an e-mail Wednesday. “I am proud to have authored several ideological bills…. While I know very well that these bills will likely die because the majority’s out of step with mainstream California, I am proud to be authoring such bills for organizations like the District Attorney’s Assn. And the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer’s Assn. These bills raise the issue and create an opportunity for meaningful dialogue and debate with my colleagues.”

But he hasn’t given up. He wrote he’ll keep proposing his bills and one day he hopes one will find the governor signing it.