Steeling themselves for the future

Lolita Harper and S.J. Cahn

Flash forward to the year 2004. Costa Mesa Mayor Chris Steel is at

the helm of the City Council, and chaos has erupted at City Hall.

Oh wait, that was Monday.

Steel, who took over for current Mayor Karen Robinson during the

first public hearing at the City Council meeting, got a good feel of

what it was going to take to run the often unruly crowds at City

Hall.

The vice mayor, who is traditionally next in line for the

mayor-ship, tried his best to observe all the procedural formalities,

such as taking public comment before calling for a vote, limiting the

speaking time of audience members and organizing motions so they make

sense.

Steel took an individual approach to the leadership position,

offering an unprecedented amount of rebuttal time to resident Lance

Jenks, who was vehemently opposed to a second-story addition on

Broadway. About 30 people had already spoken on the issue, including

Jenks -- who was the same resident who convinced Steel to appeal the

remodel project in the first place.

Although the issue itself was tired, the hearing had already

lasted two hours and supporters outnumbered opponents two to one,

Steel decided the emotional Jenks needed more time to make the same

statement.

Chaos ensued as Jenks approached the podium and applicant Steven

Dewan left it. Dewan extended a hand to his most vehement adversary

as a polite gesture saying, “We have never met before.”

Jenks shook his hand and started mumbling something about a

burned-down house. The two men stood off to the side of the podium,

conferring about something. The little pow wow went on for about

three minutes before Steel stopped it. Laughter rippled through the

audience, and Dewan walked away from Jenks with a puzzled look on his

face.

As Jenks repeated his tirade, the frustrated crowd began to shout

at him. Again, Steel rapped the gavel and called for order.

Later in the meeting, after a little more confusion, Councilman

Gary Monahan summed up the event perfectly.

“Welcome to running a meeting,” he said to Steel.

QUITE A DAY AT THE BACK BAY

This week’s feting of Rep. Chris Cox for getting funding for the

Upper Newport Bay Restoration Project and the San Diego Creek Natural

Treatment System was a who’s who of local politics.

Of course, that’s to be expected when you get a congressman

together with one of Newport’s most revered assets.

Leading the list -- at least, as far as Pilot staffers could see

-- were members of the Newport Beach City Council: Mayor Steve

Bromberg and Councilmen Don Webb, Dick Nichols and Gary Adams. Also

on hand was the city’s water guru, Asst. City Manager Dave Kiff.

Not to be overshadowed, Newport’s (as in both Beach and Coast) two

county supervisors, Jim Silva and Tom Wilson, could also be found

milling about the reception.

Plus, there were representatives from Irvine, Tustin, Lake Forest

and right next door in Costa Mesa, not to mention the Irvine Ranch

Water District, the Newport Bay Naturalists and Friends (taking time

out from writing about the proposed boardwalk along the Back Bay),

Orange County Coastkeeper, the U.S. Dept. of Fish and Game and, last

but far from least, the Irvine Co.

All in all, quite a turnout for Newport’s favorite son (at least

on Monday).

A NEW MASTER OF POLICY

Good news: While Rep. Chris Cox is out among his people, winning

awards and making speeches, there is renewed proof that his office

doesn’t sleep.

On Tuesday, word came from Cox’s Capitol Hill office that the

House Policy chairman had hired a new legislative assistant, Howard

Fienberg, to handle energy, science and the environment, among other

issues.

“I am pleased to announce Mr. Fienberg’s appointment to serve in

this important capacity,” Cox said in the statement. “His extensive

experience in policy research will serve him well in the halls of the

U.S. Congress.”

Fienberg has worked as a freelance columnist, editor and analyst

in Northern Virginia. His work has appeared in the Christian Science

Monitor, the Chicago Tribune, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the San

Francisco Chronicle and the Detroit News.

He also worked as a senior analyst with the Statistical Assessment

Service, a nonprofit research organization dedicated to public

understanding of scientific and social research.

Fienberg also studied in Russia, which should give him and Cox --

with his own background dealing with that country in its present and

Communist forms -- ample topics for conversation.