Steeling a council seat

Jennifer Kho

COSTA MESA -- The first thing Councilman-elect Chris Steel said he did

when he woke up Wednesday was answer the phone.

By noon, he said, he had done nothing else.

“I’ve just been answering and returning calls all day,” he said. “I

haven’t even had breakfast. I’ve got an interview here at home in a few

minutes, then I have another one at City Hall. It’s been really hectic.”

But Steel said he was happy -- after being defeated in nine prior City

Council elections -- to be so busy the day after.

“I’m very pleased I won,” said Steel, who garnered the most votes

Tuesday. “I’m happy City Hall is shaken up. Now we’re going to start

addressing the real issues, whether other people like it or not. I know

some people at City Hall are not happy about my election, but that’s

their problem. I bear no ill will to anybody. I do have an agenda,

though. I have things I want to get done.”

The issues Steel is raring to address include requiring citizenship

screening for city-permitted services, strengthening code enforcement,

setting up council districts, stopping the possible expansion of John

Wayne Airport and closing the city’s job center.

Mayor Gary Monahan said Steel’s election and Councilwoman Heather

Somers’ apparent upset reveals “general unhappiness” in the electorate.

“There have been a lot of controversial issues in the last few months

and apparently a lot of things the general electorate is not happy with,”

he said. “The council needs to look at this and rethink things.”

Jean Forbath, founder of Share Our Selves, said she has some concerns

about Steel’s stint on the council.

“I would hope Chris will see the value of the whole population of

Costa Mesa and might become more tolerant of all of us,” said Forbath,

who said she disagrees with his ambition to close the job center. “I’m

sure he has good ideas for the city, but I think he has to realize there

is a place for everyone in a community that hopes to be part of a just

society.”

Eleanor Egan, chairwoman of the West Side Improvement Assn., said she

is looking forward to exciting changes in the city.

“I know [Steel and Councilwoman-elect Karen Robinson] are both

intelligent, capable people,” said Egan. “We’ll miss [Councilwoman

Heather Somers’] expertise in a lot of areas, but nobody’s indispensable

and new people will bring new ideas, interests and focus. It’s going to

be fascinating.”

But Edilia Torres, a Latino Community Network member, said she is

unsure about Steel’s ability to represent the West Side.

“Robinson and [Councilwoman Libby Cowan] were very good candidates who

seemed to be really into what’s going on,” she said. “They had very good

answers and explanations to the questions we asked them.

“But I don’t think we’re in favor of what Steel is planning,” Torres

continued. “He is probably representative of the East Side, but may not

be as familiar with the problems we’re having on the West Side.”