Column: Interest high as details of Feet to the Fire forums firm up dates

Newport Beach and Costa Mesa candidates began pulling official papers to run for office on Monday. We won’t know the complete spectrum of candidates until the filing period closes Aug. 10.

Last week I shared the tentative dates for the upcoming Feet to the Fire forums at the Robert B. Moore Theatre at Orange Coast College.

Two of those dates have changed: the Costa Mesa and congressional forums.

Costa Mesa’s mayoral and council candidate forums are now Sept. 17, as not to conflict with the Jewish holiday on the original date, Sept.19.

The 48th Congressional District race has been moved to Sept. 22. As I mentioned last week, incumbent Rep. Dana Rohrabacher’s contact Jason Pitman told me that on weekdays the congressman is in Washington. We’d originally planned for Sept. 17, a Monday.

Will Sept. 22, a Saturday, work? Campaign representative Michael Schroeder tells me I should have an answer next week. I’ll keep you posted.

Rohrabacher’s Democratic opponent, Harley Rouda, has confirmed for Sept. 22.

Moving on to the races in Costa Mesa, mayoral candidates Al Melone, Mayor Sandy Genis and council members Katrina Foley and Allan Mansoor have agreed to the forum.

This race is one for the city history books as voters will directly elect their mayor for the first time. The current system allows council members to appoint one of themselves.

Genis certainly has something to prove here after the uproar of becoming mayor by unprecedented vote when the council removed Foley, a former ally, from the ceremonial post in November.

Genis sided with Mansoor and Councilman Jim Righeimer to remove Foley, which shocked many.

To this day we still don’t have details as to what prompted Foley’s removal or Genis to turn on her.

Back in November Righeimer assured me there would be an explanation.

“This will all come out in due time,” he said. “You’ll know why, and it’s not a personality issue.”

The answers never came, and this lingering question will be one Genis will eventually have to address. It’s certainly something we’ll ask about at Feet to the Fire.

This week I started contacting council candidates about their anticipated participation.

Costa Mesa District 3’s Brett Eckles and Andrea Marr are in, but no word yet from Teresa Drain.

In District 4, Manuel Chavez is in. I’ve yet to hear from Michelle Figueredo-Wilson.

In District 5, Arlis Reynolds was quick to respond yes to F2F, as was Rebecca Trahan.

Turning to Newport, I haven’t yet contacted incumbent Mayor Marshall Duffield and Councilmen Kevin Muldoon and Scott Peotter, but I will by next week. The Newport council candidate forum is Sept. 20.

I don’t expect any of them to accept the invitation; they passed on the F2F opportunity in 2014. Over their four-year term it’s been my experience this isn’t a group comfortable with answering direct questions.

Though Councilwoman Diane Dixon is running for re-election, she’s unopposed. If that remains the case, there’s no need for her to participate in the forum.

As far as challengers to the Newport council incumbents, my friend and neighbor Tim Stoaks is running against Duffield, Roy Englebrecht is looking to unseat Muldoon, and both Joy Brenner and Mike Toerge are running against Councilman Scott Peotter. They all plan to take the stage Sept. 20.

Last week’s column garnered much reader response, as you can imagine, now that this election season is in full swing.

Many speculated on candidate campaign strategies and shared thoughts on the races, which I appreciated.

There was overwhelming interest as to which candidates will say yes to the various Feet to the Fires, more so than I’ve ever seen since we started the program in 2010. People want to hear candidates engage and answer questions.

As Feet to the Fire nears, we’ll start planning what issues we’ll address. Feel free to keep emailing thoughts, and yes, high-density development is already on the list.

Barbara Venezia is an opinion columnist writing political and social commentary since 2007. She can be reached at bvontv1@gmail.com