Rigonomics:

I have never written a column that received as much feedback as last week’s (Citizens must vote for fairgrounds, Oct. 10). With our cash-strapped state putting the Orange County Fairgrounds up for sale, the public is rightfully concerned that whoever buys it be required to keep it as fairgrounds.

My conclusion was that in order to lock in the use as a fairground, it would need a direct vote of the people.

The hundreds of comments and responses I received were overwhelmingly in support of keeping the fairgrounds the way it is. Not one of the comments was against it. I received e-mails from people as far away as Texas who wanted to help the cause.

Well, this idea has really caught fire and taken off. Since the column last week we have had not only support to save the fair but also volunteers to help run the effort. Mia Chambers of Acumen Works has donated her expertise in our viral/social marketing campaign.

Before the sun goes down Monday we will have a blog set up at www.savethefair.com. Soon after, the blog will morph into a fully interactive website where we will be able to communicate with anyone interested. Mia, my staffer Ethan Temianka and I now have Twitter accounts, so follow us: @savethefair, @jimrigheimer, @miachambers and @ethantemianka.

Costa Mesa planning staff has also put the issue on the front burner.

Staff noted that the 10-year strategic master plan adopted by the Fair Board of Directors was never adopted by the city as part of a “specific plan” for the site.

A specific plan would put a tighter framework around what a new owner could do with the property. This council has made it crystal clear that it wants the property to stay as the Orange County Fairgrounds no matter who ends up owning it.

Therefore, planning staff will be asking the council Tuesday night if they can work on a specific plan that can be voted in by the council. Now, like I said, the present council agrees with keeping the property as a fairgrounds. However, this plan would merely put a speed bump in the road to any buyer who thinks they can buy the property and change the zoning down the road with a different council. The devil is always in the details.

As long the community agrees with the idea to lock it in as a fairgrounds, this whole process should go smoothly. Remember, our concern is not this council, but some future council that may, for whatever reason, think differently.

We want to make sure there is no way around keeping the fair, whether it be 10, 20 or 50 years from now.

Moving on to other local affairs, the “Battle for the Bell” game Friday will be decided by the time this goes to print. The battle is for bragging rights to being the best football team in Costa Mesa.

It will be played at Jim Scott Stadium and pits the two cross-town rivals: Estancia Eagles against the Costa Mesa Mustangs.

At our Costa Mesa Planning Commission meeting, Commissioner Colin McCarthy noted that two of the commissioners, myself and Steve Mensinger, lived west of Harbor Boulevard, and Colin and Sam Clark lived east of it.

Seeing that Harbor is the dividing line of the respective high schools’ attendance boundary line, McCarthy proposed a wager.

Fifty dollars each from the losing commissioners to the winning team’s booster club. Not wanting to leave it at that I upped the ante: The losing commissioners have to wear the winning school’s colors at our next meeting, which happens to be Monday.

Colin, you will love the cardinal and gold jersey I have picked out for you.

JIM RIGHEIMER is a Costa Mesa Planning Commissioner, business owner and father of four. He can be reached at [email protected].