Money, God and politics

All the hot topics — money, religion and politics — are on tap this week during various public meetings and forums throughout our region. We predict some of the more interesting discussions:

• The Modesto City Council's Finance Committee will hear an update at 5:30 p.m. Monday from parks director Julie Hannon on how residents and neighborhoods have stepped up to help maintain small parks. Her report also includes a proposal to sell two little-used parks and an orchard adjoining the McClure House. Meeting location: Room 2005, Tenth Street Place.

• The full Modesto City Council meets at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, with an agenda that includes City Manager Greg Nyhoff's proposed reorganizations of the finance and human resources departments, including the outsourcing of some functions. Nyhoff has been on the job for more than 14 months, so he's had an opportunity to size up his workforce. Furthermore, due to layoffs and other budget cuts, the city is a leaner operation and its management should reflect that. Some long-term planning issues also are on the agenda. Meeting location: Basement chambers, Tenth Street Place.

• The Modesto Irrigation District Board of Directors will again be talking about solar power Tuesday at 9 a.m. Earlier this month, directors voted to consider all of the 24 applications received from businesses interested in installing solar systems in order to qualify for MID incentives and to reduce the amount of electricity they have to buy. But the board postponed, presumably until today, the more important question of how much of an incentive the MID will pay. Some of the projects won't pencil out for the businesses if the MID drops its incentive amount from what it originally stated. Directors are worried about two things: Making sure that the businesses don't get a free ride after combining the MID money with federal rebate and tax incentives and, second, having to raise rates for all other customers to subsidize the solar projects. Both are legitimate issues for discussion. Meeting location: 1231 11th St.

• God will be on the agenda at the Turlock City Council meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, under two matters: How to handle prayer at — or before — council meetings and whether to proceed with Councilman Kurt Spycher's proposal to have "In God We Trust" painted in the council meeting room. Various court rulings give the council the latitude to add the words on the wall and to have an invocation, so long as the opportunity is available for representatives of all faiths to lead the prayer. Whether these items are legal is one thing; whether they are the right actions — and the most urgent concerns at the moment — for the community is another.

• The Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday. The agenda for the meeting this week appears fairly routine. Meeting location: Basement, Tenth Street Place.

• The League of Women Voters of Stanislaus County begins its series of forums for candidates in the Nov. 3 election. Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., candidates for the Modesto City Council District 2 talk in the King- Kennedy Memorial Center, 601 S. Martin Luther King Drive. District 5 candidates will talk Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in Coleman Brown School, 2024 Vera Cruz Drive.

• The Modesto Citizens' Housing and Community Development Committee hosts a public workshop at noon Wednesday on the 2009-14 housing element. If you have views on what kind of housing Modesto needs, this is the time to comment. Location: Tenth Street Place, Room 2008.

• The Merced City Council meets at 7 p.m. today to consider the Wal-Mart Distribution Center proposal. Public comments will be taken 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. The council plans to vote on he proposal Sept. 28. Location: Merced Civic Center, 678 W. 18th St.