2 Front-Runners Emerge to Run Tollways : Caltrans Executive, Ex-Irvine Manager Seeking to Lead Agency

Two veteran bureaucrats have emerged as front-runners for the critical job of heading Orange County’s tollway agency, county transportation officials said Wednesday.

They are Donald L. Watson, 62, Caltrans deputy director, and William C. Woollett Jr., 60, former Irvine city manager.

Watson holds the newly created position of deputy director of resource management for the California Department of Transportation in Sacramento. He served briefly as Caltrans’ acting chief when Leo T. Trombatorre resigned in late 1987.

Officials Wednesday also pointed to Watson’s Orange County ties, which include three years as director of the Caltrans district that previously included Orange, Los Angeles and Ventura counties (Orange County now has its own Caltrans district).

Woollett, 60, became Irvine’s first city manager 17 years ago and has been active in state and local planning groups, including the League of California Cities and professional management associations. In February, a City Council majority oriented toward slow-growth policies and led by Mayor Larry Agran ousted Woollett, who then became Irvine’s city manager “emeritus� and began working on special projects for the city.

John Meyer, executive director of the county’s Transportation Corridor Agencies, announced his resignation in June, citing job “burnout� and sharp disagreement among development firms over how to proceed with three planned toll roads in eastern and southern Orange County.

The Transportation Corridor Agencies consists of two boards. One oversees the Foothill and Eastern tollway projects, and the other supervises the San Joaquin Hills tollway effort. The two boards share the same office and staff.

Woollett has acknowledged that he applied for the job, but added that he is also interested in an upcoming post that involves creation of a new regional planning agency--an Orange County Council of Governments--to coordinate transportation and development decisions. The legislation in Sacramento needed to create the new council, however, has been sidetracked until next year.

Watson, an engineer and a 30-year veteran of Caltrans, did not return The Times’ phone calls. Two tollway board members, however, confirmed that he applied, was interviewed and emerged with Woollett as a top contender.

The two board members requested anonymity, citing a pledge of confidentiality to applicants and to their board colleagues.

One member, however, said he wanted to stress that “there are two fine candidates here, not one, as some people had thought,� a reference to Woollett’s previous standing as the unchallenged front-runner.

The other member added that he was not surprised that Watson had applied because “I was aware a long time ago of his (Watson’s) interest. And the job is challenging enough so that someone of that caliber would want to do it.�

Newport Beach Councilman John C. Cox, chairman of the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agency board, said that 45 candidates “from all across the United States� have applied for the job, which has a recommended annual salary of $110,000. Woollett’s salary as Irvine’s city manager was the same, and Watson’s state salary is $74,772.

Cox declined to name any of the applicants, but The Times has learned that, in addition to Watson and Woollett, Will Kempton--executive director of the Santa Clara Traffic Authority--has also sought the job.

Kempton could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Finalists were interviewed last week, one tollway board member said. A six-member search committee expects to make a final recommendation to the joint tollway boards Sept. 14. Officials said the boards may vote to hire someone the same day.