CITYSCAPE ROUNDUP

-- Tariq Malik, Mary Beth P. Adomaitis

Council members decided Monday to establish a definitive policy on how

they treat absences from formal council meetings, at the same time

accepting all past absence requests for 2001.

The motion, brought forward by Councilman Dave Garofalo, stemmed from

a technicality in the city’s charter, which states that a council seat

shall become vacant if a council member misses regular meetings for a

period of 30 days without permission expressed in the meeting’s minutes.

The technicality could have applied to Garofalo, who had missed two

council meetings prior to Monday’s because of personal reasons. Despite

his memos to council members announcing his absences, the approval was

not noted in the official minutes of those meetings.

“The fault isn’t Mr. Garofalo’s, the fault is the council’s for not

recognizing his notices,” Councilwoman Debbie Cook said. “I would like to

see absences announced before the council meeting starts.”

In a memo submitted to the council, City Atty. Gail Hutton stated the

charter technicality did not apply to Garofalo since his absence was

announced by Peter Green near the end of the June 4 council meeting.

That announcement, Hutton wrote, “gave its implied consent or

permission for [Garofalo’s] absence, and it was reflected in the official

minutes.”

Scott Field, the assistant city attorney, said he would work with City

Clerk Connie Brockway to draw up the policy.

Garofalo said the clarification is necessary because there has

traditionally been no standard in requesting absences.

“Some of us have sent letters in advance and some after the meeting

has already passed, and I agree there should be some consistency here,”

he said.

Garofalo recall effort dropped by residents

Residents seeking to unseat Councilman Dave Garofalo stood down this

week, opting instead to let authorities take over.

“We felt that there was action being taken by higher levels, and

thought that we could hold back because they could be more effective,”

said resident Steve Gullage, a staunch supporter of the recall effort.

Resident and activist Sandra Cole, who launched the recall effort in

October and founded the group Citizens for Honest and Responsible

Government, was unavailable for comment Wednesday.

Garofalo has been under investigation by the Orange County District

Attorney’s office, the Orange County Grand Jury and the state Fair

Political Practices Commission on conflict of interest allegations.

The allegations claim the councilman may have benefited from his

publishing business’ contract to produce the city visitor’s guide, which

did so for several years starting in 1993 and had conflicts of interest

when voting on issues brought forth by advertisers in the publication.

In the past, Garofalo has denied claims of any wrongdoing, stating

that he sought and followed legal advice when necessary.

A turning point in the recall petition, Gullage said, was the search

and seizure of computer equipment and files at Garofalo’s home and office

by the district attorney’s office in April.

The move illustrated that progress was being made, and petitioners

decided to save the city the $100,000 required for a special recall

election and let prosecutors do their job, he added.

Sports complex designs receive the OK by council

A sports complex slated for Central Park crossed a major hurdle

Monday, as City Council members gave their uneven approval of its design

and directed staff to solicit bids for construction.

The council voted 4-2 Monday, with councilwomen Connie Boardman and

Debbie Cook dissenting and Councilwoman Shirley Dettloff absent, in favor

of the project. City officials expect to return before the council in

August, once bids have been collected, for a final review.

Plans for the complex include eight lighted softball fields, each able

to bear soccer games, two tot lots, a maintenance building and concession

stands, all slated for a 45-acre L-shaped parcel between Gothard and

Goldenwest streets along Talbert Avenue.

Later phases are expected to bring roller hockey areas and batting

cages to the area, and the project as a whole is expected to cost about

$18 million.

“It seems kind of illogical to me to enter into a new project that

costs as much as one we’re considering for elimination,” Boardman said,

referring to the city’s Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, which

drew ire from a number of residents Monday after it was slated for

possible termination. “If this project could pay for itself, I would

support it, but I don’t think it would do that.”

City officials expect concession revenue to offset the complex’s cost

and stressed to the council that the Monday decision was not an

obligation to build the project.

“We’ve been working at this thing for the better part of seven years,

and I think it’s time we took action,” said Councilman Ralph Bauer in

support of the project.

Shenkman named parade’s community grand marshal

Former mayor and longtime volunteer Ron Shenkman has been selected to

serve as community grand marshal of the 97th annual Fourth of July

Parade.

Shenkman, senior vice president of Rainbow Disposal Inc., has been a

resident of Huntington Beach for 27 years. He also is on the board of

directors for the Huntington Beach Library Patron’s Foundation, the

Huntington Beach Community Clinic, president of the board of directors of

the Huntington Beach Union High School District Educational Enrichment

Foundation and director of Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce.

“It was very surprising and humbling to be selected as community grand

marshal,” he said. “This will be the first time I have ridden in the

parade since I was mayor in 1978.”

This year’s parade returns to Pacific Coast Highway for the first time

in years, traveling from 8th to Main streets, where it will head through

Downtown. The event also marks the first time Pier Plaza will be on the

parade route, and more than 250,000 spectators are expected to turn out

for the celebration. The parade will begin at 10 a.m.