Oceanside’s New Slow-Growth Council Comes In Like a Lion

It was a maiden voyage awash in political blood Wednesday as the Oceanside City Council’s new slow-growth majority fired most of the city’s Planning Commission and stripped the mayor of an important post.

Just one hour into the majority’s first council meeting, Councilman Sam Williamson, who is now in the minority with Mayor Larry Bagley, said, “To see what’s happening here this morning really disgusts me.”

First, the majority muscled through a motion to unseat four of the city’s seven appointed planning commissioners.

“We need some fresh ideas and some new people involved in this city,” Councilwoman Melba Bishop said.

Bishop was the council’s longtime rebellious outsider until voters last month elected Nancy York and Don Rodee, creating a majority eager to smash what they regard as the developers’ hold on Oceanside.

One of the ousted commissioners, Nancy Jakovac, wasn’t going without a parting shot, and told the council, “I will not sit still and let somebody for political gain tear this Planning Commission apart.”

She blamed the council for passing exemptions to Proposition A, the city’s growth control law, that made it hard for commissioners to practice balanced growth policies.

The council majority said Jakovac, Nancy Boyer, Jack Cassan and Brian Sullivan may continue serving until new commissioners are appointed early next year.

Rodee said voters support slow growth, and the commission needs members “with that philosophy.” But the raid on the commission infuriated Bagley and Williamson.

The mayor termed it “a blatant exercise of power” without regard to the fallen commissioners’ tenure, experience or voting records.

He flatly accused Bishop, York and Rodee of meeting privately to orchestrate their political actions, calling it a “clear violation” of the Brown Act, the state’s open-meeting law.

Bishop countered: “You’re going to see a lot of like votes from these three people because our philosophies are similar.” She called the mayor’s accusation “ridiculous.”

But the rancor was just beginning.

Traditionally, the mayor assigns council members to committees, but newcomer York announced her list of committee appointments. Bishop quickly apologized for York, saying she actually meant to say “recommended” appointments.

In a 3-2 vote, the majority approved York’s list, which placed the appointees on the most critical committees and removed Bagley as a director of the San Diego Assn. of Governments, a regional planning agency. He would have become the board’s president next year.

Bagley railed at the move, saying: “I would remind you I was elected mayor of this city. There may be a coup pulled here, but I will not go quietly.”

York replied curtly: “Your appointments to the major committees would continue the policies of the past, which have led us almost into bankruptcy.” The city is considering cutbacks to erase a projected $5.8-million deficit.

However, the mayor protested that the city is basically financially sound, commenting: “I think we’ve done a tremendous job. We are in a glitch right now.”

Finally, it became clear that Bagley would not be making the council’s appointments, nor could he save his own prestigious place on Sandag’s board, which is partly composed of other mayors.

“You can live with it, but you will live with it without my cooperation,” said Bagley, who was later joined by Williamson in threatening to boycott the new committees.

“I was placed on the appointments list by Miss York. The mayor does not accept an appointment by a council member,” fumed Bagley, who later commented to reporters that he was dumped from the Sandag board out of spite.