POLITICS ASIDE -- s.j. cahn

Dennis O’Neil isn’t interested in any monuments to himself.

He doesn’t expect the history books to spend too much time on the “O’Neil

years” in Newport Beach.

And he’s just fine with that.

On Monday, the Newport Beach City Council will appoint a new mayor,

ending O’Neil’s one-year tenure as the city’s ceremonial leader.

He leaves the council in much better shape than when he took over the

mayor’s seat.

A year ago, the council was still suffering from the divisiveness left

over from the firing of City Manger Kevin Murphy. O’Neil says his top

priority was to heal the divisions.

“What I hoped to achieve as mayor was to impart, first of all, to my

colleagues on the City Council, the need to work together as a unit with

trust and respect,” he said late last week in an interview about his time

as mayor.

“It was my belief,” O’Neil continued, “at that time that there was a lack

of cohesiveness.

“I believe I’ve had a calming effect, an ability to bring the council

together. And I think that’s an achievement.”

So do O’Neil’s colleagues, who unilaterally praised him for uniting the

council, as well as for taking a lead role in hiring City Manager Homer

Bludau, moving along the annexation of Newport Coast and Santa Ana

Heights and focusing the council -- and North County cities, as well --

on the El Toro airport debate.

“I think Dennis brought a tremendous amount of stability to the council,”

said Vice Mayor Tom Thomson. “And he’s very well respected in the

community. I think he’s been a tremendous mayor.”

O’Neil succeeded by knowing which positions to put council members in,

said Councilman John Noyes. That helped ensure they did their best work,

and were happy with what they were doing.

“He was kind of a good casting director,” Noyes said.

And, Noyes added: “He’s kept his sense of humor, which is important.”

O’Neil notes, with a healthy air of satisfaction, that the past year has

been free of the kind of controversy and infighting that lead to Murphy’s

ouster.

“I think today we have as healthy a government organization as we’ve had

for a long time,” O’Neil said, adding that he expects the council, and

the city, to continue working well.

Despite his success, and support from fellow council members, O’Neil is

content to finish out his year.

“I think it’s a good idea to ride off into the sunset and afford somebody

else the opportunity,” he said.

* S.J. CAHN is city editor of the Daily Pilot. Send your political news

to him at: Daily Pilot, 330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa 92627; by fax at (949)

646-4170; or by e-mail to dailypilot@latimes.com. He can be reached at

(949) 574-4268.