City to keep chamber’s Web link despite protests

Noaki Schwartz

NEWPORT BEACH -- To pacify complaints about the Chamber of

Commerce’s link on the city’s Web site, the City Council has decided to

provide links for the two dueling traffic-control initiatives.

But proponents of the Greenlight initiative are still not satisfied.

“I think it’s grossly unfair,” said supporter Phil Arst. “They keep

the chamber’s link in the featured spot and bury us among 20 other hotel

links. They also give equal footing to the other initiative. That’s two

messages against us and only one for us.”

Greenlight proponents, who are supporting a measure that would give

voters the final say on certain major developments, complained that

anti-Greenlight messages on the chamber’s Web site make it appear that

they are the city’s views.

Indeed, while City Council members have attempted to maintain an

unbiased attitude toward the measure, which threatens to strip them of

the ability to plan the city’s future, it has become clear they do not

support the measure.

Still, Greenlight supporters said they were hoping for more fair

treatment.

Mayor John Noyes said he stands by the council’s unanimous decision

Tuesday.

With an added disclaimer, the council decided to allow the chamber to

keeps its position on the city’s Web site on the top left-hand list of

links.

Greenlight and the opposing Traffic Phasing initiative, which proposes

to cement the city’s traffic relief law into the City Charter and kill

Greenlight, will get lumped in with a collection of random links.

“We’re trying to be very inclusive, letting Greenlight and the TPO

people put a link on [the city’s Web site],” Noyes said. “The fact that

we left the chamber where it was I think is appropriate, given their

position in the community.”

Noyes said unlike the two dueling measures, the chamber’s Web site

provides more information for the community.

“They are just going to nit-pick us to death,” Noyes said of

Greenlight’s continuing complaints. “The fact is, we’re giving them

access.”