O’Neil blasts council critics

Mathis Winkler

NEWPORT BEACH -- Saying he was “somewhat disturbed” by comments from

City Council candidates about “out of control” incumbents, Councilman

Dennis O’Neil lashed back at the contenders at Tuesday’s City Council

meeting.

“It does concern me that we have doubts raised by these candidates,”

said O’Neil, who is not up for reelection. “I’m afraid that they are not

aware of what we are.”

He added that he was compelled to respond to statements about the

council’s lack of direction and leadership that he heard at a candidates

forum last week. O’Neil commended Councilman Tom Thomson for standing up

for his colleagues at the meeting. Thomson, who represents District 7, is

running for reelection next month.

Citing the current council’s achievements, O’Neil told residents the

city was providing its best services ever.

“Please rest assured that when you awaken in the morning, you’ll be

living in the best city in the county, the state, if not the nation,” he

said. “You can be assured that the quality of life will continue.”

Aside from outstanding police, fire, marine, library and refuse

services, O’Neil cited plans to annex Newport Coast and the council’s

work to extend the flight restrictions at John Wayne Airport beyond 2005

as examples of careful planning.

And the city’s residents “pay no more taxes than elsewhere in the

county,” he said, adding that no other city in the county collects trash

without an extra charge.

Councilman Tod Ridgeway seconded O’Neil’s view, adding that an

atmosphere of intolerance and materialism has crept into the city in the

past few years.

“It’s time that we start looking at being more tolerant, helpful and

constructive,” said Ridgeway, who, like O’Neil, is not up for reelection

this year.

“There’s a divisiveness in the city that has not been there before,”

he said. “I ask for a little more cooperation to make this work.”

Bob Wynn, who served as Newport Beach’s city manager for 20 years and

is gunning for Thomson’s seat in the Nov. 7 election, said he agreed the

city should be proud of its achievements.

“I think that there are some things, however, that could be done in a

more proper way,” he said Wednesday.

“I think that we have a great city, great quality of life,” he said.

“And this was done by the present representative form of government. But

there are some on the council who should be more of a team player and

take political leadership.”

Rather than delaying a decision on the controversial Dunes expansion

project, which includes a 470-room hotel and a 31,000-square-foot

convention center, until residents have voted on two growth-control

measures in November, council members should have either approved or

rejected the proposal, Wynn said.

The other District 7 challenger, John Heffernan, said that along with

the city’s dearth of information on its plans to prevent an airport

expansion and its lack of involvement in planning annexation areas such

as Bonita Village, Newport Coast or Banning Ranch, the growth-control

initiatives on the ballot showed that citizens were unhappy with the

current government.

“Initiatives don’t come about because people think the City Council is

doing a great job,” Heffernan said.

Wynn gave the fate of the American Legion Post at Marinapark as

another example of a lack of leadership by the council. While members had

voted unanimously to enter negotiations for a long-term lease in 1997,

nothing ever came of it, Wynn said. Now, Legionnaires are concerned about

their hall’s survival because the city is considering a luxury hotel

project for the site.

Council members “did not even return phone calls” the Legionnaires

made, Wynn said. “That brings out suspicions, uncertainty and questions

regarding the quality of leadership.”