EDITORIAL

During the next few weeks, Newport Beach and Costa Mesa will say

“Goodbye” to five of their public servants: Council members Jan Debay,

John Noyes and Tom Thomson in Newport Beach, and Heather Somers and Joe

Erickson in Costa Mesa.

Debay is leaving because of the city’s term limits after 13 years of

combined Planning Commission and council service, including a stint as

mayor. She’s seen the city through the American Trader oil spill

settlement, been a thoughtful leader on issues ranging from urban runoff

to streamlining city functions and represented the city beyond its

borders on the Orange County League of Cities and the Southern California

Assn. of Governments.

Proof of her value to West Newport could be seen this month at a

farewell dinner held in her honor, which was packed with people anxious

to sing her praises. Her voice will be missed in City Hall.

It will be a great loss when Noyes -- who has been recently leading

the city’s battle to keep caps on John Wayne Airport -- steps down. Noyes

has shouldered the great responsibility of working toward extending a

1985 settlement agreement that restricts the number of flights at the

airport -- and his efforts should not be dropped after he leaves the

council.

Thomson’s tenure came to a harsher end than Debay’s or Noyes’, as he

lost his reelection bid last month. He was a surprise pick for mayor pro

tem in 1998 and often voted against developments he thought ill fitted

the community.

His attempts to balance the demands of developers against the wants of

residents probably contributed to his defeat, as he failed to gain the

full trust and support of either. Those efforts were laudable, however,

and in many ways foresaw the wave of community anger that swelled into

the Greenlight Initiative.

Like Thomson, Somers is not leaving City Hall of her own accord and

has suggested she wants the close election results -- she trailed Karen

Robinson by just 32 votes in the certified count -- looked at. But

barring any unforeseen changes, Somers’ time on the council is finished.

A strong community voice before she joined the council four years ago,

Somers only occasionally showed the same intensity while behind the dais.

She did shine during discussions of redeveloping Harbor Center, rightly

including resident concerns in the equation.

She now has the opportunity to return to her community activism.

Hopefully, her years on the council have not soured her from continuing

to serve the city.

Of the four, Erickson -- who has served the city for 15 years, both as

a planning commissioner and councilman -- will be the most sorely missed.

He has long been the class of the Costa Mesa City Council, a thoughtful

advocate for the city’s best interests.

He brought careful, judicious consideration to the council’s business

and was a wise, open-minded leader during discussions of a bridge to

Huntington Beach, the proposed airport at El Toro and a host of other

tough issues. He spent many hours doing the city’s business, and he

deserves all the praise possible.

Thankfully, Erickson says he plans to remain involved in the community

after he wraps up his time on the council. That’s one small bit of good

news in the otherwise sorrowful end to his wonderful years of service.