Oversight committee fills itself out

Danette Goulet

NEWPORT-MESA -- Complete at last, the 31-member committee formed to

oversee the spending of $163 million to refurbish the community’s public

schools has hit the ground running.

Having met twice now, the group is energized, enthusiastic and at long

last organized, members said.

“I think we’re playing catch up a bit,” said Kurt Yeager, who

represents the Newport Harbor Chamber of Commerce. “We’re starting a

little late, but everyone seems enthusiastic.”

Yeager will take a secondary co-chairman role to Tony Petros, a Costa

Mesa Chamber of Commerce representative who the group chose as the

committee’s chairman.

The group is charged with ensuring the $110-million bond voters

approved in June and $53 million in state matching funds are spent

correctly.

“I think that it says a lot about the area, that taxpayers were

willing to accept bond indebtedness for infrastructure and ultimately

students, and I think they made that decision very deliberately looking

for a group to be accountable,” Petros said. “I happen to be one of those

people who voted ‘yes’ and would like to add accountability.”

Meeting with the 31-member crew left Petros feeling confident that the

accountability would be there.

“I am honored and humbled to be associated with the caliber of people

assembled on this committee,” he said. “It is unusual to have this pool

of talent all pulling on the same end of the rope.”

Yeager was likewise impressed with the collective resume of the group,

which is full of people who are almost all new to volunteering in

Newport-Mesa.

“We have got an unbelievably talented group,” Yeager said. “When I

first saw the list, I was spooked because I didn’t know anyone.”

With all the positions finally filled, it is time for them to get down

to business.

And their first major task may be their most important, they said.

“We will be interviewing project managers next month, and I think that

will be crucial,” Yeager said. “I think of all the decisions the

committee makes, that will be the most pivotal.”

The group has already assembled an interview panel, which will look at

the proposals and make recommendations to the overall committee and,

ultimately, the board about who would best manage the huge job ahead,

Petros said.

“From there, we’ll be looking at prioritization and reviewing the

standards and taking up our charge as it is outlined in the resolution

passed by the board,” he said.

FYI

WHO’S ON THE COMMITTEE

Following is the committee structure and panelists chosen to oversee

the spending of $163 million in bond money by the Newport-Mesa Unified

School District:

* Four high school zones:

Corona del Mar: Allan Leguay and Howard Mirowitz

Costa Mesa: Craig D. Hardwick and Kenneth D. Sands

Estancia: Rick Kapko and Christine Ludlow

Newport Harbor: Mark Schultheis and Don Webb

* At large: George Bustamante, David W. Crouch, Lynn Crutchly and Tom

Holtom

* Senior citizens groups: Clare Donovan and Thomas H. Nielson

* Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce: Donn Hall and Tony Petros

* Newport Harbor Chamber of Commerce: Bob Haskell and Kurt Yeager

* American Institute of Architects: Robert Braun

* Board of Realtors: Mark Buchanan

* Building Industry Assn.: Jeff Prostor

* California School Employees Assn.: Cathy Ropp

* Corona del Mar Chamber of Commerce: Tina Hoover

* District audit committee: Leon Schwartz

* District investment advisory committee: Aileen Suzuki

* Harbor Council PTA: Ky Nguyen

* Latino Business Community: Mirna Burciaga

* Newport-Mesa Administrators Assn.: Charlene Metoyer

* Newport-Mesa Federation of Teachers: Dennis O’Hearn

* Orange County Treasurer’s Office: Tony Choi

* Orange County Taxpayers Assn.: John Chamberlain